2015
PRESIDENTS REPORT
2015 Presidents Report to the AFL Masters WA Board, Member Clubs, Delegates & Committees
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REPORT INDEX
SUBJECT PAGE
2015 Season Overview 3 - 8 The Board 8- 11 Finances 11 Insurance 12-13 Life Membership 13 Hall of Fame 13-15 AFL Masters WA Charitable Works 15 Disciplinary Issues 15-16 Umpiring & Football Affairs 16 Promotion 16-21 Metropolitan & Country 21-26 Sponsorship & Commercial Arrangements 26-28 New Clubs 28 New Teams 28-29 Country Carnival – Perth 29 National Issues & Future National Carnivals 29-33 State Games 33 Conclusions 33-35
ANNEXURES DOCUMENT Annexure Number
Financial Report & Auditors report 1 Umpires Report 2
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2015
Directors on the AFL Masters Board of Management, Member Clubs and Delegates, it is my pleasure to be able to present to you the President’s Report for Season 2015.
OVERVIEW of 2015 SEASON
During the season:
1) 2015 saw 513 new registrations to AFL Masters WA.
Two new Country Clubs were welcomed into the competition during the year, the Hedland Flatback Turtles and the Waroona Demons. No new clubs were admitted to the league in the metropolitan area and the focus in the Metropolitan area remained at increasing numbers in existing clubs.
The AFL Masters concept in WA remains popular and continues to attract record numbers of players to our game.
Current registrations of players now exceed 3800 throughout the state and it is the aim of the Board to continue with policies that are intended to maintain a high profile in Australian Rules football in this state. The Board is of the view that this is by far the best way that it can assist clubs with their recruiting.
On the 13th October 2015 the West Australian Football Commission issued a media release advising of the participation rates for all Australian Rules football in Western Australia.
That release read as follows:
“WA Football participation growth leads nation
THE West Australian Football Commission has recorded the largest participation growth in Australia for the core areas of Auskick and Club Football following the official release of AFL census figures today.
WA’s Auskick numbers grew by 22.7% to almost 40,000 participants, while Club Football increased by 4% to 62,536. The next closest was South Australia with 3% growth in both of these fundamental segments.
Total football participation for 2015 in WA was 224,842, which equates to 9% overall growth in direct comparison to 2014 AFL census data, taking into account the reclassification of some segments this 3
year.
WA Football’s 2015 growth also included 23.5% in Female Football participation, 15.6% in Veterans, 5.4% in Junior Football and 0.5% in Youth Football.
WAFC General Manager Game Development Warren Nel said the growth had been driven by the thousands of volunteers who continue to underpin the delivery of the game in WA, especially the Metropolitan and Regional Football Development Councils, coaches, umpires, teachers, trainers and administrators.
“WAFC and WAFL club staff have also played an integral role in ensuring our code continues to be Western Australia’s number one participation sport,” he said.
“A great number of partners, both government and business, have also identified that the WAFC Development Model is a platform that can deliver mutually beneficial outcomes to the community at large. The ability to maintain investments within this growing infrastructure will continue to be a priority for the WAFC.”
2015 WA Football Participation Summary
Segment Participants Growth (2014-15)
Female Club 2,200 +10.8%
Veterans (AFL Masters WA) 3,866 +15.6%
AFL9’s Community Comps 5,436 +2.7%
Youth Football (13 – 17 years) 14,450 +0.5%
Senior Community (16+) 14,695 +1.3%
Junior Football (9 – 12 years) 27,325 +5.4%
Auskick (5 – 8 year olds) 39,659 +22.7%
School Football 117,211 +9.0%
TOTAL: 224,842 +9.0%
Highlights
• Largest growth in Community Club (Junior, Youth, Senior, Veterans, Female, WAFL) competitions of any State or Territory (+4%) • Largest growth in Auskick participation of any State or Territory • 23.5% overall growth in Female Football (Auskick, AFL9s and dedicated female school & club football) • 15.6% growth in Veterans Football • 5.4% growth in Junior Football • 0.5% growth in Youth Football • WA is the 2nd largest in overall participation (only behind Victoria) • WA is the 2nd highest in AFL9’s participation numbers (only behind NSW/ACT)” 4
No one involved with AFL Masters WA should be in any doubt that this league has made a substantial contribution to improving the participation rates of Australian Rules in Western Australia.
As the figures above clearly show, AFL Masters is by far the fastest growing Australian Rules league in Western Australia and by all accounts that growth will continue well into the future.
In September 2015 our National Body, the AFL also released participation rates for all Leagues around Australia. The AFL figures clearly show that participation in veterans football in this state now exceeds every other state in Australia and they provided the following figures showing AFL Masters participation numbers in every state and Territory of the Commonwealth:-
States Veterans
NSW/ACT 930
NT 110
QLD 1,114
SA 400
TAS 325
Vic 2,950
WA 3,866
Total 9,695
The Board takes some comfort from the figures released by the AFL as they show that the policies implemented by the Board over the last several years have been successful and the correct policies for Western Australia.
The Board is very grateful to those Member Clubs that have used the increased profile of our game to successfully recruit players and we thank players and officials at all clubs for the fantastic effort put in to what can only be described as a proud achievement by AFL Masters WA.
2) The online system of registration for players, club officials and member clubs now appears to have been well and truly accepted and is now serving this association very well.
Member Clubs need to constantly remind their players however that if they change their particulars such as contact numbers or email addresses they should go to the relevant section of the web site and make those changes to their own personal information.
Member Clubs are reminded that any change of details for club officials or committees should also be changed on your clubs website page.
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When those changes are made all contact details are updated automatically through the system and this will mean that emails and other important correspondence from the Board will reach those for whom it is intended.
Correct player registration is particularly important and clubs are reminded that penalties may follow for any club that plays an unregistered player. So please make sure that all of your players are registered before they take the field.
When players are properly registered with this association we can avoid any serious problems that might arise with our insurances if unregistered players are allowed to take the field.
3) The online player registration system allows the Board to readily identify players that are playing unregistered.
There was one reported incidence of an unregistered player in 2015. A player attempting to register for the National Carnival and who had been playing for one of our Country teams was unable to do so. He contacted the Board to complain about his inability to register and it was found that he had not been registered by his club.
Although this subsequently turned out to be a genuine oversight by the club concerned it highlights just how easily these matters can come to the surface. Players who are not registered to play should not take the field as they pose severe risk to insurance coverage and those players that are registered.
Clubs and Club officials are reminded that vigilance is still required in this regard and the Board requests that all clubs ensure that every player is properly registered prior to them taking the field.
4) The AFL Masters WA Board remains committed to maintaining its policies relating to the promotion of our game and it is clear from the continued and very strong growth of Masters Football in WA that those policies have been successful.
