Official Club Stuff Development League canned in 2018

[The_Wookie]

A LEADING VFL coach has urged the AFL to step in to overturn AFL Victoria's decision to banish the state league's reserves competition.

AFL Victoria announced the news on Friday, but the eight VFL clubs fielding a Development League (DL) team this year braced for it for the past month, particularly since last week. Frankston's pitch on Monday for re-entry to the VFL included not entering a DL side.

Sandringham held a meeting on Tuesday night to discuss potentially ending its alignment with St Kilda, which started in 2009, in reaction to the looming verdict that means fewer opportunities for non-AFL-listed footballers.

North Melbourne and Werribee are going it alone next year rather than having one side together, so there will be extra spots on their respective lists.

But Williamstown coach Andy Collins, who played 212 VFL/AFL games for Hawthorn, told AFL.com.au the DL's demise "saddened" him and he slammed the decision as "reactive" and "poor".

"The DL was a huge chance for young men to mature as people and footballers, in what I would call a very boutique competition designed for 18-to-21 (year-old) kids who missed out on being drafted," Collins said.

"They say they want to build the game, but we've lost eight teams of men's football – we haven't created another eight teams," Collins said.

"We talk about Frankston coming back in and North Melbourne and Werribee will need a few more players … but there will be about 120 talented young men spat out of footy, and they may not have a footy home now."

AFL Victoria chief executive Steven Reaper blamed financial difficulties and a lack of administrative resources among the reasons for ratifying the VFL executive's recommendation.

"With only eight of the 14 clubs fielding a development team, scheduling difficulties have grown each year; adding pressure to staff and volunteers with games increasingly being played at different grounds and often on different days to senior VFL games," Reaper said.

"The cost of running the DL currently sits in excess of $1 million between the competition and the clubs, and this is both not viable nor the best possible use of investment into the future, when we are seeing clubs experience financial difficulties."

Collins rejected Reaper's suggestion the DL was a financial impost, saying the competition's costs were only a "small percentage" in the sport's overall budget.

"It sounds like a lot when you talk about our home loans, but in the bigger-picture spend on football annually, it is such a small amount – it's like a pimple," he said.

"That's where the AFL, the custodian of the game, needs to really assist in people making great decisions in the best interests of football and not just what's in the best interests of a footy league.

"This decision seems final, but if I was the AFL, I'd be giving AFL Victoria some extra resources."

The fear among clubs, especially those with AFL alignments, is there will be too few playing opportunities to encourage footballers to pursue the VFL pathway. VFL clubs will have to foster a strong feeder system with grassroots clubs, where the increased leftover players will filter to.

Collins is concerned about how much work will be involved in tracking players who miss senior selection and are then "scattered" across community football.

AFL Victoria will reveal on August 7 whether Frankston was successful in its bid to return after a season out of the VFL, but no other licenses will be considered for 2018.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-27/afl-victoria-dumps-vfls-development-league

 

[The_Wookie]

The Northern Blues Football Club accepts the decision of AFL Victoria in regards to the future of the Development League.

It was confirmed earlier today that the Development League will not go ahead in 2018.

The Club had been committed to its Development side, which has provided a platform for a number of its players, coaches and staff to progress to the next level.

The Club will work with AFL Victoria and all relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks, and is wholly committed to the completion of the 2017 season as well as the revamped structure of the competition heading into 2018.

http://northernbluesfc.com.au/?p=5178

 

[The_Wookie]

Williamstown Football Club is disappointed to receive notice that the AFL Victoria Development League will not be continuing beyond 2017.

Clearly it was our club's preferred position to retain the AFL Victoria Development League and continue extending opportunities and pathways for players through to the elite level.

However, we understand the pressures to bear on the competition and other clubs in terms of resources and finance.

We now turn our attention to working closely with AFL Victoria and our fellow VFL clubs in establishing an alternative structure.

http://williamstownfc.com.au/10-latest-news/768-statement-regarding-afl-victoria-development-league

 

[The_Wookie]

Development League to come to a close

The AFL Victoria Board has ratified the recommendation to end the Development League from next season onwards. The decision has been made with a focus on the longer-term future of the Peter Jackson VFL competition.

