Great Southern Football League announces player point changes ahead of 2023 season

North Albany have received five additional points under the Great Southern Football League’s player-point system ahead of the 2023 season. The Kangas finished fifth last season with a 2-13 win-loss record and they will jump to 32 total points under changes ratified by the GSFL last week. The three Albany-based clubs, Railways and Royals and the Kangas, initially had their points increased to 28 points for 2023, however, a request from the Kangas for an additional five points was granted by the executive last Tuesday. The Kangas will now have 32 points at their disposal while the Lions and the Tigers will play with 28. The Lions and Tigers had 24 points in the 2022 season while the Kangas had 27. There will be no alterations to Albany, Denmark-Walpole or Mt Barker’s points total with all three clubs set to remain on 50 points for next season. The GSFL introduced the much-debated player-points system in 2018 as a tool to help equalise the GSFL competition. Under the system, every player is ranked from one to six points depending on their previous playing history, club of origin and years spent at a club. GSFL president Terry Eaton said the decision to increase the Kangas’ points total was carefully considered. “Railways, Royals and North Albany were increased to 28 and then North Albany requested for more and the directors agreed — so they’ve let them out to 32 for next season,” he said. “It’s based on the last couple of years results and as we said clubs can come to us and ask, if they don’t ask we won’t just automatically give it to them. “They (Kangas) might get an extra player to help build their stocks back again and they’ve also got an extra draft (pick) in the 16s. “The vote was tight but they (directors) agreed North Albany needed a couple of extra points to try and get an extra player if they can.” Eaton said the possibility of forming a standalone player-points-value committee would also be considered. “We’d like to organise a PPV committee,” he said. “We’re looking at three or four retired footballers that still have a passion for being around the footy but want to be at an arm’s length from being directors.” Eaton said he’d like to see more people in the region recognised for their efforts to the GSFL. “We’re also going to hopefully form a subcommittee of life members,” he said. “Quite a few people have mentioned how we’ve been around for umpteen years and we’ve only got basically five life members in the GSFL. “We’ll need to get the clubs nominating people and get a little subcommittee for that, too.”