MCDFNL 2026 discussion

[Tandy]

Definitely noticed this.

Yeah I was surprised. Particularly in these smaller country towns you would think people would be wanting as many sports clubs to stay afloat.

It attracts more people to the town every weekend, better for businesses and young families want to move here.

Healthier league, perhaps more player movement between all clubs not just one way to the magpies.
The genuine rivalry between them and the giants would be good to see

 

[Tassydevilsflag2030]

Anyone know if Trentham have landed any recruits?

 

[Grimmett]

Where's EagerBeaver gone?

 

[Master of Disaster]

Where's EagerBeaver gone?

Maybe the club muted him?

 

[Whats a Battle]

Yeah I was surprised. Particularly in these smaller country towns you would think people would be wanting as many sports clubs to stay afloat.

It attracts more people to the town every weekend, better for businesses and young families want to move here.

Healthier league, perhaps more player movement between all clubs not just one way to the magpies.
The genuine rivalry between them and the giants would be good to see

Yup that's it, one of my employees (who coincidentally dates a Dunolly player) was very happy to see the apparently arrogant Magpies kept out of the league.

Of course, just as many expressed a lot of displeasure at the situation! Myself included.

 

[Sneaky_Beaver53]

Fowkes has had huge money thrown at him from a couple of clubs. An absolute gun. I did hear the Navarre locals were going to lock him in a shed, fill him full of beers and not let him leave until he signed a contract ha.

As for the Avoca kids leaving, I am not across all the ins and outs of that so won’t speculate unless I know anymore.

CurtyB103 are you sure all those points are correct? Anyway, I’ll back in the Talbot footy department to be across all that and have a pretty good idea of where they sit points wise with their current ‘best’ team scenarios.

Great to see Creek signing more players. I’d love an update from Sneaky_Beaver53 , he’s been quiet lately, maybe he drowned drinking his own bath water

Where's EagerBeaver gone?

Hi boys, long time since my last post.
I'm sure you have missed me.

Didn't drown little red, just been offline enjoying some relaxation. Takes some time to polish the cup and all our medals. I get you wouldn't understand.
Would be back at preseason now wouldn't you after the extra few weeks you got off? Cough straight sets cough
Although, I am surprised the Talbot player knows what bath water is - would have been a while since you had a wash I would imagine. Are the water tanks full in the caravan? Great news though that the sun is starting to come out, you might get a couple of warm showers if you can park the van in the sunlight.

Good to be back boys.
Saints recruiting well - Which I know may surprise the poos and wees that other clubs recruit new players too but my early ladder predictions for next year below:

1. Trentham
2. Carisbrook
3. Navarre
4. Harcourt
5. Natte
6. Maldon
7. Newstead
8. Dunolly
9. Lexton
10. Creek
11. Talbot
12. Giants
13. Avoca

Keen on your thoughts, but I reckon that is a pretty good early prediction.

 

[Master of Disaster]

Great to see that the league has had the balls to break away from the HUB and go back to administering themselves. The standard of admin from Saxon house has really dropped off over the years.

Apparently they’ve appointed the new competition manager already. Will have an office in Maryborough. I see this as a real positive for the league provided they get the appointment right. Part of the brief is to increase sponsorship so hopefully we can see some more money come into the league.

 

[The Local Footy Man]

Great to see that the league has had the balls to break away from the HUB and go back to administering themselves. The standard of admin from Saxon house has really dropped off over the years.

Apparently they’ve appointed the new competition manager already. Will have an office in Maryborough. I see this as a real positive for the league provided they get the appointment right. Part of the brief is to increase sponsorship so hopefully we can see some more money come into the league.

Agreed.

Wasn't a great salary for the role - However, there was a bonus scheme subject to acquired sponsorship.

Hopefully the appointee is a footy person

 

[Sherman41]

Maybe the club muted him?

He is alive, he laughed at one of my posts.

Entertain us Sneaky_Beaver53

 

[Master of Disaster]

Agreed.

Wasn't a great salary for the role - However, there was a bonus scheme subject to acquired sponsorship.

Hopefully the appointee is a footy person

I thought the salary was fair given the extra ability to earn with the sponsorship incentive. Would be a pretty flexible job, particularly in the off season.

 

[Sherman41]

Having a stand alone manager is definitely a win for the league. Means we aren’t playing second or third fiddle to other leagues.

A few of my mates have run our league over the years, competing priorities was always a challenge.

 

[The Local Footy Man]

I thought the salary was fair given the extra ability to earn with the sponsorship incentive. Would be a pretty flexible job, particularly in the off season.

So exactly what I said? Salary is less as you have a bonus incentive?

 

[Master of Disaster]

So exactly what I said? Salary is less as you have a bonus incentive?

Not the type of money I would want to do a job but given the time commitment I think it’s fair.