That promotion remains focused on creating a profile for our Association in order to assist Member clubs in their recruiting drives for players.
The Board is constantly on the lookout for any means to promote our game and those currently in play are detailed in a later section of this report. The focus remains on programs that will promote the game to 35 – 45 year olds.
5) Our affiliation with the West Australian Football Commission and the arrangements that we have in place with them is singularly the most important arrangement that AFL Masters WA has with any organisation.
It is a permanent and ongoing arrangement that requires only that we pay $1.00 per annum to keep it current.
AFL Masters WA does have a National Body. That National body is the AFL. The West Australian Football Commission and the AFL are the only two sporting bodies with whom AFL Masters WA is aligned or affiliated.
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The Board is still required to negotiate the funding figure that is made available to the Association each year, and that funding from the Commission is directly linked to:
Good Governance. We are required each year to be able to demonstrate to the Commission that the Association as well as all of our member clubs is being well run and managed.
Growth of our game We are required each year to be able to demonstrate that every effort is being made to promote the game and grow the participation in our game.
Member Clubs are reminded that the funding that is received each year from the Commission is vitally important to the financial stability of the league. Each and every Member club in this Association needs to be aware that they have an obligation to this league to ensure management of their clubs strictly adheres to the principles of good governance which is vitally important to the overall health of this league and every club has a role to play in that regard.
The West Australian Football Commission and the AFL are very supportive of AFL Masters WA and its policies. The Board has continued to build on that relationship over the past 12 months in meetings with the AFL and on a regular basis with the Commission and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
6) The “Club Manual and Guidelines” have been updated.
All clubs are reminded that this document is available online on the AFL Masters WA website (www.wamastersfooty.com.au) and it is recommended that your club officials become familiar with its contents.
It provides information to assist clubs in complying with their obligations to this league, includes the playing rules for our game along with information that is intended to assist your committee with the day to day running of your clubs.
7) The Board re-negotiated the broadcast of the AFL Masters WA advertisement with the West Australian Football Commission and the advert was shown both pre and post-game at AFL fixtures played at Domain Stadium during the 2015 AFL home and away season.
The advert will be again displayed at the stadium throughout the 2016 season.
8) The Board re-negotiated our contract with 91.3 Sport FM for AFL Masters to once again air our own hour long weekly Radio Show throughout the 2015 Season. The show remains popular and will again be aired throughout the 2016 Season
9) Maintained sponsorship for AFL Masters WA in 2015.
10) Took four teams to compete in the AFL Masters National Carnival held in Tasmania between the 3rd October and the 10th October 2015.
Our Seniors side played in the Seniors 1st Division premiership but unfortunately was defeated in that game. None of our other sides played in Premierships but all that attended acquitted 7
themselves with great pride representing our great state and the Board congratulates all that attended what was a very enjoyable Carnival that was very well hosted by the Tasmanians.
All that attended thoroughly enjoyed the Carnival and the camaraderie and friendship that was extended to us by the players from other states.
11) Regularly updated the AFL Masters WA website as and when it was required during 2015.
12) Maintained t h e p a i d umpiring system to the metropolitan competition and undertook to have umpires accredited to Level 1 in an effort to standardise the umpiring throughout our competition, in particular the metropolitan area.
13) Updates have been made to the Constitution By-laws that govern this game and all Member clubs are reminded that they should acquaint themselves with those by laws
THE BOARD
General Comment
The AFL Masters WA Board consists of a President, two Vice Presidents, six Board Members and a General Manager. All are volunteers with the exception of the General Manager who receives a stipend for his assistance to the Board.
The AFL Masters WA Board has a responsibility to govern our League in this state to the benefit of all that play AFL Masters in WA and not just the few who think that they are bigger than their clubs, this league and the game.
In that regard the Board meets regularly and where possible at least once per month and on occasions more often if necessary.
Agendas are set for each meeting dependent on issues that arise throughout the course of the year and that the Board considers of importance to the League as a whole.
Each item on the agenda is discussed between Board Members and voted on. The President does not get to vote unless there is a deadlock, in which case the President then gets to cast a deciding vote. There has been no occasion where the President has had to cast a deciding vote.
When voting on an issue all members of the Board, with the exception of the President, cast their vote. The majority position among Board Members carries any particular vote and that having occurred the Board is bound to adopt that particular position as official Board policy.
The President, as the face of the Board, then has a responsibility to convey that position to Member Clubs.
Over recent years the AFL Masters WA Board has worked very closely as a team. The policies that have been implemented by the Board over the period have been fully discussed at board level with each Board Member having input before votes are cast.
The one criteria that the Board always takes as a prime consideration is whether or not what is being considered by the Board at the time is in the overall best interests of our game and players in this State. If it is then generally it is accepted and if it is not then it is rejected.
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Those that are attempting to portray the actions of the Board in any other light are doing so for motives that are best known to themselves but that in large part are not in the interests of AFL Masters WA. They ignore the fact that decisions made by previous Board Members that served between 2008 and 2012 are supported fully by Members of the Board that have joined the Board since then.
The reason those earlier decisions are still supported to this day is simple. They were the correct decisions for AFL Masters WA as is clearly evidenced by the strength and growth of our game in this state over the same period.
2015 Board Changes
There was one change to the Board in 2015 with the resignation from the Board of Scott Brown who was at the time of his resignation the serving Vice President of AFL Masters WA. His resignation resulted from a transfer in his employment with the Royal Australian Navy to a new posting in Canberra.
Scott had been a WA Masters Board Member since 2009 and was appointed as the Associations Vice President in early 2013. In his capacity as a Board Member he worked tirelessly and made a massive contribution to our game in this state.
On behalf of all AFL Masters WA Clubs, Players and Officials the Board congratulates Scott on his promotion and wishes him all the very best in his new role with the Australian Navy.
Scott’s resignation created a vacancy on the AFL Masters WA Board and the Board appointed Mr Graeme Dix, formally of the WAFC, to fill that vacancy and he commenced with the Board in January 2015.
Between 2009 and 2014 Graeme was the General Manager Corporate Relations for the West Australian Football Commission. Over that period of time he provided significant assistance to this league and its efforts to grow and expand. His role required that he report directly to the CEO and COO of the West Australian Football Commission and he sat on the Executive team which reports directly to the commissioners and was required to work with the AFL on a daily basis.
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This was the first time that an appointment to the board has been made from outside the Associations ranks. Graeme’s professionalism, his unquestionable commitment to Australian Rules Football and in particular to AFL Masters WA, his knowledge of our important relationship with the AFL and the WAFC, together with his significant and very welcome experience particularly in the areas of Sponsorship and Marketing were seen at the time of his appointment to be a valuable asset to AFL Masters WA and since then his contribution at Board level has proven to be invaluable.
