BRENDAN LINES
RECENTLY elected Riverland Football League (RFL) president Mark Wright will take a “no bones” approach to ensure the sustainability of RFL and Independent competitions as both emerge from a 12-month hiatus.
The former RFL commissioner said despite stepping into the role amid challenging times, sustainability will be the pillar of his tenure.
Mr Wright said scrutiny over the viability of the Independents is on the agenda.
“I’ll make no bones that it would be on the RFL’s agenda that while I’m in place that the Independents get closely looked at as their own league, or do they fall under the banner of the RFL,” Mr Wright said.
“My biggest concern is sustainability… not so much in the RFL, but the Independents. With years of forfeits, clubs folding, clubs returning and now another club (Lyrup) that’s folded this year, numbers are declining.”
After the dissolution of the Lyrup Football Club and the Mid-West Football League, on the Eyre Peninsula, Mr Wright said Independent clubs “need to be on the front foot” to safeguard their existence. He said that could mean exploring mergers.
“I think Independent clubs, if they want to stay viable and keep their communities going, need to talk about merging,” Mr Wright said.
“They don’t want to be speaking in 10 years. They want to be thinking the next two years”.
As for sustainability of juniors, Mr Wright wants clubs to think more holistically about player numbers.
“We produced a very extensive document to the clubs last year to change the age groups to 14s and 17s (from 18s, 16s and 14s),” Mr Wright said.
“We will be monitoring those junior numbers again for what kids play up a grade. Some kids are playing two or three games a day, so that’s unacceptable.
“We want to start thinking as a league as a whole about what’s going to be the best model moving forward from 2021 and post-COVID.
“It’s a (RFL) vision to have appropriate age groups, so that we can sustain the senior football grades.”
Mr Wright said the RFL’s approach is to ensure the right “structure” is in place to meet the challenges of sustainability.
“We don’t need to change too much, it’s just getting the structure right for football,” Mr Wright said.
“We’ve reintroduced interleague matches this year…that promotes our Riverland footy.”
While focused creating playing opportunities, Mr Wright is looking at recent funding approvals for local clubs as a possible boon for Riverland football.
“A lot of the ovals now are getting upgrades,” he said.
“I think everyone is moving forward really well with their clubs and ovals, getting them up to a really good standard.
“That might attract players from Adelaide who move up for work and school.
“But moving forward everyone is very much looking forward to getting back on the park.
“Getting people to games, getting the social aspect of getting out again.”