Factions and fights: Behind the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s generational change

“For the love of the game,’’ they say.

It reflects the fact the players of the competition, established 130 years ago, are strictly amateur, unlike other Victorian local leagues.

In the VAFA – a competition made of school old-boys, university and district clubs – they play, but not for pay.

But at board level in the past few months, there has been little love to go around.

What there has been, in the words of one bemused club official, is “a lot of blood on the floor”.

Always highly regarded in Victorian football for the stability of its administration, the VAFA has been hit by board trouble that resulted in the departure of respected CEO Brett Connell in early April.

Former Old Brighton captain Peter Grant stepped in as interim CEO. The position is being advertised. Grant has said he won’t be applying.

Connell had been the chief executive since 2017, but his connection with the VAFA went back to his days as a premiership player with the Ormond club.

It’s fair to say he left the association without any ceremony.

The VAFA said in a statement that the board had accepted Connell’s resignation, “effective immediately”.

“This is an amicable decision by both parties and on behalf of the VAFA community we thank Brett for his services,” it said, listing his achievements as the development of VAFA headquarters at Elsternwick Park, his leadership through Covid-19, financial stability and the “implementation of strong staff culture’’.

“We wish Brett well in his future endeavours,’’ the statement, signed by president George Voyage and Connell himself, concluded.

In some quarters, it didn’t go down well.

Connell’s former club Ormond put out a statement of its own, with president Richard Simon saying it was amid a “very sorry state of play that I report tonight on the status of the governance of our 130-year football competition’’.

He said there had been a “procession’’ of director resignations and then director appointments, leaving the board with one female representative to oversee the largest women’s football competition in Australia.

“Our thoughts are with all who may be hurting tonight, but particularly with Ormond premiership player and life member and, after four-and-a-half years, former VAFA CEO Brett Connell,’’ Simon wrote.

On social media, VAFA life member Geoff Reilley, who received an OAM for his services to community sport, said Connell had been a “fantastic contributor’’ to the association on and off the field, and “surely deserved more of an appropriate announcement’’.

He said he remained “very concerned about where our association is heading after such a long, distinguished history’’.

“As a proud, 60 year-plus member of the VAFA I am embarrassed by the subversive efforts of some members,’’ Reilley wrote.

Voyage, a legendary figure in the VAFA, was said to be disappointed by the Ormond statement.

Voyage is a life member of the association. His introduction to amateur football was the sight of the changerooms being swept by a volunteer.

That was back in 1970, when he turned up for a game at Caulfield Grammarians. He went on to play more than 200 matches, coach the club and earn life membership.

“What you have in the VAFA is this kind of ethos, thousands and thousands of people who value their association with our football clubs, be it at a district club, an alumni or a school or a university group, community group, whatever. The loyalty and selflessness are extraordinary,’’ Voyage said in 2019 when he became only the VAFA’s 19th president.

At that time former VAFA CEO Michael Sholly said of Voyage: “He’s a really passionate guy, and there’s no one more passionate about the VAFA”.

It’s been a bumpy ride for the ‘ammos’ stalwart – not only because of Covid-19 killing off the 2020 season and cutting short 2021.

According to two club presidents and other officials, there have been questions of the VAFA over a range of issues, including a lack of leadership and vision, a lack of consultation over an upgraded constitution (which for now has been deferred), affiliation fees, and a bye being introduced to Premier B and C this year.

“There’s a perception the clubs are being run better than the VAFA,’’ one of the presidents says.

The split in the board was laid bare ahead of the AGM in March, which had been pushed back from December after the death of candidate Steve Laussen.

In seeking re-election, Anthony Amad said the “widespread dissatisfaction among the clubs over the VAFA’s performance is entirely justified’’.

“Some – but not all – at Elsternwick Park have lost touch with the clubs,’’ he said in his candidate statement.

“Others, sadly, have yet to develop a genuine interest in our competition.’’

He said he hoped the new board could “freely debate ideas without being shut down by the sheer laziness and bitter factionalism that has dominated in recent years’’.

Amad was returned for his sixth term and Alistair Ewart and Tim Habel were elected.

Simon Costello, Ivan Delac, Mark Parker, Sharon Read, Matt Scholten and James Wright nominated but missed out.

Both Ewart and Habel said they identified with a “movement of change’’.

Ewart said he would strive to drive down affiliation fees, increase umpire numbers and grow the VAFA’s digital footprint. Habel said he was about putting clubs first, reducing the cost of affiliation and “consultation and transparency’’.

“It is time that all members are treated with equal respect,’’ Habel said. “The board and administration of the VAFA need to make life easier for clubs, volunteers, players and umpires.’’

The AGM left the association with a board of Voyage (president), former AFL player Frank Dunell (vice-president), Habel (treasurer), Amad, Ewart, Cheryl Cartwright, Dean Matthews and Peta Olive.

The line-up didn’t last long.

Matthews resigned before the next board meeting and Cartwright and Olive also moved on.

But the board made two appointments, bringing in former Bayside Council mayor Felicity Frederico and ex-VAFA general manager/CEO Phil Stevens.

Delac, the former long-serving president of the Glen Eira club, and Vicki Durston, an ex-junior club president, were added last week, with Delac promoted on a VAFA press release as representing “the generational change the VAFA board has been looking to achieve’’.

All these comings and goings had been preceded by an extraordinary general meeting.

It was held before the AGM and after Voyage had lost his presidency last December in a boardroom coup.

Mick Overman – who had served as treasurer for three years – replaced him.

Supporting Voyage, a group of life members and clubs requested the EGM, which, according to Connell, ended up costing the VAFA $8000 to run.

There were motions to remove Overman and Matthews. Overman went but Matthews survived.

And a few weeks later Voyage, 70, was back as president.

Voyage’s supporters are saddened that such an esteemed amateur football figure has been caught up in such board volatility.

They believed the presidency should have been the crowning glory of his time with the VAFA, something substantial to go with the OAM he received for his services to amateur football and cricket.

Instead there has been unprecedented instability in the association.

He told one colleague it would have been easy to walk away but his love of the VAFA was too great. He wants things to settle down before handing over the baton.

Connell said by text that he was proud of what the VAFA had achieved in the face of “great adversity on and off the field’’. He said he “moved on’’ and “new horizons await’’.

Voyage declined to comment.

VAFA BOARD AFTER AGM ON MARCH 21

George Voyage (president)

Frank Dunell (vice-president)

Tim Habel (treasurer)

Anthony Amad

Cheryl Cartwright

Alistair Ewart

Dean Matthews

Peta Olive

*There was one casual vacancy and two appointed positions to be filled.

VAFA BOARD NOW

George Voyage (president)

Frank Dunell (vice-president)

Tim Habel (treasurer)

Anthony Amad

Alistair Ewart

Felicity Frederico

Phil Stevens

Vicki Durston

Ivan Delac