The resignation of Scott Brown also left open the position of Vice President.
Nathan Dixon was elected to the position of Vice President by the Board and he took control of those portfolios vacated with Scott’s resignation seamlessly and with great efficiency and acumen.
My personal thanks goes to all members of the AFL Masters WA Board for the incredible amount of work and effort that they have contributed to AFL Masters WA over the course of the last twelve months. It is greatly appreciated not only by me as President of the League but also by the vast majority of Member Clubs, players, officials and spectators that attend our games.
Committees:
Umpiring Committee:
Greg Nairn headed up the umpiring Committee in 2015 and was ably assisted by Seth Bolas, John Manual and Colin Campbell.
This is always a difficult task and the Board thanks each of them for their respective efforts throughout the past season. A lot of effort goes in behind the scenes each week in order to get umpires rostered and on the park for games and the efforts of Seth and John Manual throughout the year in that regard were very much appreciated by all.
Hall of Fame Committee
The Hall of Fame Committee was formed to assist the Board with the processing of applications for the Hall of Fame and to make recommendations to the Board on suitable inductees.
That committee is chaired by Tom Booton and he is supported in that role by two other Members of the AFL Masters Hall of Fame. The board thanks Tom and his committee for the diligent way in which they went about their duties in that regard.
Raising issues with the Board
All clubs, both metropolitan and Regional must be aware that this is now a large league that covers a vast area, larger than any other league in Australia.
To put this in perspective; it is 2727 klms between Perth and Melbourne and it is 2568 klms between
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our southernmost Club at Esperance and our most northern club in Broome.
This means that it is virtually impossible to call clubs together in one place and one time to resolve or debate issues that affect our member clubs.
The majority of our Regional Clubs are unable to attend such meetings simply because of the tyranny of distance. It is vitally important that our regional clubs are included in any decision making processes and that they are not disenfranchised by being excluded from any process that involves decisions that have an impact on the way in which the League is operated and managed.
Where a club or a group of clubs wish to raise an issue that affects other clubs then the process that is to be followed is simple.
A submission is to be made to the Board in writing setting out the reasons for raising the issue. The submission should also contain argument as to the merits of any proposal It should include any additional information that the club sees relevant to what is being proposed. It should include information about the impact that might be seen to have on other clubs. Where a group of clubs has come together that support a particular idea or proposal then the submission can be submitted by one club but should clearly state the clubs involved and be signed by the Presidents of the clubs involved.
Having received the submission the Board can then consider the proposal, add relevant comment and then forward it to all Club Presidents throughout the state for further comment and consideration.
Once this has been done then the Board can consider the views of all member clubs on the subject raised in order to make a balanced decision on whether or not the proposal has merit based on the views of the majority.
A classic example of what not to do is what happened at the AGM in 2014 where a club raised the issue of changing the age range of for players competing in Supers and Masters Divisions in the Metropolitan competition. The club was advised to put a proposal in writing to the Board in order that it could be circulated (in this instance to all Metropolitan Clubs as it was an issue that had no effect on Country clubs) to clubs in order to seek the opinions of all.
To the date of this writing no written proposal in that regard has been received by the Board.
This means that nothing has been put to the Board that would allow consideration of the issue and nothing has been received by the Board that would allow us to circulate it to all Metropolitan Clubs so that they can have their say about the issue.
The Board is aware that this issue is again being discussed between three clubs but still no written proposal has been forthcoming. Until such time as that occurs and until such time as all Metropolitan Clubs have been given the opportunity to consider what is proposed then the matter will not progress.
FINANCES (See Annexure 1)
The fully audited financials, together with the Auditor’s Report for 2015 have been distributed for your information. (
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INSURANCE
AFL Masters WA is insured with the AFL’s Insurance Scheme through JLT insurance as is every other Australian Rules league in WA.
All clubs should be aware that the coverage that we have with JLT Insurance does not cover player injury.
JLT Insurance was maintained at the same cost to this League throughout 2015 and has been negotiated at the same rates plus CPI for season 2016.
During the course of the 2015 season the Board negotiated a second level of Insurance cover for players with PBF (Paraplegic Benefit Fund). The proposed uptake of the policy offered to our League was put out to all clubs both Metropolitan and Regional and by an overwhelming majority our clubs agreed that the cover offered by PBF should be embraced.
The Board then formally entered into agreement with PBF and signed up to the policy on offer.
The uptake of that policy increased fees to clubs by a modest amount when taking into consideration the scope of the PBF policy.
The policy covers every player that is registered with AFL Masters WA, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, whether they are playing Football or not in the event that they are involved in an accident that renders them either paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Less than three weeks after the Board had signed up to that Policy a Brentwood/Booragoon player, Kent Morgan was very seriously injured in an on field incident in which he sustained a broken neck with fractures to vertebrae at C4/C5.
Subsequent scans revealed that the fractures had pushed inwards and were placing pressure on his spinal cord and this placed Kent at real risk of paraplegia
All should be aware that this was one of those accidents that can from time to time occur in football and that it did not result from any overly rough or illegal play. Kent was attended to by players immediately following the incident and then subsequently by St John Ambulance who took him from the ground to hospital.
At hospital Kent was placed in traction and fortunately this process was able to relieve the pressure that was on his spinal cord. Kent had major surgery to fuse his spine at the point of fracture and we now know that the surgery was successful and more permanent damage was thankfully averted.
On this occasion it transpired that there was no need to call on the PBF policy, however it could quite easily have been a very different outcome with tragic results for Kent and his Family, in which case that new Scheme would have covered the situation with an immediate payout of $250,000.00
This incident reinforced to the Board, as it should to all clubs that our game can at times be inadvertently dangerous and can result in serious injury. It is for that reason that the Board has now resolved that for the foreseeable future that the policy that this Association holds with PBF will be renewed on an annual basis.
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I am pleased to be able to report that Kent is now well and truly on the mend and has been able to return to work. Had he not had his own cover the time that he had to have off work would have been a major financial drain on his family’s resources.
For that reason this incident was a very timely reminder that Clubs should re-inforce to their players that they should have some form of medical benefits or insurance of their own to provide some comfort in the event of an accident that prevents them from working.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP
There were no successful nominations received this year for Life Membership of AFL Masters WA.
HALL OF FAME
There have been no nominations received this year for Hall of fame 2016.
In March 2015 the fourth AFL Masters Western Australia Hall of Fame Dinner was held at Challenge Stadium.
291 players, wives, girlfriends and guests attended what was again a very enjoyable evening.
The event is the premier social event on the AFL Masters WA calendar. It serves not only to reward the deserving among the Association but also provides the opportunity to gather as a group pre-season and to showcase our game to the WA Football Community as a whole.
