Goulburn Valley FL 2025

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player points in the GV? What clubs are allocated what amount of points?
All clubs should be on the same amount of points. I don’t like the fact that the league “allocate” extra points to some clubs and “deduct” other clubs for being successful. It should be an even playing field for everyone. It’s compromised if it’s not an even playing field.
 
All clubs should be on the same amount of points. I don’t like the fact that the league “allocate” extra points to some clubs and “deduct” other clubs for being successful. It should be an even playing field for everyone. It’s compromised if it’s not an even playing field.
Simple reality is not many Clubs utilise their full quota of points anyway.
 

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All clubs should be on the same amount of points. I don’t like the fact that the league “allocate” extra points to some clubs and “deduct” other clubs for being successful. It should be an even playing field for everyone. It’s compromised if it’s not an even playing field.
How can rochy with a population of 3k, have the same points as Echuca? Doesn't work like that, it's not that relevant as Echuca will play on the lowest points I'd think for most of the year and be 10 goals better anyway
 
How can rochy with a population of 3k, have the same points as Echuca? Doesn't work like that, it's not that relevant as Echuca will play on the lowest points I'd think for most of the year and be 10 goals better anyway
Yeah I couldn't be bothered trying to explain that fact Trent. That said, Rochy did beat Echuca last year so they are not unbeatable.

Throughout Kyabram's dynasty they did not lose during the season proper ... lost a GF they were expected to win. Lost one the year prior to becoming totally dominant.

Now they are battling for Premiership like the rest. Echuca will lose eventually
 
Yeah I couldn't be bothered trying to explain that fact Trent. That said, Rochy did beat Echuca last year so they are not unbeatable.

Throughout Kyabram's dynasty they did not lose during the season proper ... lost a GF they were expected to win. Lost one the year prior to becoming totally dominant.

Now they are battling for Premiership like the rest. Echuca will lose eventually
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points….Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak…
 
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points….Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak
The Points and cap handed a generation of clubs at the top of ladders a free throw at the stumps. Here we are on the brink of 2025 and London to a Brick say that the top 4-5 clubs will be the same again. It will be the same in the BFL similar in the O&M, same in the Geelong league etc. As the clock ticks clubs stuck in the bottom rungs are starting to fight for survival.
 
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points….Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak…
Aaaand that’s enough internet for me tonight.
 
It’s unsustainable and Echuca know it .
It might be unsustainable but have they brought the issue to the league at all? Does not sound like it seeing Moama, Leitchville Gunbower have made a argeement with other clubs.
All clubs should be on the same amount of points. I don’t like the fact that the league “allocate” extra points to some clubs and “deduct” other clubs for being successful. It should be an even playing field for everyone. It’s compromised if it’s not an even playing field.
So you want the salary cap instead. In my opinion, You have the Points Cap or Salary Cap but not both
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points.Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak…
You won Last 3 Flags on 42,42 and 40 points(In my opinion should of been less last season) and your saying that your club is "penalise". If I was a Echuca supporter, I would not make that comment and just shut up and be grateful for the 3 Flags you won.

You opinion is flawed on Euroa because Echuca which is the team you support.

Thanks for the Laugh thou.
 
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points….Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak…
How many games have Echuca 3rds lost since covid? Not sure their seconds have lost a game in 2 years. Some might suggest why don't you actually play those 1 point players instead of recruiting?

Euroa don't have those numbers to call on, for 1 point players. As soon as a few recruits move on, they come back to the pack, as it's hard to find 5-6 recruits to boost the side and they've lost Hayes. How can you compare?


You need in major league footy a core of 14 senior players that are locals to be competitive, that's a hard ask for Euroa, tat and even rochy. Echuca have set themselves up for success and they will be a top 3 side for the next 5 years
 
It might be unsustainable but have they brought the issue to the league at all? Does not sound like it seeing Moama, Leitchville Gunbower have made a argeement with other clubs.

So you want the salary cap instead. In my opinion, You have the Points Cap or Salary Cap but not both

You won Last 3 Flags on 42,42 and 40 points(In my opinion should of been less last season) and your saying that your club is "penalise". If I was a Echuca supporter, I would not make that comment and just shut up and be grateful for the 3 Flags you won.

You opinion is flawed on Euroa because Echuca which is the team you support.

Thanks for the Laugh thou.
It’s felt unsustainable , including if making compromises and the club wishes to ensure its junior structure is sustainable and flourishing ?
If so it’s not unprecedented , Rochester have also moved to Bendigo based structure .
People from all leagues invested their time into developing a preferred junior structure which was released for all to see and it’s been ignored .
 

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It might be unsustainable but have they brought the issue to the league at all? Does not sound like it seeing Moama, Leitchville Gunbower have made a argeement with other clubs.

So you want the salary cap instead. In my opinion, You have the Points Cap or Salary Cap but not both

You won Last 3 Flags on 42,42 and 40 points(In my opinion should of been less last season) and your saying that your club is "penalise". If I was a Echuca supporter, I would not make that comment and just shut up and be grateful for the 3 Flags you won.

You opinion is flawed on Euroa because Echuca which is the team you support.

