Yesterday, Monday, August 24th, 2020, the Aspley Hornets Football Club Board of Directors received an email notification of the AFL’s decision to amalgamate the NEAFL competition with the VFL from 2021 and beyond.
This announcement was shared publicly via the media shortly afterwards.
While the Board has been working closely with the AFL, and AFL Queensland, regarding how the football landscape will look like in 2021, we were extremely disappointed to receive this email. Being only one of three inaugural NEAFL clubs remaining in that competition, and arguably the league’s most successful club since 2011, we are unsure on how our investment in providing player pathways to the AFL will look in the near future.
The Aspley Hornets Football club has been invited to join the VFL in season 2021, however, in order to conduct our due diligence, the Board of Directors awaits further information from the AFL in regards to; participation details and criteria, the proposed competition structure, rules, regulations and importantly the funding model from the AFL.
This due diligence process will include the impact this will have on our club, the wider community, all financial implications as well as the #ONECLUB culture we have been building over the last two years.
Season 2021 is not far away, and this is a significant change to the way our senior football program operates and requires the Board to review what is being proposed thoroughly.
I will endeavour to provide accurate and timely information about the options presented and our decision as soon as they become available.
Dale Sherwood
Club President