New guard steers league

By Stuart Teather
CHANGE is underway at the Dandenong and District Junior Football League (DDJFL) head office with new project manager Liz Triffitt on board to steer the league through the coming season.
Triffitt was appointed as the project manager for the league after an AFL Victoria review into the DDJFL in February recommended a position be created to oversee a new strategic direction.
Triffitt will work alongside general manager Anne-Marie Brown, who came under fire in the February review.
At the time of the review Brown considered quitting her post, but she stayed on board and, according to Triffitt, has been very supportive.
“Anne-Marie has been great, she’s fine,” she said. “There is no tension as far as we’re concerned, I know a lot of the press are trying to build it up that there is some sort of tension out there, but there isn’t.”
Triffitt began her role on Monday, and said her immediate aim was to get the clubs on the same page.
“The first thing I’d be looking at doing is getting things moving along really smoothly. Probably processes, initially, so all the clubs know exactly what they’re doing and getting everyone to move together at the same time.”
Triffitt, a former training development manager at Monash University, has been involved at Beaconsfield Junior Football Club for the past four years in various roles, including secretary and team manager.
She said she jumped at the opportunity to work at the DDJFL in a full-time capacity.
“My passion is to help doing things with football, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it so much at a volunteer level.”
As for what clubs could expect to see change this season, Triffitt said it was too early to tell.
“We’re really focussed on getting this week through and making sure round one gets off okay, then I can focus on where we’re going from here.
“There’s going to be changes made, but it’s changes that have been asked for, and that’s what we’re there to do.”
One difference from last year will be the addition of a new club, the Timbarra Tornados, which developed from the Timbarra Auskick program, run out of Berwick.
The Tornados will field under 9s, 10s and 11s in their first season, and will play out of Reid Reserve in Doveton.
Round one action kicks off this weekend.