Thanks for the Laugh thou.
Thats incorrect. Echuca’s points allocated were over the last three years were 40…then..39…then 38 last year and now will be 37 this year…fact.
 
Couple of points….Echuca along with the rest of the comp when the points system came in started on the sane points as everyone else. Population has nothing to do with it… Kyabram has a less population than Echuca and have been just as successful so that argument doesn’t stack up. Why do you need to “penalise” clubs like Echuca for being successful and reducing there player points each year…,next year they will play on 37 points….Euroa who played off in a flag 3 years ago get to play on 42 points…why? Why reward them for “dropping the ball”
and going backwards. Euroa live closer to a bigger population (Melb) than Echuca do….Rochester live closer to a bigger population than Echuca do (Bendigo) so stop the pollution bullshit argument….its weak…
I suspect if you lived in Tatura, Euroa or Rochester and understand the access to juniors these clubs have compared to Echuca we might be having a different conversation.

That said, I am not here to educate you on some fairly basic realities.
 
The affects of clubs in major cities having multiple junior sides will continue to be a major factor in the demise of country footy .
Firstly it has seen a significant decline in junior numbers , and in turn sides , in smaller communities .
Now we are about to see kids fall out of the teams left in the major cities as travel increases to play against what teams are left .
Rochester playing in Bendigo comp and recent discussion regarding Echuca having to play euros and Alexandra , having previously played in the Goulburn Campaspe league is a great example.
 
Echuca will drop away at some point in the near future. Moama have a lot more of the 12s, 14s coming through. Echuca isn't that big of a place, they've just had a great system in place, a game plan which no other team has broken down and they've recruited the right blokes.

I wouldn't have thought many other teams would have half their twos side driving back from melbourne every week.

Lets not forget Rochy were flogging Echuca for 10 years, with mainly locals. Euroa were a kick away from a Grand Final win and probably should have won it with mainly locals. Ky carried a lot of injured blokes in and could quite easily have won a couple of years ago if they were fit.

Seymour and Mansfield have recruited well. There's no reason why they can't really establish themselves. Shepp did a lot of things right and their kids will get better, No Smith in the Granny was huge. Rochy have really set themselves up and if they can add some depth they will be really pushing.

I really don't understand the obsession with Echuca and how they seem to have this unfair advantage. Load of rubbish in my humble opinion. they will come back to the pack at some point.

Echuca have had crap coaches and leaders in the past and have terrible results and the demographic hasn't shifted much at all. If anything it has become harder to keep players from leaving to minor leagues in the past 10 years. Seems all you blokes want to talk about is demographics. As a casual observer you rehash the same conversation over and over.

Anyway, impressed with Seymours recruiting and they seem to have a good bunch of blokes that enjoy playing with each other.

Really interested to see how Murphy takes on the leadership role at Seymour. Does he stay on a wing and get easy kicks or really step things up and lead by running through the midfield?
 
Just with the junior set up and the travel required in the Goulburn Murray juniors (14s and 16s)
Seymour already has a comp in 14s, include Euroa back into that and create a 16s division. Should be 6 or 7 teams, play eachother twice.
Central is your Shepp surround teams - Should be 6 or 7 teams
Campaspe is Echuca/Moama and Kyabrams, Rochy might be keen to come back in - Should be 6 or 7 teams
Bring top 2 from each division after the home and away to create a top 6 and play finals from that, teams that miss out could even play each other in other division for a few weeks for a bottom final play off.
 
Echuca will drop away at some point in the near future. Moama have a lot more of the 12s, 14s coming through. Echuca isn't that big of a place, they've just had a great system in place, a game plan which no other team has broken down and they've recruited the right blokes.

I wouldn't have thought many other teams would have half their twos side driving back from melbourne every week.

Lets not forget Rochy were flogging Echuca for 10 years, with mainly locals. Euroa were a kick away from a Grand Final win and probably should have won it with mainly locals. Ky carried a lot of injured blokes in and could quite easily have won a couple of years ago if they were fit.

Seymour and Mansfield have recruited well. There's no reason why they can't really establish themselves. Shepp did a lot of things right and their kids will get better, No Smith in the Granny was huge. Rochy have really set themselves up and if they can add some depth they will be really pushing.

I really don't understand the obsession with Echuca and how they seem to have this unfair advantage. Load of rubbish in my humble opinion. they will come back to the pack at some point.

Echuca have had crap coaches and leaders in the past and have terrible results and the demographic hasn't shifted much at all. If anything it has become harder to keep players from leaving to minor leagues in the past 10 years. Seems all you blokes want to talk about is demographics. As a casual observer you rehash the same conversation over and over.

Anyway, impressed with Seymours recruiting and they seem to have a good bunch of blokes that enjoy playing with each other.

