So essentially a phenoix club makes sense has that happened in footy before it’s happened in soccer with bury and Wimbledon but I don’t think it’s happened in footy before
In spirit yes, but the VFL club would have to be dissolved in a legal capacity. Any legal merger could lead to the resulting club being stuck with Preston's debts.
Would liquidation mean Preston can't return to the VFL in 2027 or 2028 as they'd hoped? I am guessing it does mean that but am not sure how that sort of thing works. Very, very sad regardless that things have come to this and that the AFL is letting it happen. [Edited to add: having read more on this elsewhere I gather that is what liquidation means. The AFL as not-for-profit "custodians of the game" could have so easily prevented this.]
It’s official Preston have folded we need to breakaway and form our own comp we are on borrowed time as it is people don’t get into the standalones because they already have allegiances to the afl clubs Who the standalones have to compete with
If I remember correctly the afl said specifically they aren’t and wouldn’t fund the standalone clubs maybe I am dramatic but I highly doubt the vfl will be as it is in 5 years time
Yeah, it's not at all surprising that the AFL wouldn't pay the debt. They've apparently told VFL clubs that no changes will be made to the structure of the VFL over the next five years, but whether that will turn out to be true is another question, and it does seem unlikely that whatever happens at the end of those five years will be good. It is clear that the independent clubs can't count on the AFL in any way, but if we form our own comp that's only 6 clubs (not counting Box Hill and Casey - my possibly incorrect impression from what I've read is that Casey has no chance of going it alone and that Box Hill's chances would be better), which doesn't seem like enough. And in order to attract players the independent clubs probably do need to be seen as a viable way to get onto an AFL list, which would be tough in a small comp. Not sure what the best way forward is, or if there is one.
You would need to get some local clubs i am pretty sure Heidelberg wants out of the nfnl should try to get some other strong local clubs too and Prahran because toorak park is a central ground next to a station good for finals and of course a old vfa club
For those with access to the Herald-Sun there is an interesting story on Preston's demise, with allegations of a deep financial crisis (outstanding money owed to players and coaches at the end of the 2025 season, as well as debts owing to the Australian Taxation Office and service providers from 2022) and toxic relationships between coaches and players and and a level of distrust involving the coaches and players against the then-board of directors” in 2024 and 2025, after multiple “unfortunate incidents”.
That article doesn't tell us a lot that isn't already known. The mounting debts and toxic previous board were alluded to in the club's own statements over the past few months. The only thing I was surprised to read was that the club had been under the impression that a licence would be granted for 2026 under certain conditions. I'd love to know what this arrangement was going to be and why it changed.
So essentially a phenoix club makes sense has that happened in footy before it’s happened in soccer with bury and Wimbledon but I don’t think it’s happened in footy before
In spirit yes, but the VFL club would have to be dissolved in a legal capacity. Any legal merger could lead to the resulting club being stuck with Preston's debts.
Would liquidation mean Preston can't return to the VFL in 2027 or 2028 as they'd hoped? I am guessing it does mean that but am not sure how that sort of thing works. Very, very sad regardless that things have come to this and that the AFL is letting it happen. [Edited to add: having read more on this elsewhere I gather that is what liquidation means. The AFL as not-for-profit "custodians of the game" could have so easily prevented this.]
It’s official Preston have folded we need to breakaway and form our own comp we are on borrowed time as it is people don’t get into the standalones because they already have allegiances to the afl clubs Who the standalones have to compete with
Link to the official club statement:
https://www.prestonfc.com.au/post/club-statement-2
75 people were present for the meeting. The statement describes the vote for liquidation as unanimous.
Very sad indeed to lose a club with such a long history, particularly when the AFL could have kept them alive by paying the debt if they'd chosen to.
If I remember correctly the afl said specifically they aren’t and wouldn’t fund the standalone clubs maybe I am dramatic but I highly doubt the vfl will be as it is in 5 years time
Yeah, it's not at all surprising that the AFL wouldn't pay the debt. They've apparently told VFL clubs that no changes will be made to the structure of the VFL over the next five years, but whether that will turn out to be true is another question, and it does seem unlikely that whatever happens at the end of those five years will be good. It is clear that the independent clubs can't count on the AFL in any way, but if we form our own comp that's only 6 clubs (not counting Box Hill and Casey - my possibly incorrect impression from what I've read is that Casey has no chance of going it alone and that Box Hill's chances would be better), which doesn't seem like enough. And in order to attract players the independent clubs probably do need to be seen as a viable way to get onto an AFL list, which would be tough in a small comp. Not sure what the best way forward is, or if there is one.
You would need to get some local clubs i am pretty sure Heidelberg wants out of the nfnl should try to get some other strong local clubs too and Prahran because toorak park is a central ground next to a station good for finals and of course a old vfa club
For those with access to the Herald-Sun there is an interesting story on Preston's demise, with allegations of a deep financial crisis (outstanding money owed to players and coaches at the end of the 2025 season, as well as debts owing to the Australian Taxation Office and service providers from 2022) and toxic relationships between coaches and players and and a level of distrust involving the coaches and players against the then-board of directors” in 2024 and 2025, after multiple “unfortunate incidents”.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/historic-preston-football-club-liq...
That article doesn't tell us a lot that isn't already known. The mounting debts and toxic previous board were alluded to in the club's own statements over the past few months. The only thing I was surprised to read was that the club had been under the impression that a licence would be granted for 2026 under certain conditions. I'd love to know what this arrangement was going to be and why it changed.
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