In 2015 no successful nominations for Life Membership of AFL Masters WA were received and as such no Life Members were inducted at this year’s Hall of Fame Presentation Dinner.
The following players and officials were inducted into the AFL Masters Western Australia Hall of Fame for 2015 and once again the Board extends its congratulations to each of them for the outstanding contribution each has made to our Association:
Rob Claridge Malcolm Elson Stephen Jones John Leeds Graham Mabbs Joe Tassone Ross Tyson
The 2014 “Country Club of the Year” resulted in a back to back award for the Newman Vets, for their outstanding good governance and leadership while at the same time raising and donating some $30,000.00 to the Ted Whitten Foundation.
The “Metropolitan Club of the Year” for 2014 was awarded to the Eastern Hills Club for its outstanding work in supporting local residents that had suffered losses in the Parkerville and Stoneville fires that devastated the Hills community in Early 2014.
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The 2014 “AFL Masters WA Metropolitan Person of the Year” was awarded to Brad Flindell of the Nollamara Club for his outstanding leadership of that club and his ongoing efforts to recruit indigenous players to our game.
The 2014 “AFL Masters WA Country Person of the Year” was awarded to Brendan Langlands of the Newman Vets Club for his outstanding leadership of that club in a very remote area of Western Australia and his ongoing dedication and adherence to the AFL Masters WA Philosophies and ideals
The AFL Masters WA Community has an abundance of amazing people within its ranks that achieve much in their communities through their involvement with our great game.
The Hall of Fame provides us all with the opportunity of recognizing those that not only contribute to our game but also bring great credit to AFL Masters WA as a whole with the contributions that they make in their respective communities.
The AFL Masters WA Board congratulates all clubs that have recognised that by becoming involved in and assisting their communities they raise their own profiles in a positive way that in turn assists with the clubs stature and growth.
The AFL Masters WA Board is constantly reviewing outgoings and the viability of various projects in which it becomes involved on behalf of the League.
The Board has been heavily subsidizing the cost of the Hall of Fame Presentation Night since its inception.
In 2015 ticket prices were increased in an effort to reduce the cost to the league for the Function. This assisted in reducing the cost to the league but nevertheless meant that the event was still heavily subsidized.
The Board believes that the Hall of Fame function is not only an event that is desirable to continue but that it is also very necessary to have a function of this type that recognizes the achievements of those that have unselfishly put so much of their time into our game.
The Board also recognizes that it is not possible to continue running the Hall of Fame Dinner at a loss and for that reason it has been decided that the function will now become a bi-annual event. It is anticipated that this will assist in reducing the overall burden of the event on the Association and ensure that the event is sustainable into the future.
The next Hall of Fame Dinner will therefore be held pre-season in 2017 on a date to be announced.
All awards, will still be called for each year and the Board is currently looking at whether those awards will be presented in the year of issue or held over and presented each year in which the Hall of Fame Presentation Night is held. The Board is looking at a number of different scenarios and all clubs will be notified in due course as to what decision is made in that regard.
It is for the moment somewhat of a moot point however, as despite the fact that the AFL Masters WA Club Manual is there for all to see on the AFL Masters WA Website and provides information to all clubs as to when nominations need to be submitted to the Board for all awards and the criteria upon
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which those nominations should be made, no nominations whatsoever have been received for any of the awards that would normally have been presented at the commencement of Season 2016.
AFL MASTERS WA – CHARITABLE WORKS
For some time the AFL Masters WA Board has been encouraging clubs to get involved in their local communities and to support charitable causes of their own choosing, whether that be because of local need that they identify within their immediate community or whether it is to raise funds for larger charitable groups.
The spin off to clubs doing so is that is raises their profile within their respective communities, enhances the reputation of the club and can positively assist with the recruitment of players, while at the same time creating a positive image for the league as a whole.
During the year the Board called for information from all clubs relating to the charities that they supported and the amounts that they had been able to raise for their chosen charities over the period between 2009 and 2015.
The Board required the information for reporting purposes. Not all clubs responded and the Board expresses its thanks to those that did.
The results of the survey were staggering.
Over that period AFL Masters WA Clubs had raised a combined amount in excess of $500,000.00. All of the funds raised had been donated to various charities predominantly relating to organisations involved in the fight against cancer or used to assist the needy in the respective communities in which AFL Masters Clubs were based.
We suspect the sums actually raised and donated over that period of time may be somewhat higher as not all clubs responded. In any event the AFL Masters WA Board congratulates those clubs involved for the superb work that they undertake in that regard, it quite frankly has been outstanding.
It should be said that the figures quoted above do not include other good works that have been undertaken by clubs that have recognised a need within their communities and then gone about organizing work parties and ‘busy-bees’ to assist where need was identified.
Obviously our clubs could not have achieved so much without the assistance of their players and the Board extends its gratitude and congratulations to all of those AFL Masters WA Member Clubs and players that donated their time so selflessly to assist their clubs in that regard.
DISCIPLINARY ISSUES
2015 was a year where we had no incidents that required disciplinary action by the AFL Masters WA Board.
The only disappointing shadow that continues to detract from our game is the continued abuse of umpires. It is unedifying and not in the spirit of our game. No AFL Masters WA game can ever be won or lost on umpiring decisions and abuse of umpires serves no other purpose other than to embarrass the individual serving up the abuse.
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Member clubs are reminded that it is the clubs that are ultimately held responsible for the behaviour of their players on the field. Players that cannot play according to our ethos of ‘Football for Kicks’ or adhere to our rules should not be allowed by their club to take the field.
Each Member Club is responsible for the behaviour of all its players both on and off the field at AFL Masters WA Fixtures, and clubs are required to take steps to ensure that all of their players are fully cognizant with and adhere to, the philosophies and rules of AFL Masters WA.
Clubs have a responsibility to ensure that their players are well and truly aware of our ethos of “Football for Kicks”, just what that means and the consequences that might flow if the rules of this Association are not adhered to.
“Over competitiveness” remains a problem with some clubs and their approach to games. The Board will continue to monitor carefully the way in which Clubs approach their football on field and the way in which they play the game.
If the Board perceives that some Clubs are becoming overly competitive on the field and becoming too incensed with winning games at all costs, then the Board will step in and take whatever action is deemed necessary at the time to prevent it.
UMPIRING and FOOTBALL AFFAIRS
(Report by Greg Nairn – AFL Masters WA Director Football Operations)
Greg’s report attached as
PROMOTION
Throughout 2015 the AFL Masters WA Board continued with its often stated aim of heavily promoting our game. As the body responsible for the control and administration of AFL Masters Football and Veterans Football in this State the Board has an obligation to promote the game at every possible opportunity.
