Jason Fleming is Campbelltown born and bred, so he was looking forward to pulling on the navy blue jumper of the Campbelltown Blues AFL team for the first time in eight years.
A local junior and two time Best and Fairest award winner with the Blues, Fleming, whose family lives at Eagle Vale, had returned home after seven seasons testing himself in the WAFL and NEAFL competitions.
Just a few days from the start of the Sydney AFL Premier division competition, Jason Fleming along with other first grade players were informed the Blues would not be fielding a team in this year’s competition.
The announcement shocked the Campbelltown and Sydney AFL community, but Fleming was philosophical about the club’s decision to pull out of the 2015 season.
Fleming told the South West Voice that it may have hurt more if he had never left the club.
“Yes, it was a little disappointing but I have been away so long,’’ he said.
Receiving offers from half a dozen Sydney AFL clubs since then has no doubt eased the anguish for the talented young player.
“Yes, I’ve had about six or seven offers from other Sydney clubs,’’ he said.
“I haven’t decided just yet who I will play with. I will weigh up the offers and hopefully I will be playing footy again by next week,’’ Fleming said.
During his time away Jason spent two seasons in 2008/9 at Swan Districts in the WAFL where he was part of pre-season premierships in both years and played both League finals games in 2009. He also played alongside noted AFL players such as Nic Natanui, Adam Hunter, Chris Yarran, Michael Waters and Lewis Jetta.
In 2010 he moved to Ainslie, where he played a total of 88 NEAFL games including winning premierships in 2010-11 and was selected in the representative squad in 2012.
Fleming said the Blues decision had not come as a total surprise for the premier division players as the club had been having discussions with players and other stakeholders for a few weeks’ beforehand.
“We knew how things were so it wasn’t such a surprise when they got us in to inform us of the decision,’’ he said.
“They tried very hard to avoid making the decision and that’s why it was made so late.’’
The current president of the Campbelltown Blues, who boast such legends as Russell Matheson (now an MP) and Jamie McLaughlin alongside many premierships, is Keiran Buckley.
A statement was published on the club’s website explaining the decision.
“On behalf of the Campbelltown Blues committee, I would like to inform our sponsors, players, supporters, members and life members that a decision has been made by the committee that this year we will see a change in the club’s position in relation to our senior sides playing In the Sydney AFL.
“Due to the depth of our playing list, in the upcoming season we will not be fielding a Premier Division side.
“This was not a decision that was taken lightly as all on the committee, coaching staff as well as the majority of our senior playing group, were committed to trying to keep the club’s Premier Division status moving forward. The reality of the situation was that although we had enough players to fill two senior teams the number of players of Premier Division quality on our list left us no choice but to remove ourselves from the Premier Division competition.
“This decision was purely made for this reason as the club is in a good position financially thanks to the support of our many great sponsors. All avenues were explored including talks recently with two other local clubs about possible mergers to keep a Premier Division presence in the Greater Macarthur area.
“I would like to thank everyone that has worked hard over the last six months in an effort to stop the need to take this path, especially the bulk of the senior Premier Division players that stuck together and by the club unwavering until the final decision was made by us to discontinue in Premier Division.
“Obviously the timing of this announcement, being so close to the season starting, shows that every endeavour was made by all to not take the easy option of pulling our Premier Division side.
“We as a club wish those players that want the opportunity to continue playing at the highest level all the best in the future should they take up that opportunity playing with another club at Premier Division level. The club will now continue to work on growing the game in the Macarthur area in 2015 with one senior side, under 19s and our Academy alongside Sydney South West Academy of Sport.’’
The Sydney AFL has since decided it will allow for a bye for each team scheduled to meet the Blues in this year’s premiership.
Which will no doubt boast most of what was going to be Campbelltown’s roster, says Jason Fleming.
“I am pretty confident all the Blues boys will find places in the Sydney AFL teams,’’ he says.