Really interested to see how Murphy takes on the leadership role at Seymour. Does he stay on a wing and get easy kicks or really step things up and lead by running through the midfield?
100% correct this post.
Football and football clubs are cyclical….always has been.
The problems starts when leagues try and manipulate things like the point system to appease clubs. I am not a fan at all of the points or salary cap at all. Get rid of it …,, quickly…,but it’s the system we have.
Not sure where you are getting your numbers re the juniors at Moama and Echuca. Echuca will have 4 under 12 sides, 3 under 14 sides and two sides of Under 16’s and turning kids away at each age group and trying to push them to surrounding clubs. They apparently have 65 kids for 2 x under 16 teams this year and Moama have plenty of numbers but not as many as Echuca but who cares. Echuca have been in touch with surrounding clubs to let them know this so they are also trying to help out other clubs.

Echuca’s reign will not be forever …
 
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I suspect if you lived in Tatura, Euroa or Rochester and understand the access to juniors these clubs have compared to Echuca we might be having a different conversation.

That said, I am not here to educate you on some fairly basic realities.
Ky did really well out of having
Sheldon
Childs
Williams
At the club before points system came into play
 
Take 5-10 minutes to read this and please don't tell me the salary cap is working. It really is time for AFLVIC to review some of these deals.

Lucrative offers above $300,000 and a private plane to games, recruiters scouring the state and looking years into the future to shore up your list.
It’s not just happening in the AFL.
Cashed-up local footy clubs across the country – particularly in Victoria – are on the hunt for new recruits every off-season, fighting as hard through September to March as they do on-field when the whips are cracking.
Local footy recruiting has always been a competitive business, but in the social media age with player points caps and salary caps in place, the latter being open for rorting, clubs have to put in the work to beat their rivals to the punch.
And some sides go to extreme lengths to secure stars.
On recruiting platform Trainstop, a site that connects local footy players and clubs, one regional club put forward a godfather offer to an ex-AFL player this off-season.
It consisted of a $90,000 contract with incentives, a job paying $160,000, a $40,000 car plus free flights to and from games on a private plane – a cumulative value of well over $300,000.
The offer was passed up in the end, largely because there were doubts the club could go through with it — sides have been known to back out of big-money deals they can’t afford during a season.
Nonetheless, it proves local footy is more than just a game for some.

How much faith do you have in the community footy salary cap?​


None
69 %

Very little
23 %

Some, but it needs work
5 %

It has its strengths and weaknesses
2 %

It's strong, but needs minor improvements
1 %

Complete faith
0 %
106 votes

Most community clubs now have at least one staffer on the lookout for new signings while others have full recruiting panels and list managers.
Trainstop creator Kai Bloomfield, also a direct recruiter for several clubs across the state, said the evolving local footy landscape was getting increasingly similar to the AFL trade space.
“It’s crazy that it’s now kind of a similar to the story on Matt Rowell with Geelong,” Bloomfield told this masthead.
“He’s still got a year to run on his contract. Talks like that are starting to happen at local footy as well and clubs are getting smart and savvy and planning these things a year, two year in advance. Keeping tabs on players, it has become more and more like the AFL.
“I mean whether it’s even the coach or the president who does it, there is definitely someone at pretty much every local club now that their designated role is recruiting.
“It’s become such a big thing and if you’re not doing it, you’re probably getting left by the wayside.”
Matt Rowell reportedly met with Geelong during the off-season. Local footy clubs are now employing similar recruiting tactics. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Matt Rowell reportedly met with Geelong during the off-season. Local footy clubs are now employing similar recruiting tactics. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Before clubs can reach out to players, they have to consider the player points and salary caps, which vary between each Victorian league.
AFL Victoria brought in these contentious changes to combat equalisation concerns in local footy, introducing a total player points cap in 2016 and enforcing total player payments in 2017.
When salary caps were first brought in, most top flight metropolitan clubs had more than $200,000 to spend.
But in the post-Covid era of 2024, suburban clubs in the Essendon & District, Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern leagues all had salary caps of $120,000.
Country clubs in the Goulburn Valley and Ovens & Murray leagues (both $130,000) had the most cash to splash in 2024, but it can be more challenging for these clubs to attract players compared to those in Melbourne due to their proximity.

Metro salary caps​

LEAGUE AND DIVISIONPROPOSED 2024 CAP2023 CAP
ESSENDON DISTRICT PREMIER DIVISION$120,000$110,000
EDFL DIVISION 1$107,900$100,000
EDFL DIVISION 2$83,300$77,000
EASTERN PREMIER DIVISION$120,000$110,000
EFNL DIVISION 1$100,000$93,500
EFNL DIVISION 2$80,000$77,000
EFNL DIVISION 3$70,000
EFNL DIVISION 4$60,000
NORTHERN DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
NFNL DIVISION 2$95,000$88,000
NFNL DIVISION 3$72,000$66,000
OUTER EAST PREMIER DIVISION$115,000$105,000
OE DIVISION 1$100,000$90,000
OE DIVISION 2$75,000$75,000
RIDDEL DISTRICT$105,000$85,000
SOUTHERN DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
SFNL DIVISION 2$88,000$80,000
SFNL DIVISION 3$40,000$40,000
SFNL DIVISION 4$30,000
WESTERN REGION DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
WRFL DIVISION 2$88,000$80,000
WRFL DIVISION 3$50,000$50,000

