By ADEM SARICAOGLU
WESTERN Region Football League CEO Bob Tregear says implementing a Victoria-wide player points system to curb rising player payments in local football will not be easy.
While Tregear has thrown his support behind an AFL Victoria push for an eventual state-wide system in coming years, he believes putting the theory into practice will face a number of challenges.
“It’s got to be acknowledged it’s going to be a very difficult task to come up with something that will work,” Tregear said.
“But we certainly support going down that path (and) if something can be found that will work then it could only be of benefit, because the moment the chequebook is ruling community football, then that’s a problem for everybody.
“So I think if everyone’s got the same ground rules to play by then it could only improve the competition.”
Tregear noted the potential restrictions on players’ rights to move freely will be one of the major issues of implementing a player points system.
“It’s an awkward thing because you run into all sorts of things like restraint of trade, the natural justice, freedom of association and all sorts of other things that are out there that can cause problems with it,” Tregear said.
Tregear also said any agreed-upon system needs to incorporate the entire state, after he told Star the WRFL discussed the issue at a strategic planning meeting in November.
“I think it’s fair to stay there’s been a constant dialogue with clubs over several years, and clubs continually raise this issue with us as to what we can do about it,” Tregear said.
“But it’s something that requires a state-wide approach and we can’t do anything in isolation, that’s why we’re strongly supporting what AFL Victoria’s doing.”
