Statement from president Tasma Ritchie regarding VFLW exit

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the club has made the tough decision to not have a VFLW side in the 2018 season.

Since the announcement of the VFLW expansion the club has made all the right steps in terms of meeting the requirements set out by AFL Victoria to continue in 2018 however in consultation with players, we believe our best decision as a club now is to focus on community level football.

As a club, we always want what is best for our players and support all players in their football endeavors. We will now continue our relationship with the VFLW competition as players community based club.

The St Kilda Sharks now move into an extremely exciting time with a fantastic opportunity to continue to develop our strength at community level with our Division 1 and 2 sides. We are focused on positioning ourselves as the destination club for players transitioning through Juniors, Seniors and into the VFLW / AFLW competitions in the future.

I would like to thank all those who have put in a significant amount of work in this process and all those involved in the VFL and wider club community.

Cheers,

Tasma

President St Kilda Sharks