AFL Victoria Chief Executive Officer Steven Reaper said several factors had been looked at before making the final decision to end the Development League.

“Pressures on clubs have been mounting over a number of years, both financially and from an administration perspective, relating to the Development League,” Reaper said.

“With only eight of the 14 clubs fielding a development team, scheduling difficulties have grown each year, adding pressure to staff and volunteers with games increasingly being played at different grounds and often on different days to senior VFL games.

“The cost of running the Development League currently sits in excess of one million dollars between the competition and the clubs, and this is both not viable nor the best possible use of investment into the future when we are seeing clubs experience financial difficulties.

“We need to make sure we focus on a long-term strategy regarding the competition for all clubs, and we believe we can still continue to provide development opportunities for players to transition from TAC Cup or local football to the VFL without the Development League in place.

“Players are still able to develop within community football, and we believe this decision will help enhance relationships between community and VFL clubs and grow the depth of talent at community level into the future.

“Geelong draftees Timm House and Ryan Abbott are both examples of players that played local football last year when not selected for Geelong’s VFL team but were still drafted at the end of the season.”

The removal of the Development League is aimed at enabling VFL clubs to focus their resources on one senior team and the development of those players. This will help to ensure each team is competitive in the competition and enable players to receive more individual attention from coaches and medical staff. It should also enhance opportunities for closer alignments between VFL and VFL Women’s teams into the future.

“This is not a sudden decision, and AFL Victoria has looked at a number of viewpoints over recent years regarding this step in the talented player pathway,” Reaper said.

“A growing trend in the player pathway from the TAC Cup to the VFL in recent years has involved players leaving the TAC Cup, spending time in community football for a few years and then moving into the VFL with the aim of being drafted when both physically and emotionally ready.

”There will continue to be positions on lists for graduating TAC Cup players and they will still have opportunities to train and develop in a state-league environment.

“With North Melbourne fielding a standalone VFL team, Werribee going standalone and the possibility of Frankston re-entering the competition next year, there will be extra senior-list opportunities that will be available going forward as well.”

With no Development League in 2018, the club structure for those eight clubs affected will move to one similar to that currently used by clubs such as Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Footscray, North Ballarat and Richmond, where players not selected at VFL level will play local football.

Feedback received during the review of the Development League pointed towards some players being reluctant to join a VFL club if they were going to play reserves football and not playing with their nominated club if they missed selection in the VFL seniors.

“We would hope this move would enable clubs to better recruit to the competition and attract the best talent, with players not selected at senior level returning to local football to play for their nominated club,” Reaper said.

“Current clubs without Development League teams have been able to build strong relationships with local clubs and coaches, helping aid recruitment and the development of players.

“We will work with VFL clubs for the remainder of the season on the finer points of team structures for the 2018 season, including list numbers, possible rule changes, impact on the points system at a community level and further development opportunities for players throughout the 2018 season.

“From a coaching and umpiring pathway perspective, we would hope that state-league positions developed over the recent years within the VFL Women’s and TAC Cup Girls competition still provide opportunities at this level for coaches and umpires.”

In coming weeks, AFL Victoria will be releasing details of the competition structure for 2018, which will include North Melbourne and Werribee as standalone clubs. The only application under consideration is that of the Frankston FC to re-join the VFL for next season, with no other licences to be considered for the 2018 VFL competition.

http://vfl.com.au/developmentleague/

 

[HairyO]

What a turnaround by all the clubs. 2 days ago they were outraged at the thought. Now they all just accept it.

How much money has the AFL thrown at the senior VFL club level to win them over?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

About time the VFL clubs realised they aren't playing in a fair dinkum competition tbh.

I can only hope this doesn't lead to some ****-eyed notion of fielding reserves teams in local leagues or something, and the AFL virus spreading downward further.

 

[The_Wookie]

nah this is about reducing the burden on the state level teams - probably preparing for Frankston to come back,

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Outrageous. Now these boys have to go off and play in local leagues on inferior grounds with possibly inferior facilities, support and coaching. AFL should throw in the money to help with the costs.