AFL Victoria has relaxed its stance on all leagues including Ovens and Murray being forced into a regional administration centre from 2019.
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The move follows a meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday between AFL Victoria and representatives of leagues fighting the directive to forego standalone administration including O and M chairman David Sinclair.
AFL North-East Border and the O and M are expected to sign off an affiliation agreement for the 2018 season in coming days and a working party put together last year to bring the two parties together with the aim of handing over the league’s administration services to the AFL in 2019 will remain in place.
But the likelihood of the O and M relinquishing its own administration in the next three to five years is remote with talks with major sponsor, the SS&A Club, to extend its long-term deal to begin in earnest.
The SS&A Club has pumped more than $1 million into the league since coming on board in 2001.
“Collectively, the OMFNL, the clubs, public and the regional commission are excited about the start of the 2018 season and we will continue to work together as we have over the past five years,” Mr Sinclair said.
AFLNEB general manager John O’Donohue said ultimately the game would be better served with greater collaboration among all leagues, but further talks about bringing the O and M onboard were required.
“The OMFNL must be comfortable with the model to ensure it is successful,” he said.
“We hold no animosity and look forward to working towards achieving the best outcome for the game in our region by maintaining communications with the OMFNL as a key regional stakeholder.”
Neville Whitley from the Geelong and District league, who marshalled the troops in opposition to the 2019 deadline, said commonsense had prevailed.
“Non take-up of the RAC services is not a barrier to affiliation,” he said.
“We’re not saying we’ve had a win, but our little voices in the wilderness created some changes.”
Mr Whitley said leagues such as the O and M requiring additional services from a RAC outside an affiliation agreement would be done on a user-pays basis.
Meanwhile, Picola and District league clubs have been presented with a modified affiliation agreement from AFL Goulburn-Murray.