Country footy salary caps for 2024​

LEAGUE2024 CAP2023 CAP
Bellarine Football Netball League$80,000$80,000
Colac District Football Netball League$60,000$60,000
Geelong Football Netball League$100,000$100,000
Geelong and District Football League$70,000$70,000
Central Murray Football Netball League$105,000-135,000$105,000-$135,000
Golden Rivers Football League$ 95,000-115,000$95,000-$115,000
Bendigo Football League$125,000$125,000
Heathcote District Football League$106,600$106,600
Loddon Valley Football League$106,600$106,600
North Central Football League$106,600$106,600
East Gippsland Football Netball League$64,000$65,000
Ellinbank & District Football League$72,000$65,000
Gippsland Football League$125,000$120,000
Mid Gippsland Football League$64,000$65,000
North Gippsland Football Netball League$64,000$65,000
Omeo District Football League$30,000$30,000
West Gippsland Football Netball Competition$100,000$100,000
Ballarat Football Netball League$100,000-110,000$100,000
Central Highlands Football League$90,000-95,000$85,000
Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League$80,000-85,000$75,000
Goulburn Valley Football League$130,000$125,000
Kyabram District Football League$75,000$75,000
Murray Football League$105,000$100,000
Picola and District Football Netball League$95,000$95,000
Ovens & Murray Football League$130,000 (Corowa-Rutherglen $155,000 due to 2023 season in recess)$125,000
Ovens & King Football League$55,000$50,000
Tallangatta & District Football League$72,500$65,000
Upper Murray Football Netball League$37,500$35,000
MPNFL Div 1$120,000$100,000-$110,000
MPNFL Div 2$100,000-110,000$90,000-$95,000
Millewa Football League$42,000-47,500$40,000-$45,000
Sunraysia Football Netball League$105,000-126,000$110,000-$120,000
Hampden Football Netball League$120,000$104,500
Mininera and District Football League$75,000$70,000
South West District Football Netball League$75,000$66,500
Warrnambool & District Football Netball League$80,000$66,500
Wimmera Football Netball League$108,000-118,000$105,000-$112,000
Horsham District Football League$88,000-105,000$80,000 - $104,000


AFL Victoria declared at the end of 2023 that they would put an integrity program in place, audit grand final teams at the end of each year and check sides at any stage throughout the season to combat clubs who aren’t playing fair.
However, the ‘salary cap’ remains the elephant in the room in local footy recruiting as tracking potential dodgy dealings from every club in the state is an impossible task.
It means there are countless loopholes for creative accounting.
VAFA clubs are not allowed to pay players but use their extensive business networks to find financial opportunities for players.
Their motto of playing for the ‘love of the game’ is often questioned.
Wangaratta Magpies’ 2022 salary cap breach is the most high profile case given the club was stripped of their premiership by the Ovens & Murray league.
Wangaratta had its premiership stripped in 2022, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Wangaratta had its premiership stripped in 2022, Picture Yuri Kouzmin
Several other clubs across the country have also been caught, but you would be naive to think they are the only ones.
Cynical clubs suspect there is a myriad of clubs across Victoria doing the same as some treat breaching the salary cap in the same vein as jaywalking.
The books might look squeaky clean, but the stories of under-the-table payments are endless.
A high-paying job, a block of land, a house on the water, a new car, a school scholarship for a player’s son, a paid spot on the netball team for the player’s partner, a ride in a helicopter to and from games and the aforementioned private plane.
The list goes on, and on, and on.
While the player points cap has its detractors in clubland, it is much easier to police and has put the squeeze on signing sprees of elite talent.
Most clubs across the state have 46 total player points available to them: a former AFL player equates to six; VFL or state league footballers are worth five; Coates Talent League and high-level local players (four); rival local players (three), reserves players (two); and club juniors/home club players (one).
Each player’s points tally will reduce by one each season a player is at the club.
Thought that was hard to figure out? Now try to recruit a star that several other clubs are also eyeing.

