News

AN INTERNAL feud between the AFL and its Victorian heartland has threatened to erupt over the AFL's push to overthrow the VFL's governing body and replace it with an advisory board hand-picked by the competition's head office.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has outraged key directors on the board of AFL Victoria — the independent body that runs the game across all levels below the AFL, including the VFL, the amateurs and at community level — by recommending it be disbanded.

The historic push from the game's head office came in a written request from Demetriou in the belief that a push towards a national governing body would be better equipped to oversee the game at its second-tier level.

The move would mean the game in its traditional state of Victoria would be restructured and commanded from head office via a chief executive who reported to an advisory board in the manner of the game in developing states NSW and Queensland.

Peter Schwab, the recently appointed chief executive of AFL Victoria — previously known as Football Victoria — would run the competition under the new model.

But the independent board of the Victorian body met last Friday and unanimously rejected the proposal.

The AFL's executive in charge of game development, David Matthews, was to present the proposed restructure at today's commission talks as part of a set of recommendations to enhance the game at grassroots level.

It is believed that increased funding would not be approved by the commission until the shape of the game in its heartland had been settled, with the AFL determined to take control of its second-tier competition.

But strong resistance is expected to continue from the VFL and its clubs, who were outraged yesterday upon learning of the Demetriou proposal to — in effect — take over their competition.

The traditional VFL clubs were vowing to fight to maintain a structure similar to that of the SANFL and the WAFL, competitions the AFL has claimed have remained strong because of massive income from their stadium deals with AAMI and Subiaco.

But Matthews said the AFL would continue to push its recommendation and denied the move should be resisted by the VFL as a further attempt to erode its power.

Matthews said the fears of the VFL's more powerful traditional clubs, such as Port Melbourne and Williamstown, were misguided.

"In our mind, we've resolved it's an avenue worth pursuing and we will continue to pursue it," Matthews said.