By RUSSELL BENNETT
DEATH threats and potential board spills – that’s the latest to come from the Ellinbank and District Football League’s incredible ‘Mudgate’ saga.
League chairman Roger Gwynne said he’d received death threats over the league’s call to move Catani’s Round 16 home game against Kooweerup to Denhams Road, while keeping Buln Buln’s clash with Nar Nar Goon at Station Street.
He also said the issue was the key reason why the Catani Football Club had proposed for the league and its clubs to hear from AFL Gippsland on the potential for the EDFL to become part of the Region Administration Centre (RAC) set-up.
The EDFL is one of the only leagues in Gippsland that isn’t run by the AFL Gippsland RAC and that could be about to change.
In an email circulated to all the EDFL clubs as well as AFL Gippsland, Catani proposed that the EDFL’s 2017 planning meeting – scheduled for 17 August – would feature a presentation from AFL Gippsland on the case for the EDFL to become part of the Morwell-based centre that oversees all other Gippsland leagues, citing “increasing administration and umpiring costs” under the board of management.
“We ask that the BOM (the EDFL’s board of management) put this matter on to the meeting agenda and invite a representative of AFL Gippsland to address the league member clubs,” the email, which the Gazette has seen, says.
“We have been advised that AFL Gippsland would take up no more than 20 minutes of our time and we would then be in a position for the clubs to make a joint, transparent, and informed decision once and for all for season 2017.”
The 10 clubs remaining in the EDFL from next season are Buln Buln, Catani, Ellinbank, Lang Lang, Longwarry, Neerim Neerim South, Nilma Darnum, Nyora, Poowong, and the Warragul Industrials.
Such a discussion, should it happen at next week’s meeting, could potentially lead to the removal of the board of management if the teams voted in favour of it later this year.
“The email was sent to the 10 EDFL clubs (for 2017) to get a discussion happening with AFL Gippsland on the potential for joining the RAC,” said Catani secretary Brian Edwards.
The Gazette understands that four clubs are already set to support Catani in its bid to have the RAC presentation.
“We just need the discussion,” Edwards said.
But Gwynne is adamant he knows the reason why the discussion is being proposed at all.
“It’s up to them, but that’s (moving their game against Kooweerup to Taplins Road) the only reason they want to join the RAC,” Gwynne said of Catani.
“They’re crapped off because of the change of venue – that’s it.
“(But) we’ve got a responsibility to the clubs, the league and the players. If there’s an issue (with a ground) we have to look at it.
“I don’t want to take games off clubs, but it’s a duty of care thing.
“Things have changed in the past five years – people will sue you for stepping on their toes.
“You have to tick all the boxes (as a league), otherwise it’ll come back and kick you in the backside.”
Gwynne said he had no issue if the league’s clubs voted to enter the RAC.
“That’s up to the clubs – if they want to go into the RAC it’s up to them. We’ll do that,” he said.
“(But) I know there’s a few clubs that won’t go down that road and it has to be a majority vote.
“The (EDFL) board has been appointed for two years – this year and next year.
“I’d like to see in this transition period as a board of management.
“The West Gippsland Football and Netball Competition would be under the RAC immediately. That would give a good indication of how that works but I wouldn’t like to see change next year.”