Our game has grown very dramatically over the last 6 or 7 years and there is no doubt that this growth can be attributed in large part to the promotional policies that have been implemented over that time by the Board and to the strong relationship that has been developed with the AFL and West Australian Football Commission and the assistance that has been provided by them to this league.
The WAFC is the controlling body for Australian Rules football in this state and we are currently the only AFL Masters group within Australia that receives assistance with funding, promotion and sponsorships from a state body.
It is the combination of the policies of this Board and the fantastic assistance that we receive from the Commission that has directly resulted in the profile that we now enjoy within the West Australian Football community.
It is that profile that has resulted in the incredible growth of our game in this state and that now finds WA as the largest AFL Masters State in Australia, however this will only result in increased player
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numbers at club level, if clubs themselves take advantage of that profile and conduct regular recruiting drives to attract players.
It is clearly in the interests of all clubs to hold regular recruiting drives all year round and the Board encourages all clubs to look for ways to promote their club within their local community at every opportunity as this has been proven to result in healthier player numbers.
Domain Stadium
The new advert that was prepared in 2015 for screening on the new screen at Domain Stadium and that was voiced by Basil Zempalis was broadcast at every AFL match that was played at the Stadium during the season.
It was not broadcast at the stadium during the finals that were played at the Stadium.
The advert remains an integral part of the promotional plans for AFL Masters WA.
The rates for commercial groups who utilize the screen jumped to $900.00 per 30 seconds of screen time.
Our use of the screen is provided to us free of charge as part of the arrangements that we have with the WAFC. The advert was shown on 40 occasions during season 2015 amounting to effective in kind assistance to a value of $36,000.00.
We have negotiated to have the adverts played again at all Domain Stadium games during the coming 2016 AFL season.
The Board extends its gratitude to the West Australian Football Commission and to Basil Zempalis for their support and assistance with regard to the production and screening of this advertisement.
The AFL Masters Radio Show
The AFL Masters Radio show aired each Saturday Morning on 91.3 Sport FM throughout the 2015 season and once again had another very successful year.
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Scott Brown who was Vice President of the Association and the Board member responsible for the show was transferred in his employment to Canberra early in the year and his vacancy of that position meant that someone was required to take over that role.
The role is effectively that of the show’s producer and as such it is a difficult role to fill. We were very fortunate in that Scott’s replacement as Vice President of the Association, Nathan Dixon stepped up to the plate and volunteered to take over the role from Scott.
During the on air season Nathan seamlessly took over that role and under his management the show was again very successful during the year.
Nathan appeared on the show with our regular presenters Bevan Sturgess-Smith from the Wembley Club, Dean Campbell from the Northern Warriors Club, Andrew Brady (Nardi) from Central Crocs and our newest addition to the broadcast team, Nic (Ozone) Kiskinides from the Brentwood/Booragoon Club.
2015 saw the AFL Masters Radio Show air its 135th program.
The Board extends it congratulations to all of those involved in the AFL Masters WA Radio Show since it first tentatively went to air in 2010 and for the efforts that they put in to ensure the ongoing success of the show.
Every Saturday morning throughout the season these guys give freely of their time to bring the show to air. Their efforts are fantastic and they earned and deserve the support of all clubs, Metropolitan and Country.
The AFL Masters WA Radio Show is without doubt one of the Associations most important promotional tools and 91.3 SportFM Management has advised that listener numbers actually increased throughout 2015. The show can be streamed live on computer, your smart phone or listened to on radio.
The show is an integral part of our season and provides an invaluable platform to promote our game but also provides us with a fantastic way to cross promote and assist our valuable sponsors.
During 2015, 91.3 SportFM covered AFL, WAFL, AFL Masters WA, WA Amateur Football League, Country Football and broadcast a range of other sporting shows that includes among others the Fremantle Dockers Show.
Burley Sekem once again provided great support to the show throughout 2015 with prizes for the regular on air quiz that is conducted on the show each week.
We have already re-negotiated our contract with 91.3 SportFM for AFL Masters to air the AFL Masters Radio Show on a weekly basis throughout the 2016 Season.
The Board thanks those associated with the success of the show, presenters and sponsors alike, for their contribution over the course of the 2015 Season. That contribution forms a large part of the overall promotion of our game in WA.
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West Australian Newspapers
In 2014 we negotiated a $20,000.00 sponsorship with the West Australian Newspaper.
In conjunction with our marketing advisers a sustained campaign was planned to market our game to family’s and potential players through the West Australian.
This was all intended to assist clubs with their respective recruiting campaigns in the lead up to the coming season.
The following advert was placed in the West Australian and was to have been the first in a series of adverts along the same lines that were intended to promote our game and cross promote some of our core sponsors.
For reasons outlined in last year’s Presidents Report we were unable to continue with the campaign in 2014 and had intended to run it in 2015, but this did not eventuate.
This sponsorship has been renegotiated and the advertisement will be run in the West Australian on a regular basis throughout 2016.
Curtain Raiser
In 2015 AFL Masters WA was allocated a curtain raiser at Domain Stadium.
The game was played as the lead up game to the Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles game on the 19th April 2015. The clubs that successfully nominated for the game were the Leschenault Crabs and Rockingham. Both clubs were celebrating their respective 30th year of AFL Masters Football and the curtain raiser was a fitting way for them to kick of their celebrations in that regard.
The game, as ever, was a great success and all that were involved seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.
The Board extends its gratitude to both teams for the great spirit in which they played the game. We also extend our sincere thanks to the West Coast Eagles who hosted us on the day as well
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as to the West Australian Football Commission for their assistance in ensuring that a curtain raiser was allocated to AFL Masters WA.
The Board has again successfully negotiated entered to host a curtain raiser at Domain Stadium during the 2016 season as part of our promotional program.
Negotiations continue as to which fixture will be allocated to us and as soon as some finalisation is reached in that regard applications will be called for in due course.
Banners and Promotional Booklets
Promotional booklets will be updated and printed prior to the commencement of the 2016 Season and they will be distributed to all Clubs as soon as possible.
Clubs are reminded that the off-season is the time for Clubs to consider their player needs for 2016 and it is the ideal time to get organised for a recruiting drive.
There are promotional banners used for this purpose and with a set being available to the following for shared use amongst the Clubs in those areas.
