By MICHAEL ESPOSITO
THE Western Region Football League board will have greater power to make changes to the competition after a new governance structure was adopted last week.
League CEO Bob Tregear said it was the most important thing the league had done in the past 20 years.
It means the board controls the by-laws without always having to go to clubs for approval.
This move puts major proposals, such as the push to split the competition in three divisions, well and truly on the agenda.
But Tregear said the board would not make changes if they were widely rejected by clubs.
“There is ultimate redress for the clubs, if enough of them are upset about what the board’s doing, on a 50 per cent vote they can get a special meeting up, and then they’ve got to get a 75 per cent majority at that meeting to overturn the ruling of the board, but that’s a pretty high threshold to meet,” Tregear said.
“You wouldn’t expect that would happen more than once in a blue moon.
“We’re trying to be inclusive. We won’t just bring the hatchet down on anybody. But it will mean in the future that we can actually make decisions rather than vacillate and keep going back for reviews. We’ll be able to make a decision and say this is what we’re going to do, and if enough of you don’t like it, you can overturn it.”
Tregear said the former independent board was toothless because it always needed permission from club delegates.
The WRFL was the only remaining community football league in Melbourne to have a delegate system of governance, and Tregear sad the new independent governance structure brought the league into the 21st century.
The change was led by director Mick Psaila, former President of the St Albans Football Club.
“One of the most pleasing aspects of this recent review was that it was led by some of the staunchest former opponents,” Tregear said. “The new structure was supported unanimously by member clubs, a great result given the mistrust and acrimony surrounding previous attempts.”
Under the new Statement of Rules, the by-laws can be created, deleted or amended by the executive board, but any changes can challenged by member clubs. This makes the WRFL only one of two major metro leagues to provide this level of review for member clubs.
In another major change, membership of the WRFL will comprise of clubs (receiving one or two votes), life members (no votes) and board members (no votes).
The WRFL umpires’ and trainers’ associations will no longer be members of the league, although representatives of the umpires’ association will be able to attend and speak at meetings but not vote. Voting rights at general meetings will be one vote for clubs with only junior teams, one vote for clubs with only senior teams, and two votes for clubs with both senior and junior teams.
