The EDFL Board of Management is pleased to welcome the Yarragon Football Netball Club into our league. It believes Yarragon is good fit for our league. Likewise Yarragon feel their future is better in our competition. The inclusion of Yarragon was a recommendation by AFL Gippsland from their 2018 review into Gippsland football. We wish Warragul Industrials - who have departed our league for the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition all the best with their choice to leave. Encouragingly we will still field a 10 team competition. The word around the traps is the clubs to finish towards the bottom of the ladder last year have all recruited well and expect to improve a lot so fingers crossed this will produce an even competition. Can’t wait for the first bounce!
And in other big pre-season news the EDFL now have a new naming rights sponsor – Parklea.
Parklea is an Australian owned company leading the way in property development in Victoria. Much of our league publicity will acknowledge Parklea and we hope it develops into a long partnership.
The fixture will again consist of an 18 round season and the top five teams in all grades will again participate in the final series which will start on Saturday 24 August with the 2019 Parklea Grand Final to be played on Saturday 14 September. This season home and away football will not be played on the 18TH May but we will play on the Queens Birthday weekend.
On the 18TH May the EDFL will again participate in the Worksafe Interleague Community Championships. This year the EDFL have hosting rights and will play our neighbours the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) at both senior and U/18 level. Hopefully a big crowd will support the match and the EDFL prove competitive.
Once again all AFL country leagues will again have a salary cap and ours - which was set at $80k last year will not change. And also the Player Point System (PPS) is again in operation. As promised last year it is now based on games won and post finals ladder positions from the previous year – a fairer process. Similar to 2018 we will again have a seven point differential only this year last year’s premiers Nyora will be allocated 39 points while at the other end of the table Lang Lang who finished last will have a cap of 46 points along with our newcomer Yarragon. All other clubs will fall in between. This represents a one point reduction across all clubs.
I would also like to welcome our three newcomers League Secretary Madi Louden, Treasurer Meredith Anderson and Jason Salerno who will lead a new Sponsorship & Marketing role. Trust all three will be an asset and enjoy the year. Former Secretary Ken Moore has joined the Board of Management and will occupy the Football Operation Manager role that was vacant last year.
Finally I would like to offer all clubs, officials, volunteers, supporters, EDNA, the GUA, AFL Gippsland and all our suppliers led by Parklea, Viatek, Physioworks, Gary Blackwood, Warragul Gazette, Lang Lang Golf Club and Intersport Warragul all the best for another exciting season.
Roger Gwynne
Chairman
EDFL Board of Management
Last Modified on 31/03/2019 18:32
