More than a decade after its implementation, the model is set to be phased out, with AFL Victoria’s RAC Directional Strategies Project report confirming five Regional Administration Centres (RACs), that offer centralised administration services for local football-netball leagues, will transition away from the model, opening the door for leagues to return to self-management.
AFL Goulburn Murray, which oversees administration of Goulburn Valley League, Kyabram District League, Northern Country Women’s League and Goulburn Murray Junior League, was one of 11 regional commissions introduced following the Peter Jackson Report of Country Football in 2011.
“Through the RAC Directional Strategies Project, strategies to guide individual regions’ RAC direction will be explored in collaboration with the relevant leagues to ensure a seamless transition, a task already completed in the six regions mentioned above,” an AFL Victoria statement said.
“These changes in direction are an acknowledgment by AFL Victoria that the concept of RACs as initially proposed in 2011 has not been fully realised, based on an inability to consolidate football management, finances and governance in some regions.”
AFL Victoria continued in its statement, saying it will support transitional efforts and continue funding.
“Specifically, these strategies include a transitional exit from service agreements, empowering leagues to self-manage in a manner suitable to their needs,” AFL Victoria said.
“Initial consultations have commenced across regional leagues with the concept and proposed process received well, pending further planning and collaboration.”
Current service agreements will continue for next season while transition plans are developed. The GVL, which moved to AFLGM administration in 2014, held a club delegates meeting Wednesday evening, board chair Peter Foott confirmed.
Foott said clubs were “well aware” of the situation on Wednesday, as the GVL looks to begin a lengthy handover process to build upon a self-management model for the next generation of Goulburn Valley football.
“Us as a board have to be confident (about self-management),” Foott said.
“There are going to be hiccups along the way no doubt – we obviously don’t know what those hiccups will be – so we’ve got to be prepared to adapt and keep moving forward.
“We have some plans and there’ll be more to discuss at our meeting next week, but we’ll reach out to some consultants and some people who might want to help us set a business model and best practices for the future of the league.
“It’s going to take time, it’ll be a process for the next 12 months, a project for the next three to four years even, because it’s going to set up the next generation of football.”
However, Foott ensured that with the AFL’s gradual phase out from regional hubs over the next 12 months, the GVL would remain steady as the changeover in management begins.
“The league is in a good position,” Foott said.
“We have the next 12 months for consolidation (before the hubs disband) and we’ll keep getting better connections with our communities, getting people back to football, as we’ve always been aiming to do this year and years prior.”
KDL president Peter Cordy said investigations had already been under way into what a self-management model would look like for the league.
“Our league was doing due diligence on the cost to self administer anyhow,” Cordy said.
“We’ve started that process and we’re looking at the costs and what it would mean to self administer ourselves.
“My understanding is that this will take one or two years to happen; it’s not like it’s got to happen tomorrow.
“It’s a progression and they’ll work with the leagues to ensure that happens.”
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