The following statement is made on behalf of GOTAFE GVFL and AFL Goulburn Murray in relation to the ‘Insider’ column written by Oliver Caffrey in the Shepp News published Friday 1 July 2016 and is designed to correct some inaccuracies in the story.
The GOTAFE GVFL and AFL Goulburn Murray signed a three year contract in late 2014 for the Region Administration Centre to provide the League’s administration. This is a role that they are performing very well as evidenced by the feedback from Clubs in the abovementioned article.
Under this arrangement staff are employed by AFL Goulburn Murray with the input of the relevant League(s) as was the case with GOTAFE GVFL Deputy Chairman Mick Williams being part of the interview panel which appointed Simon Devine in January 2015.
The Board continues to be responsible for significant League decisions, often with the input from Clubs. Recent examples of this include the Community Club Sustainability Program, the future of the Dunkirk Avenue office, the development of a GVFL Strategic Plan and the selection of Interleague coach(es).
AFL Goulburn Murray is responsible for operational matters and there is constant communication. At times the go ahead for simple operational matters is provided by the GOTAFE GVFL Chairman and other matters are circulated to the Board for feedback/comment or alternatively listed on the next Board agenda. This provides for an efficient communication protocol that allows the office to keep matters moving forward.
With specific reference to today’s article there are a number of opinions expressed which are factually incorrect and require a response.
Some of these assertions include:
That the GVFL Board was not consulted into the replacement direction following Simon Devine’s resignation
It was also questioned of "how much say, if any, does the board now have, or even want, in the direction of the League"
"Is the board relevant at all if there is not much thought put into decisions and the strings are allowed to be pulled by AFL Goulburn Murray"
Also, "Mansfield-based Roff has essentially handed over the keys to the GVFL directly to AFL Goulburn Murray." This accusation is not only erroneous, it is offensive to the Chairman who has a long history in the governance of organisations. Where the Chairman lives is irrelevant to the operations of the league and the geographic spread of board members across the league area is considered positive.
During the 48 hours following the internal advisement of Simon Devine’s departure on Tuesday 28 June the following course of action was put in place:
GOTAFE GVFL Chairman David Roff was advised immediately and potential courses of action were discussed, including the consultation process with the GOTAFE GVFL Board
The matter was communicated to Commissioners and as it happened the monthly AFL Goulburn Murray Commission meeting was scheduled for that evening which provided a vehicle to discuss the situation
David Roff advised the GOTAFE GVFL Board via email of Simon’s departure including a request for suggestion on the path forward
There were also phone conversations between, and even a visit into the office from, GOTAFE GVFL Board members to further clarify the situation
A conversation was also had with KDFNL President Wayne Ryan and other KDFNL Board members
The way forward was finalised and released publicly on Thursday afternoon to coincide with the Northern Football League announcement
In regards to the ‘bewildering’ nature of the lack of a GOTAFE Board meeting to discuss the situation there was one request for a meeting from a Board member but this was not supported by the other Board members. The Board often seek and gain feedback to provide to the office via phone and email, which is a contemporary way to operate in this day and age.
Amongst all the feedback there was a very strong overall consensus for the action plan that has ultimately been put in place and this was built on the following platforms:
The timeliness of a recruitment process would most likely not see the position filled until late August thereby not allowing any lead time into the GVFL finals (to allow advertising time, interview time and then notice time for the successful applicant)
Grant Wilson has done an excellent job with the KDFNL and he knows the GVFL landscape and is known to most clubs. He is the ideal candidate to step into the role and he has been working on some GVFL matters so the transition would be smoother and immediate. This could then be reassessed at the end of the season
In the short term we would go to market for a League Operations Officer to provide administrative and operational support across the GVFL and KDFNL. This would be an appointment for the remainder of the season. The KDFNL will also be invited to have a representative on the selection panel for this role. This position has been advertised this afternoon and can be found here
Considering the timing for this season it was imperative that we moved quickly to put a clear process in place for the ultimate benefit of clubs.
Again, this process involved consultation with all relevant stakeholders within a limited timeframe so to suggest anything else is inflammatory and wrong.
In all, it is extremely disappointing that the author would choose to write in such a manner and to suggest a method of action without checking or verifying the facts.
David Roff Martin Gleeson
Chairman Region General Manager
GOTAFE GVFL AFL Goulburn Murray
Last Modified on 27/09/2016 14:09