Jan Juc footy bid plucked

Jessica Benton
JAN JUC kids will miss out on playing football for their own team after the region’s Aussie Rules body rejected plans to start a junior club.
KRock radio personality and former Big Brother contestant Paul ‘Chicken’ Dyer said Football Geelong had refused his proposal to ease pressure on Torquay Football Club.
“They’ve forgotten this is about the kids and there are a lot of upset kids,” Mr Dyer said.
“They haven’t listened to the Jan Juc community.”
The Independent reported in August that Mr Dyer wanted to set up a junior Jan Juc club to service the Surf Coast’s growing population.
The club had to earn the support of Surf Coast Shire before submitting a proposal to Football Geelong.
The shire rejected the plan, saying it did not have a ground for the club.
Last week the Independent reported Torquay College had offered use of an oval.
Mr Dyer put his knock-back down to “fair dinkum politics.”
Football Geelong chief executive Lee Hartman wrote to the Jan Juc club saying the “main sticking point” was Surf Coast Shire’s lack of support.
Mr Hartman’s letter said Football Geelong agreed with the shire.
“Football Geelong and the Surf Coast Shire work together on a lot of projects including delivery of programs as well as the facilities, so the commission also had to look at the bigger picture.”
Mr Dyer said his club would now approach higher football authorities for support.