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WILLIAMSTOWN life member Ian Rickman says the VFL club's union with the Western Bulldogs should not be blamed for its on-field struggles this season.
Ian Rickman. Picture: Glenn Daniels Leader
Speculation is rife that the Seagulls and their AFL partner will part ways before their contract ends in 2014.
Williamstown signed a three-year agreement - expiring in 2013 - with the Bulldogs at the start of last year before extending it for an additional season.
The Seagulls are dangling perilously in the top eight after starting one of the flag favourites.
Bendigo will join Frankston and Port Melbourne as stand-alone clubs next year, with Essendon to field its own VFL team, and Richmond's partnership with Coburg appears in jeopardy.
Williamstown general manager Brendan Curry gave a firm "no comment" when asked about the partnership. Quizzed if it would continue to the end of 2014, Curry said: "I don't know."
VFL operations manager John Hook said most alignments encountered problems. He said: "They have some issues, which are in a lot of alignments. I think Williamstown and the Bulldogs and ourselves are working through those. That's about really all I can say."
Rickman, who is coach of Williamstown CYMS in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, gave his tick of approval to the alignment.
"We've been pretty successful with that alignment. We've finished, I think, in the top four the last four or five years, so we haven't done much wrong. The alignment's been pretty good for both clubs," Rickman said.
"Then all of a sudden we're struggling a bit this year and everyone's blaming the alignment. I'm not sure whether that should be the case.
"We're just battling a bit this year, that's all, and everyone's looking for excuses."
Rickman predicted Williamstown did not have the funds to be a stand-alone club.
"At some stage in the future, we might," he said.
"A lot of the AFL clubs would probably prefer to have their own team in the VFL. Then they get the full run of the players at training, meetings, match-days and positional play."
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Ian Rickman. Picture: Glenn Daniels Leader
Speculation is rife that the Seagulls and their AFL partner will part ways before their contract ends in 2014.
Williamstown signed a three-year agreement - expiring in 2013 - with the Bulldogs at the start of last year before extending it for an additional season.
The Seagulls are dangling perilously in the top eight after starting one of the flag favourites.
Bendigo will join Frankston and Port Melbourne as stand-alone clubs next year, with Essendon to field its own VFL team, and Richmond's partnership with Coburg appears in jeopardy.
Williamstown general manager Brendan Curry gave a firm "no comment" when asked about the partnership. Quizzed if it would continue to the end of 2014, Curry said: "I don't know."
VFL operations manager John Hook said most alignments encountered problems. He said: "They have some issues, which are in a lot of alignments. I think Williamstown and the Bulldogs and ourselves are working through those. That's about really all I can say."
Rickman, who is coach of Williamstown CYMS in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, gave his tick of approval to the alignment.
"We've been pretty successful with that alignment. We've finished, I think, in the top four the last four or five years, so we haven't done much wrong. The alignment's been pretty good for both clubs," Rickman said.
"Then all of a sudden we're struggling a bit this year and everyone's blaming the alignment. I'm not sure whether that should be the case.
"We're just battling a bit this year, that's all, and everyone's looking for excuses."
Rickman predicted Williamstown did not have the funds to be a stand-alone club.
"At some stage in the future, we might," he said.
"A lot of the AFL clubs would probably prefer to have their own team in the VFL. Then they get the full run of the players at training, meetings, match-days and positional play."
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