Northern Metropolitan Clubs (Banners held by Bob Smith) Northern Warriors Kingsway Wembley Western Whalers Nollamara Central Crocs Ellenbrook Quinn’s
Southern Metropolitan Clubs (Banners held by Rockingham) Fremantle Phantoms Mandurah Makos Rockingham Warnbro Swans
Central Metropolitan Clubs (Banners held by Bob Smith) Brentwood Booragoon Eastern Hills Southern Saints Victoria Park Rossmoyne
South West Zone (Banners held by Craig Perks) Albany Bunbury Sharks Busselton Collie
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Eaton Dunsborough Ducks Leschenault Crabs Margaret River Dalyellup
Mid-West Zone (Banners held by Barney Barnett) Dongara Geraldton Mighty Blues Batavia Mariners Northampton Newman Northam Wheatbelt Boomers
Eastern Zone (Banners held by Cobber Rogers) Kalgoorlie Kambalda Esperance
All member Clubs are reminded that the banners have been purchased at some expense to the Association.
They are to be carefully looked after and they are intended as a tool to assist Clubs in promoting and attracting players to our game of AFL Masters in Western Australia in their respective areas and are intended for the use of all Clubs in the Association where possible.
Attempts will be made in the coming season to obtain a further set of banners for the use of our clubs in the North Pilbara and Kimberley regions of the state.
METROPOLITAN AND COUNTRY
Metropolitan
A number of Clubs reported difficulties with numbers in some age groups during the year while others reported increased numbers.
It is not uniform across particular age groups and every club seems to have different reasons as to why it is so. What is apparent to the Board is that those clubs that are active in their respective communities and that have year round recruiting programs are the clubs reporting the least problems in that regard.
During 2015 we experimented by fixturing Seniors games first and pushing back Supers games to later times when possible to allow our younger players the opportunity to cater for their children’s sporting requirements on a Sunday morning
Our understanding is that this has gone some way to assisting with numbers in Supers sides teams and the Board intends to continue structure the fixtures in the same way throughout the coming season.
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The Last 2015 Metropolitan Fixture
The last fixture of the season in 2015 had to be cancelled. Contrary to the belief of some it was not cancelled by the Board but by the host club.
Each year for some time the Western Whalers club has run the last fixture of the season at the UWA McGillivray grounds.
UWA advised Western Whalers 4 days out from an AFL Masters WA Carnival that was to be held on the 12th September 2015 that the change rooms that we have traditionally used at the grounds would be handed over to Rugby and that we would have no use of that area on the day.
This left AFL Masters WA with only one option and that was to try and secure the use of the Soccer change rooms at the city end of the complex. Neither this Board nor the Western Whalers Club were able to do so.
Regrettably after discussion with the AFL Masters WA Board and with its full support Western Whalers made the decision to cancel the fixture. To do otherwise would have left players with no change room facilities and no ability to have a relaxing drink with mates after their game.
At a critical time of the year when finals are being played at a number of the venues that we might otherwise use, there was simply not enough notice received from UWA to allow time to organise another venue, which by necessity would have required a liquor license.
None of this was of the Whalers making. They did the correct thing all along in their attempts to ensure the game went ahead. The final straw however was the removal of change room facilities.
Some good has come from this however as we are aware that the Whalers are negotiating with Hale School for the use of their ovals next season. If they are successful it means that they will have a three oval venue on which to stage a Carnival.
We have also been advised by Brentwood Booragoon that their facilities are to receive a major upgrade that includes match quality lights on both of their ovals. They have requested a Carnival at which all Metropolitan Clubs attend. The Ellenbrook Eels have also advised that they will have their new two oval facility available for season 2016 and they have also requested a Carnival at which all Metropolitan Clubs attend.
Central Crocs also has requested a Carnival with all clubs present.
Combined with the available three oval facilities at both Lynwood Ferndale and Peel this means that with some juggling we have the possibility of five Carnivals throughout the season where all clubs will play at one venue.
The Board is currently working on fixtures and all clubs will be provided with draft dates and fixtures as soon as possible.
Clubs need to be aware that cannot move any faster than the information that is required is provided to the Board. Without knowing of the availability of grounds and the dates that suit clubs for a Carnival the Board cannot finalise fixtures for the coming season. The quicker that information is provided to the Board the quicker the fixtures can be finalised.
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The Regions
Our league covers the largest land mass of any league anywhere in Australia.
This clearly presents a number of complex logistical challenges to the Board in our attempts to deliver Masters Football particularly in some of the more remote areas of WA. Despite this there has been considerable success in recent times establishing further clubs in the South West, Pilbara and Kimberley regions of the state.
The current Board however has no intention of ‘resting on its laurels’ with some innovative planning currently being undertaken at Board level that should result in more football and carnivals to all regional areas of the state in 2016.
Just a few of those plans include:
Simultaneous carnivals that will involve the South West, Mid-West and Eastern Zoned Clubs together with sides from the Metropolitan area. A carnival in the North West of the state involving not only the Pilbara and Kimberley Clubs but also teams from all around the state. Greater involvement by the Board in the promotion of our game and carnivals in the regions. Where possible having breaks in Metropolitan fixtures that will allow Metropolitan clubs to plan trips to the Country to play regional sides
Further information regarding these and other initiatives will be relayed to all clubs once planning is finalised.
Our more remote clubs have a number of solutions that they use to provide their players with football and each year we congratulate them on the highly innovative solutions they manage to find. We are hopeful that we can assist in that regard by creating opportunities for the regions and metropolitan sides to come together over the course of the 2016 season.
The Board is convinced that Carnivals held in the regions that attract sides from around the state are a great way for us to promote our game statewide and they are also a way of assisting our more remote clubs in being able to play more games during the season.
The hospitality that is shown by our Country clubs to Metropolitan clubs that are prepared to take the time to organise a ‘friendly’ game of football is legendary and the Board encourages all Metropolitan Clubs to consider at least one trip to the regions during season 2 0 1 6 . Those clubs that do will find it a great experience and it doesn’t take a lot to organise……so pick out a country club, contact them and see what you can put together for your players.
Mid-Year South-West Carnival
This year, the South-West Carnival was hosted by Busselton Magpies and was held on the Western Australia Day long weekend. As has become the norm with Busselton they organised a thoroughly 23
enjoyable and highly successful carnival.
Once again the Board extends its thanks and congratulations to the Busselton Magpies Committee and all those at the Club that assisted with organisation on the day.
The Mid Year South West Carnival has become so successful on that long weekend that the Board is keen to extend the same concept to other regions that are within ready reach of the Metropolitan area, and to provide options on that weekend for clubs to attend and play football in the regions.
The South West region again saw strong growth with a number of clubs reporting good numbers.
We saw a new club enter the competition in the South West and that was the Waroona Demons.
The effort put in by Jason Della Franca to get the club off the ground and up and running is highly commendable and the Board congratulates both him and his inaugural committee for the huge amount of work they did to do so. We welcome the club to the League and wish them all the very best in future seasons.
Eastern & Wheatbelt Carnivals
2015 saw the Kalgoorlie Miners celebrate their 25th Year as an AFL Masters Club. The Board extends its congratulations to all those past and present that have worked so hard to ensure the success of a great AFL Masters WA Club
In July 2015 the Kalgoorlie Miners and Wembley game was again played in Nungarin between the two Clubs competing for the Cobber Rogers Shield.
