Right: Garfield Football Club president Judy Bishop.By Brad Kingsbury
GARFIELD Football Club members will soon vote on whether to seek affiliation with a new competition at a special meeting.
The club’s general committee will decide a date for the meeting
The Stars set up a nineperson subcommittee several weeks ago to assess the club’s future after significant unrest among a section of members.
The members believe that the Stars should play football locally as a community club.
The subcommittee has now been reduced in number after the exit of Tony Fitzgerald and Trevor Riches.
The main issue for decision is whether the Stars should leave the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (WGLFL) and seek to join the neighbouring Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL).
Club president Judy Bishop confirmed that a special meeting would be called to discuss and vote on any recommendations put forward by the subcommittee.
However, she said the meeting would not be held for at least 21 days in line with the club’s constitution.
Ms Bishop, a WGLFL vicepresident, said there would be no comment as to the decision(s) reached by the subcommittee that also includes WGLFL general manager Chris Soumilas and WGLNA official Sally Harper.
Ms Bishop dismissed suggestions of a conflict of interest when assessing the club’s prospects in other competitions, saying that it was not up to her or any one person.
“It will be up to the club’s members, not me. A special meeting will be called to discuss a letter that has been received (by the club) from members, as well as any recommendation the subcommittee puts,” she said.
“The members will have the say.”
Should a change be agreed to, the club would first need to seek a clearance from the WGLFL and then apply to join the desired league.
EDFL secretary Peter Gallasch said that Garfield had made no official expression of interest, although the league members had tabled the fact that there may be some future correspondence.
Gallasch said any speculation regarding the Stars was purely that and nothing would be discussed unless an application to join was received.
Victorian Country Football League area manager Shaun Connell said that he had been kept up to date with the progress of the working party, but would stay at arm’s length until an application to move leagues had been received.
He said that any application to change must be submitted via him before November and then the process of leaving the WGLFL and joining the nominated competition would proceed under VCFL supervision.
