A football governing body has frozen the bank accounts of Mount Eliza Junior Football Club and suspended all the club’s games at Emil Madsen Reserve amid committee resignations and allegations of misconduct.

It is believed that the junior football club had by late last week failed to hold a special general meeting to resolve the committee problems, forcing the Frankston and District Junior Football League (FDJFL) to determine them non-compliant.

While the allegations of misconduct remain unclear, a statement released last Wednesday (22 May) from the Mount Eliza Football Netball Club (MEFNC), which shares use of the Emil Madsen Reserve and drafts 90 per cent of its players from the junior club, stated that the “enormous amounts of speculation and rumours” was causing bullying of players and adults. “As a result, there are children who are currently not able to attend school, as they are being bullied about the rumoured allegations.

“There are people unable to work due to mental health concerns, kids are again unable to play football this weekend as games could not be relocated elsewhere and, in addition, some kids will now miss milestone games this season.”
The MEFNC offered to administer the junior football club’s games until new committee members were appointed.
It has also called for the FDJFL and the Australian Football League South East to “formally investigate” to either hold people accountable or clear their names.

The MEFNC statement read, “no one wins in these situations, and it’s unfortunately the kids, the clubs and the community that have lost here, it’s incomprehensible, and incredibly so heartbreaking”. The MEJFC also released a statement to members and friends stating that the committee had undergone significant changes and new appointments over the past few weeks to ensure “that our kids continue to play the game they love, and without interruption”, and had contacted Consumer Affairs Victoria to ensure that all appointments to the committee were compliant with the MEJFC constitution.

“The committee is disappointed that the FDJFL has moved games away from Emil Madsen Reserve. We are seeking clarification from FDJFL about its decision,” the statement read. “Other than the appointment of the new committee members, the committee’s position is that nothing has changed (including to MEJFC’s insurance) to necessitate MEJFC not being able to play games at its home ground. We share your frustration and hope that this can be resolved quickly.”

The club acknowledged that the committee was “working hard to address several critical issues such as negative cash flows in the operating activities of MEJFC, including the canteen”, and other issues related to cash handling and disbursements, credit/reward points with suppliers, and a tracking system for Square transactions to ensure transparency.

Emil Madsen Reserve is the largest sporting reserve on the Mornington Peninsula and its tenant clubs have among the largest participation bases on the peninsula. The multi-oval reserve in Wooralla Drive has been home to Mount Eliza Cricket Club since 1945, and Mount Eliza Football Netball Club and Junior Football Club since 1970.

First published in the Mornington News – 28th May 2024