The game was played as a curtain raiser to the CWFL fixture between Nungarin-Towns and Bencubbin.
All involved agreed that Nungarin provided a perfect venue for this annual game. The venue is central to both teams travelling by bus, and the facility, support, game arrangements and hosting of the Nungarin community and Nungarin-Towns Football Club is first class.
The Board congratulates all that were involved in the planning and running of the game. It is this very type of initiative that the Board encourages and applauds.
Our advice is that both teams have already committed to returning next year and we encourage other Metropolitan and Regional clubs to do likewise. This year’s popular Wongan Hills pre-season Carnival had to be cancelled due to a clash of dates with Easter and Metro fixtures. Pre-planning is underway for early April 2016 and the game will again be held in Wongan Hills on a date to be announced
Kalgoorlie Club is hopeful of attracting Metro teams to join teams from the Eastern Zone at their annual Carnival in early August
Mid-West Carnivals
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The Mid West Competition continues to grow and carnivals were held regularly in Geraldton and throughout the mid-west area.
We were hopeful following the collapse of the Kalbarri Club in 2014 that a side might be entered into the Mid-West competition from either Leeman or Jurien, however this was not to be. There is strong interest and only time will tell whether or not clubs will eventuate from those centers. All of the Mid-West clubs very keen to host games with Metropolitan Clubs interested in attending some of their carnivals during the coming the 2016 Season.
If any Metro Clubs are interested they should contact Barney Barnett on the Board and he will be able to assist with any planning required.
Pilbara and Kimberley Carnivals
The 2015 season saw the entry into the competition of one of our newest clubs The Hedland Flatback Turtles.
During the year these guys optimized just what our game is all about by travelling to Broome, Karratha and also Newman to play games. They made the distances they travelled their friend and everyone in that team made sure that every trip was great fun.
They proved to be a very well organised group and the Boards congratulations go to their inaugural President Dave (Docker) Muller and his very capable committee members for the fantastic way they approached our game, their embracing of the “Footy for Kicks” ethos and for the incredible effort and enthusiasm they exhibited in getting the club off the ground and up and running.
Newman Celebrity Game
In June the Newman club once again staged its celebrity game in order to raise funds for charitable causes.
This annual event was very well run and managed by the Newman Club. They have proven consistently that they are great hosts and all that had the privilege of attending had a great time, were very well entertained and enjoyed the event immensely.
A number of former AFL greats from the Eagles and Dockers attended that Carnival and a great deal of money was raised by the Newman Club and donated to the charities they support.
Our newest club in the Pilbara, the Hedland Flatback Turtles travelled from Port Hedland to Newman to participate in proceedings and no one could ever accuse those guys of not knowing how to enjoy themselves. Their presence and support of the event is to be commended.
In 2015 the club raised the incredible sum of $30,000.00 all of which was donated to the Ted Whitten Foundation at a presentation that occurred at a function that took place following the Celebrity Game.
The club received great support from BHP Billiton and the V Swans program. This has become an annual event at Newman that is eagerly looked forward to by the whole community.
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The AFL Masters WA Board congratulates the Newman committee on its great initiative and for the amazing support that they have shown to worthwhile charities and those in need in their community.
SPONSORSHIP AND COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Sponsorship and funding is critical to the ability of the Association to be able to provide our great game of Australian Rules football to its clubs and players at reasonable cost.
The Board is asked from time to time what benefits sponsorship at state level provides to its clubs.
The most telling benefit to clubs and players alike is that this league unlike most other leagues charges no fees to its players to take the field. There are no fees charged by AFL Masters WA for players that wish to participate in this game. That type of funding is known as ‘bottom up funding’ where fees are charged to players by a state body to assist in supporting the league and to maintain its financial stability.
If it was not for the sponsorship and commercial arrangements that are put in place by AFL Masters WA the cost to member clubs to affiliate with this Association would increase dramatically.
The flow on from this is that if the Board was not proactive in the areas of sponsorship and with our commercial arrangements then clubs would need to incrementally increase the cost of registration to the players which in turn would make it much more difficult to recruit players to our game.
The affiliation fees that are charged by the AFL Masters WA to its member clubs are by far and away the cheapest of any fees charged by administrative bodies of other Australian Rules leagues in this state. Over the last 8 years the only increase in affiliation fees to clubs has been no more than a CPI adjustment each year.
It is the WA Boards intention to maintain that status quo for as long as possible and that to do so we will remain active in pursuing sponsorships and commercial arrangements that continue to be of benefit to this Association.
In 2015, AFL Masters Western Australia was able to retain and renew all of the sponsorship arrangements that we had in 2014. We received cash grants and sponsorship funds totaling $45,860.00 during the 2015 accounting period with a further $6000.00 in sponsorship that was intended for the 2015 season being received outside the accounting period for the year.
Throughout the year we also received “in-kind’ sponsorship to an estimated value approximately $85,000.00.
Without these funds and the in kind sponsorship, this competition would not be able to grow or survive in the longer term, therefore attracting sponsors to our game at state level is an important and ongoing process and it is the intention of the Board to continue to do so.
The AFL Masters Board acknowledges and thanks our core sponsors and commercial partners for their support throughout the 2015 Season.
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Carlton United Breweries RJC Communications Burswood Seafood MGM Bulk CLP Legal PSL Minuteman Press Burley The Oaks Group 91.3 Sport FM Concept Marketing WA Newspapers W.A.F.C Sadliers Logistics RediMed
The Board is currently negotiating 2016 sponsorships with our sponsorship partners. We are also in consultation with some prospective new sponsors for 2016 and advice will be provided to Clubs in the near future of any changes in that regard.
All clubs are encouraged to get behind our great sponsors as their contribution to our game and its continued success is invaluable.
They after all support us – we should support them.
Commercial Arrangements
AFL Masters WA has had an exclusive long term supply agreement with a preferred apparel manufacturer, Pontague Sports and Leisurewear who was the sole licensee authorised to manufacture and supply on field apparel to AFL Masters WA Clubs and the State body.
That agreement expired in December 2015.
In accordance with accepted business practices AFL Masters WA invited companies interested in becoming the licensed supplier of that apparel to the Association and its clubs to submit tenders.
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The bidding process has now concluded and the final tenders have been submitted by four separate companies and the incumbent supplier.
The successful bidder for that contract will become the sole licensed company to work with our clubs to produce on field apparel from the moment that selection is made. All clubs will be required to use that supplier once the contract is awarded when ordering any apparel required on field.
