Following an eventful decade that featured much structural change the Ellinbank & District football league will for the second year in a row field a 10 team competition. After the success of the restructured league in 2017 (despite the departure of five clubs) the feedback from the clubs over summer is that they truly appreciate the stability of a 10 team league again and with it – their ability to plan for the future.
Once again the fixture will consist of an 18 round season – therefore all teams will play each other on a home and away basis. Over summer the board of management unanimously agreed the top five teams in all grades will again participate in the final series which will start on Saturday 25 August with the 2018 grand final to be played on Saturday 15 September. This season home and away football will not be played on the 19TH May and 9th June which is the Queens Birthday weekend.
On the 19TH May the EDFL will participate in the Worksafe Interleague Community Championships. We are pleased to re-enter this competition having missed partaking in 2017. The EDFL will travel to Ballarat to play the Horsham & District League at not only senior level but also at U/18 and U/16 level. The board of management pushed for the league to also field teams at junior level on the day confident the opportunity for them to play interleague and a full four quarter game will be a tremendous learning experience and hold them in good stead to play in the Evans Petroleum Gippsland Junior Football Championships during the July school holidays.
Similar to last year all AFL country leagues will again have a salary cap and ours - which was set at $80k last year will not change. However there will be a change to the Player Point System (PPS).
This year will see a seven point differential with last year’s premiers Catani allocated 40 points while at the other end of the table the clubs that won three games or less (Lang Lang and Poowong) will be set 47 points and all other clubs will fall in between. To make it easier for clubs to plan in 2019 onwards it is proposed that future PPS team scores will be based on games won and post finals ladder positions.
For those that have not have not caught up with the news; the EDFL joined the AFL Gippsland Regional Assistance Centre (RAC) over summer and we trust this partnership will enable our league to further thrive in 2018.
Last year across all four grades we had six teams represented in the finals. This season I hope all 10 clubs can field at least one team during the final series and fingers crossed we get better weather.
Finally I would like to offer all clubs, officials, volunteers, supporters, EDNA and the GUA and AFL Gippsland all the best for what shapes as another exciting and intriguing season.
Roger Gwynne
Chairman
EDFL Board of Management
Last Modified on 06/04/2018 10:49