 

[Grimmett]

I thought the salary was fair given the extra ability to earn with the sponsorship incentive. Would be a pretty flexible job, particularly in the off season.

Didn't see the job advertised. What was the salary offered?

 

[Master of Disaster]

Didn't see the job advertised. What was the salary offered?

Testing my memory but let’s say around the $70-$75k mark with the ability to bump it up with sponsorship revenue.

 

[Grimmett]

Testing my memory but let’s say around the $70-$75k mark with the ability to bump it up with sponsorship revenue.

Better than AFL Vic Development Manager money but I'm referring to a decade ago. Probably on par. It's not enough for the role without the sponsorship component. Expected to be available from 7:00am to 11:00pm, seven days per week.

 

[Master of Disaster]

Better than AFL Vic Development Manager money but I'm referring to a decade ago. Probably on par. It's not enough for the role without the sponsorship component. Expected to be available from 7:00am to 11:00pm, seven days per week.

The league can’t afford anymore.

I don’t think it’s a bad gig for the right person. Not much to do this time of year. Work hard on sponsorship. You’re busy during the season but you can set your own hours effectively. No one would expect them to be available full time during those hours.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

Having worked in sports administration in the past, I can assure you that you are ALWAYS on call between those hours.

It doesn't do much for the wife's temper when her alarm is your mobile phone ringing with the first call at sparrow's fart, then when you get home from work and have dinner at home (not an everyday event by any means, because meetings, tribunals, etc. always happen in the evenings), someone from a club wants to have a 45-minute debate right through dinner about something that can usually wait for tomorrow.

Not to mention the irate president of a club ringing you at 10.30pm after having just found out that one of his players has just lost out at the tribunal and is on the sidelines for the next three matches and is demanding that you personally overturn the penalty - ignoring correct procedure and practice in the process - over an hour-long, one-sided, circuitous conversation.

It takes a very thick skin to deal with it year after year. I lasted six years before I had had enough and decided that the wife and young family needed to come first for once.

The wily middle-age veteran (with a very patient spouse and grown up kids) is the perfect person for the job.

 

[Sherman41]

Having worked in sports administration in the past, I can assure you that you are ALWAYS on call between those hours.

It doesn't do much for the wife's temper when her alarm is your mobile phone ringing with the first call at sparrow's fart, then when you get home from work and have dinner at home (not an everyday event by any means, because meetings, tribunals, etc. always happen in the evenings), someone from a club wants to have a 45-minute debate right through dinner about something that can usually wait for tomorrow.

Not to mention the irate president of a club ringing you at 10.30pm after having just found out that one of his players has just lost out at the tribunal and is on the sidelines for the next three matches and is demanding that you personally overturn the penalty - ignoring correct procedure and practice in the process - over an hour-long, one-sided, circuitous conversation.

It takes a very thick skin to deal with it year after year. I lasted six years before I had had enough and decided that the wife and young family needed to come first for once.

The wily middle-age veteran (with a very patient spouse and grown up kids) is the perfect person for the job.

Yep, my mates had the same experiences as you. Use to hear about it regularly. Wasn’t worth it for the $$$ they were getting back then, this being between 5-15 years ago.

I miss the days of the late Shaun Kelly covering the league and the weekly footy shows. He was an amazing operator. Knew everyone. Did his homework.

Be great to have something like that happening again.

 

[TheGreatBambino]

I miss the days of the late Shaun Kelly covering the league and the weekly footy shows. He was an amazing operator. Knew everyone. Did his homework.

Spot on. Shaun was a gem. Ballarat FNL media hasn’t been the same since he passed. His knowledge wasn’t just limited to senior footy either, knew his netball and juniors too.
A true unsung hero of footy and netball in the region.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

Great man, Shaun.

 

[Grimmett]

Great man, Shaun.

Super bloke to work with. Tolerated a massive workload because the hub model required him to generate enormous sponsorship levels to fund most of the jobs. Sadly missed, underappreciated while in the job.

 

[localfootyguru]

Great man, Shaun.

One of the best I have encountered in local footy Shaun Kelly. Was a star when involved in the media team at the Eastern FNL. So passionate about local footy and so organised too. Everyone who came into contact with him spoke highly of him. The work at AFL Goldfields was exceptional and he really put local footy on the map during his time there.

A bloody good fellow too.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

His Friday previews on the Eastern league website back in the early 2000s were legendary. Every senior game in the four divisions covered in great detail. You needed a good half hour (sometimes even longer) to read it all it was so detailed.

 

[MortlockWatcher]

FRIDAY PREVIEW | A TRIBUTE TO SHAUN KELLY

Today we farewell our great friend Shaun Kelly, and as a tribute we dug through the archives to bring you some of the great man’s best work – the famous Friday Preview, in all its 10,000-word glory. Here is an edition published on the 24th of August, 2007 via EFL.org.au: And so, it arrives...

www.efnl.org.au