AFL Victoria has finalised a statewide Player Points System which will be implemented as part of the Community Club Sustainability Program in 2016.
After reviewing feedback from Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions following the release of a draft framework in May, the AFL Victoria Working Party has released a policy which addresses the equalisation concerns and escalating player payments in community football.
A Player Points System will be implemented by all Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions in season 2016, while the Players Salary Cap will be adopted in 2017.
AFL Victoria Community Football and Engagement Manager Brett Connell said that the AFL Victoria Working Party has acted on the feedback received from leagues and commissions in regards to the policy’s impact on clubs.
"A large majority of Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions viewed the implementation of the Player Points System and the Players Salary Cap in potentially the same year as too much for clubs, and that there needed to be a more phased-in approach," he said.
"Given the feedback suggested the Players Salary Cap program required further detail and investigation, the sub-committee believes it will be best suited to a 2017 implementation, with training and education relating to the salary cap to begin across the 2016 season."
A maximum of 50 total team points has been allocated to all clubs across the state, with the AFL Working Party giving further flexibility to Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions to apply either a one or two point reduction for players that have met the season of service clause in 2015, to participate with the same club in 2016.
Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions will also be able to determine at their own discretion the timing of publicising their total team points to their affiliated clubs.
"As long as all of their affiliated clubs are 50 points or under they will not need to seek prior approval from Community Club Sustainability Program sub-committee in the first year," Connell said.
"Metropolitan Leagues and Region Commissions will need to apply to the sub-committee should any of their affiliated Clubs require more than 50 total team points."
The AFL Victoria Working Party continues to work with the Victorian Amateur Football Association to ensure the framework they adopt caters for the unique nature of their competition, including club alignments to schools and tertiary institutions and the non-payments of players.
Following the release of the policy, the Club Community Sustainability Program sub-committee will continue to work on and provide tools to assist volunteers in the implementation of the Player Points System.
"This policy is all about sustaining community football and supporting the thousands of volunteers across the state who are the back-bone of local football," Connell said.
"The Club Community Sustainability Program sub-committee would like to thank all community football stakeholders for their work regarding the implementation of this program."
-ENDS-
Last Modified on 04/11/2015 11:10