HOW NEGOTIATIONS PLAY OUT

Similar to AFL clubs, local sides generally identify the key areas that they need to fill – whether that be a ruckman, a goalkicking key forward or a contested ball-winner.
Some clubs use the contacts from their current players as a recruiting tool to get players over the line.
A range of club connections can be leveraged to get onto possible suitors and players often receive a message on Facebook or over the phone gauging their interest.
If the player wants to proceed further, it usually isn’t long until the two parties start talking numbers.
While some eager clubs may use extra cash to tempt players their way, Bloomfield believes a unique selling point is the most effective strategy in luring new recruits.
For example, Goulburn Valley league club Benalla being coached by 244-game Carlton and North Melbourne goalkicker Jarrad Waite.
“I think the clubs that recruit best are the ones that sell the club and sell playing for that club in a way that’s not financial, so that the player’s not just coming across to them purely because they’re paying triple what they were getting paid at their own club,” Bloomfield said.
“Like Benalla, they use other means, such as, ‘We’ve got an elite coach who’s straight out of the AFL system’, or, ‘We’ve got fantastic facilities’.
“Because (otherwise) every club has to compete on money and that tends to kill the less fortunate financial clubs.”
If players are asking for too much, clubs are be forced to weigh up what they can afford and the footballer’s talent versus their character.
A big red-flag is a busy PlayHQ profile: a player signing with different clubs each year is likely to be chasing coin.
New Lara coach Brett Henderson – back in local footy after 13 years in various roles in the VFL and the talent pathway, feels there is greater player power now than when he was last coaching at Echuca in 2011.
A bottom-three side in the Geelong league, Lara has lost several key players this off-season, but managed to land former North Melbourne and Melbourne big man Majak Daw in September.
Majak Daw in action for Deer Park last year. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Majak Daw in action for Deer Park last year. Picture: Andrew Batsch
“There are some players who will shop themselves around to try and get the best offer that they can and if they’re good players, that’s fine and well, but I just think that it has become different in so many different aspects now,” Henderson said.
“Give a player an offer and they might sit back and wait for three or four offers from other clubs and then some players are not making decisions for long periods of time. So you can’t just sit back and wait, you’ve got to keep moving.
“It is a pretty tough climate and I think most clubs would be feeling that. I think they feel as though it is pretty tough to recruit players.
“I suppose you’ve just got to try and offer them the best environment you possibly can at your club and just try to support them as much as possible. But some of the money and some of the figures that you hear (from other country footy leagues) are astounding.”
Bloomfield said players were waking up to the fact they can use some clubs’ desperation to their advantage, but maintains many were playing for less than they are worth – especially younger talents.
“I would say that the reason the players (don’t commit) is they’re getting smarter and working out that the longer they wait, the more desperate clubs get. And as clubs get more desperate, they tend to pay more money, so they tend to sweeten the offer,” Bloomfield said.
“But then there is the other spectrum, the younger players that have come straight out of the Talent League or out of private school footy and they have never been paid and they have no idea how much they are of value to clubs.”
South Barwon list manager Brendan Curry has spent 40 years in local football and the VFL, including a two-decade stint as chief executive of Williamstown, and doesn’t feel much has changed in his time.
The experienced Curry echoed Bloomfield’s message of selling the entire club.
The Swans secured 28-year-old key forward Josh Corbett straight out of the AFL largely thanks to a connection with his sister Georgie and her fiance Sam, who play netball and football respectively for the Swans.
Keen to pursue coaching, South Barwon also offered the former Fremantle and Gold Coast goalkicker an assistant coaching role under former Melbourne coach Mark Neeld.
South Barwon coach Mark Neeld Picture: Mark Wilson

South Barwon coach Mark Neeld Picture: Mark Wilson
“I’ve been doing it for 40 years and it is no different. You speak to players and they speak to other clubs, so you’ve got to sell the club the best way you can. Be honest and upfront with them, tell them how we are progressing,” Curry said.
“It has always been competitive recruiting, and the better clubs with better recruiting get the better players.”
“Things change, it is more important to sell the holistic view of a football club. Getting coaches involved, good people involved.”

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

When an AFL player’s career comes to a close, local footy clubs come calling.
High level AFL players can expect to receive over a hundred lucrative offers from clubs and come at a high price, generally above $50,000 for the season – more than a third of most competition’s cap and around $2,800 per game.
This is often far more than players receive in the VFL.
Delisted Richmond forward Noah Cumberland received more than 50 offers in a few days and eventually settled on Northern league division one club South Morang.
Very few in local footy command $50,000 – at least within the salary cap. Bloomfield suspects less than one per cent may earn that, with some gun country footballers and talented state league players able to attract that amount.
A thousand dollars per game – $18,000 for the season – for a quality player is regularly handed out, while $2,000 is rarer, but is common in country leagues with higher caps and locals happy to play for minimal pay.
While ex-AFL signings generate the most attention, fringe VFL players and top-level local footballers are generally the most popular players, providing strong results at a cheaper price tag.
Surprisingly, the most in-demand footballer on the Trainstop platform this off-season was 200cm ruckman Jack McKay, a former captain of Fitzroy in the VAFA who signed with Upwey Tecoma in the Outer East league.
Jack Mckay (right) back in 2022. He was a man in demand this off-season. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Jack Mckay (right) back in 2022. He was a man in demand this off-season. Picture: George Salpigtidis
“He had the most messages because he’s a 200 centimetre ruckman, key forward, lovely guy, leadership qualities, is going to stick with the club for a while, he’s not interested in the highest bidder,” Bloomfield explained.
“He just genuinely wants to go to a good family club and help develop some young players.”
Players out of the elite junior talent pathway are also cut-price options that can have a major impact.
Curry has consistently targeted talented youngsters out of the Coates Talent League and the strategy has proved effective at South Barwon, with the young Swans playing off in the last two Geelong league grand finals.
“I’ve always recruited players out of the TAC Cup, Coates boys, because most people have got no understanding or appreciation of how good that football is. That’s always been my No.1 recruiting source, get players that have been well educated,” Curry said.
While most of the attention hinges on who is coming in, retention and a strong junior program – allowing one-point players to fill your senior side – is arguably even more crucial to success.
Of the 63 premiers in Victorian local footy last year, 44 of them played with less than 40 player points and 16 tasted glory with 30 or less.
And just as Geelong has in the AFL, clubs that are sensible with their payments can give themselves the best chance of success — granted that is easier said than done, particularly for lower ranked sides.
Local footy has become such a big business that some have become full-time footballers, taking their talents to Northern Territory Football League during the summer months.
One this is for sure, the local footy recruiting market certainly won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

 
Ky did really well out of having
Sheldon
Childs
Williams
At the club before points system came into play
That's exactly why the points system was introduced, how many Echuca players went to Kyabram? At least 5, in my opinion getting players from other clubs should be the highest points
Take 5-10 minutes to read this and please don't tell me the salary cap is working. It really is time for AFLVIC to review some of these deals.

