The stand-off between Football Federation Victoria and more than 60 clubs is over and reform of the state’s top league competition will go ahead next year.
FFV and the clubs are back on the same page and are working towards a National Premier Leagues Victoria model for next year. The NPLV is part of a national roll-out of reform and rebranding of the top league in each state.
But the FFV’s original model for the Victorian competition was met with resistance, with the a group of co-signatory clubs winning a court injunction against the NPLV’s implementation next year.
The court action led FFV to announce a status quo and that the current Victorian Premier League, would continue next year. But the national body, Football Federation Australia, intervened and played peacemaker between the FFV and the clubs.
The result of weeks of talks is that an NPLV will be implemented next year, while the clubs agreed to end Supreme Court action.
The FFA intervention went right to the top, with chief executive David Gallop speaking on the national body’s behalf.
“The NPL is an integral part of our national elite player pathway and a hugely important reform of the semi-professional tier of Australian football,” Gallop said.
“FFV and its clubs have agreed on an NPL model that’s now a benchmark nationally in many areas. Australia wants to be among the elite nations in Asia and beyond, and that means developing the next generation of stars. I’m delighted Victoria will be at the forefront of that challenge.”
Specifics of the NPLV model have not been made public. There will be a capped points system for senior players, based on their origins, and a cap on registration fees for juniors, although figures have not been published in either case.
Regional clubs will also be a part of the NPLV but the boundary for what is considered regional has not been drawn.
FFV’s metro league structure accommodates clubs from areas such as Geelong, the Surf Coast, Ballarat and outer satellite cities such as Melton and Sunbury, while teams further afield play in standalone country leagues.
The clubs indicated in a statement on Saturday that talks on the logistics of the NPLV, including dates, would begin this week.
South Melbourne FC chairman Nick Galatas spoke on behalf of the clubs.
“The clubs have always wanted Victoria to be part of the NPL in 2014 and now we’ll apply for licences, work as quickly as we can to meet the criteria and get on with implementation,” he said. “The clubs are looking forward to being part of the NPL, which promises to deliver outcomes in the best interests of football in Victoria.”
