No resolution for Central Australian football competition as first round draws closer

A month after Alice Springs Town Council resolved to withdraw support for the upcoming Central Australian community football competition there is no resolution in sight.

As the first bounce looms, the town’s council-owned sporting fields remain off-limits for the competition after a crisis summit convened by AFLNT failed to bring the council back onside.

Meanwhile, a licence agreement between the two parties over the use of Traeger Park has been mooted, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enforced.

The agreement, which is believed to run to 2025, stipulates how and when AFLNT is permitted to use the council’s premier grassed oval during the footy season.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson warned it would be “a pretty short-sighted approach” if AFLNT chose to enforce the agreement.

“That [agreement] expires in 2025,” he said.

“If [AFLNT] want to invest in infrastructure, then they should be building their own facility in Alice Springs, like they’ve done up in Darwin, which they run, because it’s ultimately the ratepayer that is paying for these facilities to be used.

The council has cited long-held concerns the competition draws large crowds from remote communities into town, causing a spike in crime and social issues.

“For 18 months we’ve been talking about this, and the ball only got rolling when council made this decision,” Cr Paterson said.

“[AFLNT] can talk about [improvements] in on-field behaviour all they like, but it’s about giving the whole town a breather for 12 months.

AFLNT hopeful for compromise

AFLNT has said it remains committed to finding a way forward with the council, but is resolute that some matches should be played in town.

Sam Gibson, head of AFLNT, said it was not his intention to come to the table “waving a legal agreement around” and remained hopeful a compromise could be reached.

“The draft fixture will include fixtures in Alice Springs, as well as in remote communities where we can,” he said.

Mr Gibson said the state of infrastructure in remote communities made it impossible to hold the entire four-month competition out bush.

“Not many of the facilities in the remote areas are capable of hosting structured competition — there are different requirements than other programs,” he said.

Mr Gibson argued there had been significant changes made to reduce risk around the community competition over the past 18 months, such as shortening the length of the season and introducing e-points to reward good behaviour.

Leveraging the ‘godlike’ status of football

Meanwhile, Lhere Artepe, the body representing native title holders in Alice Springs, has come out in support of moving the competition out bush.

Chief executive Graeme Smith said there had to be a “line drawn in the sand”.

“There’s no reason to come to town and bring your armies to fight and meet on what they would call neutral ground.”

But Mr Smith also flagged entering a Central Arrernte team into the community competition, and for the team’s home games to be played in Alice Springs.

He said he wanted to start an education campaign to promote good behaviour in the competition.

“Some of these players are terrific people, most of them,” he said.

“I want to start discussing … what the game of football is and what the players want to see their supporters do when they come to town.

“We’ve got to use the godlike status of football and its superstars to promote goodwill and good behaviour to support their team when they come to town.”