Lucrative offers above $300,000 and a private plane to games, recruiters scouring the state and looking years into the future to shore up your list.
It’s not just happening in the AFL.
Cashed-up local footy clubs across the country – particularly in Victoria – are on the hunt for new recruits every off-season, fighting as hard through September to March as they do on-field when the whips are cracking.
Local footy recruiting has always been a competitive business, but in the social media age with player points caps and salary caps in place, the latter being open for rorting, clubs have to put in the work to beat their rivals to the punch.
And some sides go to extreme lengths to secure stars.
On recruiting platform Trainstop, a site that connects local footy players and clubs, one regional club put forward a godfather offer to an ex-AFL player this off-season.
It consisted of a $90,000 contract with incentives, a job paying $160,000, a $40,000 car plus free flights to and from games on a private plane – a cumulative value of well over $300,000.
The offer was passed up in the end, largely because there were doubts the club could go through with it — sides have been known to back out of big-money deals they can’t afford during a season.
Nonetheless, it proves local footy is more than just a game for some.

How much faith do you have in the community footy salary cap?​


None
69 %

Very little
23 %

Some, but it needs work
5 %

It has its strengths and weaknesses
2 %

It's strong, but needs minor improvements
1 %

Complete faith
0 %
106 votes

Most community clubs now have at least one staffer on the lookout for new signings while others have full recruiting panels and list managers.
Trainstop creator Kai Bloomfield, also a direct recruiter for several clubs across the state, said the evolving local footy landscape was getting increasingly similar to the AFL trade space.
“It’s crazy that it’s now kind of a similar to the story on Matt Rowell with Geelong,” Bloomfield told this masthead.
“He’s still got a year to run on his contract. Talks like that are starting to happen at local footy as well and clubs are getting smart and savvy and planning these things a year, two year in advance. Keeping tabs on players, it has become more and more like the AFL.
“I mean whether it’s even the coach or the president who does it, there is definitely someone at pretty much every local club now that their designated role is recruiting.
“It’s become such a big thing and if you’re not doing it, you’re probably getting left by the wayside.”
Matt Rowell reportedly met with Geelong during the off-season. Local footy clubs are now employing similar recruiting tactics. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Matt Rowell reportedly met with Geelong during the off-season. Local footy clubs are now employing similar recruiting tactics. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Before clubs can reach out to players, they have to consider the player points and salary caps, which vary between each Victorian league.
AFL Victoria brought in these contentious changes to combat equalisation concerns in local footy, introducing a total player points cap in 2016 and enforcing total player payments in 2017.
When salary caps were first brought in, most top flight metropolitan clubs had more than $200,000 to spend.
But in the post-Covid era of 2024, suburban clubs in the Essendon & District, Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern leagues all had salary caps of $120,000.
Country clubs in the Goulburn Valley and Ovens & Murray leagues (both $130,000) had the most cash to splash in 2024, but it can be more challenging for these clubs to attract players compared to those in Melbourne due to their proximity.

Metro salary caps​

LEAGUE AND DIVISIONPROPOSED 2024 CAP2023 CAP
ESSENDON DISTRICT PREMIER DIVISION$120,000$110,000
EDFL DIVISION 1$107,900$100,000
EDFL DIVISION 2$83,300$77,000
EASTERN PREMIER DIVISION$120,000$110,000
EFNL DIVISION 1$100,000$93,500
EFNL DIVISION 2$80,000$77,000
EFNL DIVISION 3$70,000
EFNL DIVISION 4$60,000
NORTHERN DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
NFNL DIVISION 2$95,000$88,000
NFNL DIVISION 3$72,000$66,000
OUTER EAST PREMIER DIVISION$115,000$105,000
OE DIVISION 1$100,000$90,000
OE DIVISION 2$75,000$75,000
RIDDEL DISTRICT$105,000$85,000
SOUTHERN DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
SFNL DIVISION 2$88,000$80,000
SFNL DIVISION 3$40,000$40,000
SFNL DIVISION 4$30,000
WESTERN REGION DIVISION 1$120,000$110,000
WRFL DIVISION 2$88,000$80,000
WRFL DIVISION 3$50,000$50,000

