In April, AFL South East announced a review into the junior to senior football transition structure within the region and invited all junior and senior leagues to form a working party to discuss the issue. After numerous meetings, consultation sessions and analysis of responses, the final recommendations have been approved and released by AFL South East.
As seen in the data contained in the report, the retention of players through the 16-20 year old age bracket has and continues to be a major concern for all stakeholders. The structural changes recommended are aimed at providing a diverse range of offerings for the participant, whilst maintaining strong and dynamic player pathways.
However, the recommendations and the expected outcomes by no means solve the issue of player retention, progression and relative club strength on their own. Structural variations are only one piece in an extensive puzzle that requires constant attention, input and review by all stakeholders.
Recommendations made in the report which apply to the Mornington JFL, Frankston DJFL, Nepean FNL and Peninsula FNL include:
- The expansion of the top age division within junior leagues to U17s
- The expansion of 3rd XVIII football within senior leagues from U18 to U19
- The approval of a joint U16 and U17 graded competition between the MPJFL and the FDJFL
- The simplification of the permit system to allow for an easier transaction of players between the junior and senior leagues within a season.
- Developing stronger junior and senior club and league relationships
- Simplifying the age cut-offs and provide clarity around the provision of over-age permits
A full copy of the report and the recommendations can be viewed by clicking on the file at the bottom of the article.
AFL South East Region General Manager Jeremy Bourke stated, “There is no doubt that not all will agree with the scope of the recommendations. Some will say that they have not gone far or deep enough and others will determine that they are not in the best interests of their particular club or league. Through the representative spread of the working party, AFL South East firmly believes that the decisions made here are in the best interests of football in the region. Too often, decisions in football have been made in the best interests of one party at the expense of another and without consultation or due diligence. This was something the working party was keen to avoid”.
The review was called following a time of significant focus on youth football in the region over the previous off-season. Both the Casey Cardinia FNL and the South East Juniors are inaugurated U17 competitions in 2014 and plans for two new competitions (U17 within Frankston District Junior FL and Colts within the Peninsula FNL) were vetoed by AFL Victoria Country and the PCN Sports Alliance respectively.
Recommendations regarding the South East Juniors and Casey Cardinia FNL competitions will be released within the next week following to conclusion of the response period relating to those recommendations.
Last Modified on 22/09/2014 16:46