AFL Victoria confirms Frankston Dolphins won’t be given VFL licence for 2017

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The state authority this morning released a statement confirming the Dolphins wouldn’t be given a licence for 2017.

It said the decision was made after a financial report presented by the administrator, Worrells, revealed “club debts which were far in excess of our previous understanding’’.

The statement said the administrators were unable to provide AFL Victoria with “sufficient confidence for the viability of the club in 2017, therefore not meeting criteria for the continuation of a VFL licence’’.

AFL Victoria CEO Steven Reaper said the Dolphins’ financial troubles were “too hard to ignore’’.

“Frankston has had a rich history of providing a pathway and opportunities for footballers in the region, but without the necessary off-field structures in place, AFL Victoria was not confident financial projections provided could be met,” Reaper said.

“We have a strong willingness to ensure that there is a VFL presence in the region into the future, but it must be viable and sustainable both on and off the field long-term.

“We have had preliminary meetings with key regional stakeholders on what this can look like and are also engaging the City of Frankston and the AFL South East Commission about what the future can hold for both the facility and football in the region.

“The region has been, and will continue to be, very important to us from a pathway and development perspective and we are hopeful that a solution that is both sustainable and viable can be considered going forward for a VFL presence potentially from 2018.

“This decision provides the region with more time to better plan a more sustainable VFL presence moving forward.”

AFL Victoria’s decision followed a marathon meeting with a delegation of Frankston officials yesterday.

And this morning Dunkley Federal Liberal MP Chris Crewther met AFL chiefs at AFL House in Docklands.

Crewther emerged from the meeting saying he was told the Dollies had breached their VFL licence and “they can’t currently meet the conditions, but the club can come back and show cause why they are not in breach’’.

He said that if a creditors’ meeting on Monday decided to keep Frankston afloat and the club could prove its long-term financial viability and put better governance structures in place, “AFL Victoria is willing to reconsider re-granting the VFL licence’’.

Crewther said the establishment of a steering community made up of local business and community leaders would be the next step in saving the Dolphins.