Country footy salary caps for 2024​

LEAGUE2024 CAP2023 CAP
Bellarine Football Netball League$80,000$80,000
Colac District Football Netball League$60,000$60,000
Geelong Football Netball League$100,000$100,000
Geelong and District Football League$70,000$70,000
Central Murray Football Netball League$105,000-135,000$105,000-$135,000
Golden Rivers Football League$ 95,000-115,000$95,000-$115,000
Bendigo Football League$125,000$125,000
Heathcote District Football League$106,600$106,600
Loddon Valley Football League$106,600$106,600
North Central Football League$106,600$106,600
East Gippsland Football Netball League$64,000$65,000
Ellinbank & District Football League$72,000$65,000
Gippsland Football League$125,000$120,000
Mid Gippsland Football League$64,000$65,000
North Gippsland Football Netball League$64,000$65,000
Omeo District Football League$30,000$30,000
West Gippsland Football Netball Competition$100,000$100,000
Ballarat Football Netball League$100,000-110,000$100,000
Central Highlands Football League$90,000-95,000$85,000
Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League$80,000-85,000$75,000
Goulburn Valley Football League$130,000$125,000
Kyabram District Football League$75,000$75,000
Murray Football League$105,000$100,000
Picola and District Football Netball League$95,000$95,000
Ovens & Murray Football League$130,000 (Corowa-Rutherglen $155,000 due to 2023 season in recess)$125,000
Ovens & King Football League$55,000$50,000
Tallangatta & District Football League$72,500$65,000
Upper Murray Football Netball League$37,500$35,000
MPNFL Div 1$120,000$100,000-$110,000
MPNFL Div 2$100,000-110,000$90,000-$95,000
Millewa Football League$42,000-47,500$40,000-$45,000
Sunraysia Football Netball League$105,000-126,000$110,000-$120,000
Hampden Football Netball League$120,000$104,500
Mininera and District Football League$75,000$70,000
South West District Football Netball League$75,000$66,500
Warrnambool & District Football Netball League$80,000$66,500
Wimmera Football Netball League$108,000-118,000$105,000-$112,000
Horsham District Football League$88,000-105,000$80,000 - $104,000


AFL Victoria declared at the end of 2023 that they would put an integrity program in place, audit grand final teams at the end of each year and check sides at any stage throughout the season to combat clubs who aren’t playing fair.
However, the ‘salary cap’ remains the elephant in the room in local footy recruiting as tracking potential dodgy dealings from every club in the state is an impossible task.
It means there are countless loopholes for creative accounting.
VAFA clubs are not allowed to pay players but use their extensive business networks to find financial opportunities for players.
Their motto of playing for the ‘love of the game’ is often questioned.
Wangaratta Magpies’ 2022 salary cap breach is the most high profile case given the club was stripped of their premiership by the Ovens & Murray league.
Wangaratta had its premiership stripped in 2022, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Wangaratta had its premiership stripped in 2022, Picture Yuri Kouzmin
Several other clubs across the country have also been caught, but you would be naive to think they are the only ones.
Cynical clubs suspect there is a myriad of clubs across Victoria doing the same as some treat breaching the salary cap in the same vein as jaywalking.
The books might look squeaky clean, but the stories of under-the-table payments are endless.
A high-paying job, a block of land, a house on the water, a new car, a school scholarship for a player’s son, a paid spot on the netball team for the player’s partner, a ride in a helicopter to and from games and the aforementioned private plane.
The list goes on, and on, and on.
While the player points cap has its detractors in clubland, it is much easier to police and has put the squeeze on signing sprees of elite talent.
Most clubs across the state have 46 total player points available to them: a former AFL player equates to six; VFL or state league footballers are worth five; Coates Talent League and high-level local players (four); rival local players (three), reserves players (two); and club juniors/home club players (one).
Each player’s points tally will reduce by one each season a player is at the club.
Thought that was hard to figure out? Now try to recruit a star that several other clubs are also eyeing.

