Gippsland footy on the agenda

by Nicholas Duck
Representatives from all of the Gippsland football leagues will gather tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the future of the game in the region.
Hosted by AFL Gippsland and with representation from AFL Victoria, the aim is to consult with relevant stakeholders to begin plotting out a roadmap for Gippsland football over the next decade.
Both senior and junior league representatives will attend to give feedback on what was working in the region and what needed fixing in both the short and long term.
The goal is to build a 'Gippsland Charter' to have all leagues within the region working together under the same banner, similar to the already existing Victorian Community Football Charter that does the same for the state's governing bodies.
Future meetings will be held this year, with the process ultimately expected to take two years.
AFL Gippsland region manager Tim Cotter said the meetings would "facilitate robust discussion" about the state of the game and what could be improved.
"I would say the first six months of this process will be talking to everyone in the Gippsland football ecosystem and getting their perspectives," he said.
Feedback around Gippsland football isn't hard to find these days, with social media and even just punters shooting the breeze at any local game more than happy to talk shop.
Concern around player numbers has been a particular talking point in recent times.
Mr Cotter said while numbers may be a talking point during the meetings, it wasn't something AFL Gippsland was currently worried about, labelling recent forfeits as "minimum hotspots."
"This meeting has been in the diary for three months. There'll be a range of topics that the leagues will bring to us and then we'll look to figure out a path forward."