AFL Victoria is unable to offer any special financial assistance to help a struggling North Ballarat Football Club.
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John Hook, competitions manager with the state’s football body, said money is already provided to standalone VFL clubs and no more is available on top of that standard dividend.
North Ballarat is currently experiencing financial hardship and has called on the local community for support – particularly by purchasing a club membership – to help ensure it can continue to afford the Roosters’ place in the VFL.
North Ballarat chairman Jenny Bromley told The Courier that it costs $1million-plus to run a VFL team each year, a figure Hook agrees with.
“If the Ballarat region thinks it’s worthwhile having a team in the VFL competition, that’s what it needs to take,” Hook said.
“It’s a lot harder than running a local footy team.
“We give funding to all of our standalone VFL clubs, as much as we can. Like everything else, we haven’t got a pot of gold at the end… and they are the only ones we do fund. We don’t fund any of the (AFL) alignment clubs.”
Hook said the money provided to standalone clubs is a “fairly substantial amount”.
When asked if there is scope to give North Ballarat more money, Hook said: “No, there’s not. We’ve got very tight budgets and no, there’s not.”
Hook doesn’t believe North Ballarat’s situation is similar to that of Frankston, which has recently had its licence in the VFL terminated after bringing in administrators because of serious club debt.
“(North Ballarat) has got a very viable sports club, Frankston haven’t,” he said.
Hook said there is a solid future for standalone clubs in the VFL, but admitted that it’s tough to be competitive with those aligned to the AFL.
“To have any chance, you have to be a financial club, no doubt. Because it is hard,” he said.
Hook said there isn’t any concerns around the Roosters being part of the competition in 2017.
“The people of Ballarat will decide whether they think that’s a worthwhile (long-term) exercise,” he said.
“What Jenny is saying is that they need that support.”