HOW NEGOTIATIONS PLAY OUT

Similar to AFL clubs, local sides generally identify the key areas that they need to fill – whether that be a ruckman, a goalkicking key forward or a contested ball-winner.
Some clubs use the contacts from their current players as a recruiting tool to get players over the line.
A range of club connections can be leveraged to get onto possible suitors and players often receive a message on Facebook or over the phone gauging their interest.
If the player wants to proceed further, it usually isn’t long until the two parties start talking numbers.
While some eager clubs may use extra cash to tempt players their way, Bloomfield believes a unique selling point is the most effective strategy in luring new recruits.
For example, Goulburn Valley league club Benalla being coached by 244-game Carlton and North Melbourne goalkicker Jarrad Waite.
“I think the clubs that recruit best are the ones that sell the club and sell playing for that club in a way that’s not financial, so that the player’s not just coming across to them purely because they’re paying triple what they were getting paid at their own club,” Bloomfield said.
“Like Benalla, they use other means, such as, ‘We’ve got an elite coach who’s straight out of the AFL system’, or, ‘We’ve got fantastic facilities’.
“Because (otherwise) every club has to compete on money and that tends to kill the less fortunate financial clubs.”
If players are asking for too much, clubs are be forced to weigh up what they can afford and the footballer’s talent versus their character.
A big red-flag is a busy PlayHQ profile: a player signing with different clubs each year is likely to be chasing coin.
New Lara coach Brett Henderson – back in local footy after 13 years in various roles in the VFL and the talent pathway, feels there is greater player power now than when he was last coaching at Echuca in 2011.
A bottom-three side in the Geelong league, Lara has lost several key players this off-season, but managed to land former North Melbourne and Melbourne big man Majak Daw in September.
Majak Daw in action for Deer Park last year. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Majak Daw in action for Deer Park last year. Picture: Andrew Batsch
“There are some players who will shop themselves around to try and get the best offer that they can and if they’re good players, that’s fine and well, but I just think that it has become different in so many different aspects now,” Henderson said.
“Give a player an offer and they might sit back and wait for three or four offers from other clubs and then some players are not making decisions for long periods of time. So you can’t just sit back and wait, you’ve got to keep moving.
“It is a pretty tough climate and I think most clubs would be feeling that. I think they feel as though it is pretty tough to recruit players.
“I suppose you’ve just got to try and offer them the best environment you possibly can at your club and just try to support them as much as possible. But some of the money and some of the figures that you hear (from other country footy leagues) are astounding.”
Bloomfield said players were waking up to the fact they can use some clubs’ desperation to their advantage, but maintains many were playing for less than they are worth – especially younger talents.
“I would say that the reason the players (don’t commit) is they’re getting smarter and working out that the longer they wait, the more desperate clubs get. And as clubs get more desperate, they tend to pay more money, so they tend to sweeten the offer,” Bloomfield said.
“But then there is the other spectrum, the younger players that have come straight out of the Talent League or out of private school footy and they have never been paid and they have no idea how much they are of value to clubs.”
South Barwon list manager Brendan Curry has spent 40 years in local football and the VFL, including a two-decade stint as chief executive of Williamstown, and doesn’t feel much has changed in his time.
The experienced Curry echoed Bloomfield’s message of selling the entire club.
The Swans secured 28-year-old key forward Josh Corbett straight out of the AFL largely thanks to a connection with his sister Georgie and her fiance Sam, who play netball and football respectively for the Swans.
Keen to pursue coaching, South Barwon also offered the former Fremantle and Gold Coast goalkicker an assistant coaching role under former Melbourne coach Mark Neeld.
South Barwon coach Mark Neeld Picture: Mark Wilson

South Barwon coach Mark Neeld Picture: Mark Wilson
“I’ve been doing it for 40 years and it is no different. You speak to players and they speak to other clubs, so you’ve got to sell the club the best way you can. Be honest and upfront with them, tell them how we are progressing,” Curry said.
“It has always been competitive recruiting, and the better clubs with better recruiting get the better players.”
“Things change, it is more important to sell the holistic view of a football club. Getting coaches involved, good people involved.”

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

When an AFL player’s career comes to a close, local footy clubs come calling.
High level AFL players can expect to receive over a hundred lucrative offers from clubs and come at a high price, generally above $50,000 for the season – more than a third of most competition’s cap and around $2,800 per game.
This is often far more than players receive in the VFL.
Delisted Richmond forward Noah Cumberland received more than 50 offers in a few days and eventually settled on Northern league division one club South Morang.
Very few in local footy command $50,000 – at least within the salary cap. Bloomfield suspects less than one per cent may earn that, with some gun country footballers and talented state league players able to attract that amount.
A thousand dollars per game – $18,000 for the season – for a quality player is regularly handed out, while $2,000 is rarer, but is common in country leagues with higher caps and locals happy to play for minimal pay.
While ex-AFL signings generate the most attention, fringe VFL players and top-level local footballers are generally the most popular players, providing strong results at a cheaper price tag.
Surprisingly, the most in-demand footballer on the Trainstop platform this off-season was 200cm ruckman Jack McKay, a former captain of Fitzroy in the VAFA who signed with Upwey Tecoma in the Outer East league.
Jack Mckay (right) back in 2022. He was a man in demand this off-season. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Jack Mckay (right) back in 2022. He was a man in demand this off-season. Picture: George Salpigtidis
“He had the most messages because he’s a 200 centimetre ruckman, key forward, lovely guy, leadership qualities, is going to stick with the club for a while, he’s not interested in the highest bidder,” Bloomfield explained.
“He just genuinely wants to go to a good family club and help develop some young players.”
Players out of the elite junior talent pathway are also cut-price options that can have a major impact.
Curry has consistently targeted talented youngsters out of the Coates Talent League and the strategy has proved effective at South Barwon, with the young Swans playing off in the last two Geelong league grand finals.
“I’ve always recruited players out of the TAC Cup, Coates boys, because most people have got no understanding or appreciation of how good that football is. That’s always been my No.1 recruiting source, get players that have been well educated,” Curry said.
While most of the attention hinges on who is coming in, retention and a strong junior program – allowing one-point players to fill your senior side – is arguably even more crucial to success.
Of the 63 premiers in Victorian local footy last year, 44 of them played with less than 40 player points and 16 tasted glory with 30 or less.
And just as Geelong has in the AFL, clubs that are sensible with their payments can give themselves the best chance of success — granted that is easier said than done, particularly for lower ranked sides.
Local footy has become such a big business that some have become full-time footballers, taking their talents to Northern Territory Football League during the summer months.
One this is for sure, the local footy recruiting market certainly won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

All afl vic auditors need to do is ask train stop for all their emails with clubs and that will blow up player payments
 

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