MANUNDA co-captain Fred Pittorino hopes “sanity prevails” and his team are reinstated in next season’s AFL Cairns competition, or they risk losing local players and volunteers from the code forever.
The veteran has labelled the decision to suspend both seniors and reserves from the league as “irresponsible”, but hopes Friday’s landmark decision is not the end of the conversation.
His own playing future up in the air as a result, he said his younger teammates would look at playing other sports rather than switch clubs, while volunteers, administrators and sponsors would not return.
“It’s an irresponsible decision in the context of the code in general,” the skipper said.
“Even now I just can’t see how it’s possible to kick us out for a year, and surely the figureheads can get together and sort it out.”
Manunda’s playing group voted not to travel to Port Douglas for games on August 2, citing the potential for an unsafe environment after threats were directed at one of their players on social media.
Acknowledging he expected the club to be sanctioned to some degree, Pittorino is critical of the method and justification that has come since then.
“Of all the possibilities this is basically the worst one and doesn’t even fix the problem as far as I can see,” he said.
“Other clubs will just be scared of getting kicked out of the comp rather than worry about player welfare.”
Pittorino, who until this season used to drive more than three hours every weekend from Chillagoe to Cairns to play for the Hawks, said it would make playing on difficult.
“You aren’t going to get enough players back to the Hawks after a season, others will just play another sport and sponsors won’t want to touch us,” he said.
“It’s not a good look for the league or the sport.”
Club presidents will meet with the AFL Cairns board on Friday morning for an information session regarding the decision.
“I would just hope the situation can be resolved and the process fixed so these things don’t happen again,” Pittorino said.
Manunda will hold an open question and answer session tomorrow night at the Hawks bar at Cazalys from 7pm.
Article courtest of The Cairns Post
Last Modified on 17/09/2014 20:44