The revenue received by the league from the sponsorship arrangements that form part of this contract will go to general revenue and is just one of the means the Board is intent on using to provide adequate funding for this league and to keep membership fees to a bare minimum.
It is arrangements of this type that have assisted the Board in keeping affiliation fees and charges to a minimum with the only increases in fees over the last eight years being linked to normal CPI adjustments.
Over the next few weeks the Board has a considerable amount of work to do in considering the proposals that have been made as part of the tender process. The company that is ultimately chosen by the Board will be the company that the Board believes offers the best arrangements to this League and that will be in a position to provide the best service to our clubs.
The announcement regarding the successful company will be made in early January and all clubs will be notified regarding the arrangements once they have been finalized.
NEW CLUBS
2015 saw the entry of two new clubs into our Country competition, Hedland Flatback turtles and Waroona. In general both clubs have strong committees and numbers and have adapted well to the Masters concept. We congratulate both clubs on their entry into the AFL Masters WA competition and we look forward to their continued successful participation in our game.
As indicated earlier in this report no new clubs entered the Metropolitan competition in the 2015 season and the emphasis was on existing clubs recruiting players.
Expressions of interest have been received by the Board for new clubs to be registered in the Metropolitan area. As yet no formal applications have been received however the Board is expecting that there will be applications received for the coming season. Metropolitan clubs will be advised as to the progress of any applications that are made for new clubs to join the Association as and when information comes to hand.
NEW TEAMS
The Board is keen to know from our Metropolitan Clubs whether they believe that the introduction of a Super Seniors (over 50’s) competition into the metropolitan fixtures would be sustainable for 2016 and into the future.
Interested Metropolitan Clubs are expected to provide submissions to the Board in writing which will be circulated to all clubs in the Metropolitan competition seeking their views on the matter in order that the Board can make considered decisions as to the viability and sustainability of a Super Seniors competition into the future.
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In expressing any views on the matter member Clubs should keep in mind that sides combined between clubs are not, in the view of the Board, viable because of the restrictions this places on fixturing.
The view of the Board is that there would need to be a minimum of four separate teams entered in that age group for it to be considered a viable proposition.
COUNTRY CARNIVAL - PERTH
For the third year in succession the August Country Carnival was held at Rushton Park in Mandurah.
Once again the carnival was hosted and run by the Mandurah Club who put on a great day for all that attended.
Craig Perks, who has the responsibility on the Board for organizing the Carnival each year, once again put in a huge effort and the Carnival was again a great success.
MGM Limestone from Picton in the south west once again very generously sponsored the Carnival and they have agreed to continue with their sponsorship into 2016.
The Board congratulates all clubs and players that participated in the carnival and the spirit in which all games were played.
One or two clubs have requested that the venue be changed to a venue closer to the city.
Those clubs that attend the Country carnival should be aware that the use of Rushton Park for the country carnival is a year by year proposition and depends entirely on the availability of the venue at any given time.
At the present time there is no known alternative venue that can provide the same facilities as those available at Rushton Park. The Board will be seeking information from the Mandurah Makos Club as to the availability of the venue for 2016 and will advise Country clubs as soon as is possible regarding dates and whether or not the Carnival will be held at that venue in 2016.
NATIONAL ISSUES & ATTENDANCE AT FUTURE NATIONAL CARNIVALS
There is only ever so much time that volunteers can put into the management of a League of this size and in recent years the Board has noted that National issues and in particular the huge amount of organisation that by necessity the Board had to put into our attendance at National Carnivals has proven to be a major distraction. Over recent years some 60% of the Boards time, efforts and energy has gone into the preparation for and attendance at National Carnivals. At the same time the numbers wishing to attend those carnivals has diminished to under 2.4% of those registered with this league.
In May 2015 one of our state coaches advised a meeting of the AFL Masters WA Board that he had been told that if WA did not re-join the AFL Masters Federation in 2015 then no further invitations would be extended to WA to attend National Carnivals. He advised the Board that this information had been relayed directly to him by the AFL Masters Federation General Manager.
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There was nothing new in this. We have received similar offers coupled with the same threat every year since resigning from the National Federation.
In 2011 every AFL Masters WA club voted to resign from the so called National Federation. In large part the clubs were tired of paying National affiliation fees to an Eastern States group that provided nothing other than an end of year carnival that catered for a minority of players and that provided no other benefits to our clubs
Over the entire period since then there has been much communication between both entities throughout which WA has maintained a consistent position – and that is that this state and it clubs have no desire to again affiliate with their group.
The General Manager of the National Federation, fed on information by a disgruntled few in WA, would never accept that our clubs did not wish to affiliate with their group and maintained that it was simply the Board making the decisions without consulting with our clubs.
Every allegation that he has made over the past few years has been incorrect, based on his own belief that he knows what is best for our WA Clubs and calculated to cause disruption in this state.
His most recent attempts at disruption have included him bombarding the Club Presidents with a series emails calculated to interfere with our election process. In doing so he also was grandstanding by forwarding the same emails to all State Presidents of other AFL Masters Leagues throughout Australia as well as anyone else that he thought might serve his cause.
One of those emails contained what was proffered as an offer to this state but in essence no more than a ‘copy and a paste’ of the same offer that we have been receiving for four years and that has been rejected now on three separate occasions by the vast majority of our WA Clubs.
As usual his so called offer comes with a threat – that if this state did not accept the offer then we would not be invited back to participate in any further Carnivals.
As Club Presidents you were also subjected to the sam.rigged emails, which were in lock step with the National General Manager, as well as a myriad of other nonsense from ill-informed people floating about on social media.
This Board decided a long time ago that we do not respond to anonymous emails or those that carry threats and for that reason we ignored them confident that our club Presidents and Committees would see through the rhetoric and mumbo jumbo that they contained.
The proposition put by the Federation was rejected by AFL Masters WA Board as it was not in the overall best interests of this League or its Clubs.
As has been clearly shown in the most recent election our clubs in WA have voted overwhelmingly against his proposition and that the decision made by the Board was resoundingly the decision that our clubs wanted us to make...
When looking at the most recent proposition put by the General Manager of that group the Board decided against accepting it for the following reasons.
It was not an offer it was a threat. It was barely a proposal. This Board does not respond to threats.
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It was vague, lacked any real detail and had insufficient substance to allow any real consideration by the WA Board.
It was not fully costed, and did not stipulate the terms and conditions of the affiliation proposed.
It contained no affiliation agreement or detail that would allow the AFL Masters WA Board to determine the efficacy of the proposed arrangements.
The proposal did not recognise or accept that our National Body is in fact the AFL and that our Primary affiliation is and will remain with them and the West Australian Football Commission.
The National Federation claims they have a ‘formal agreement’ with the AFL. No consideration either could or would be given to the proposal until such time as the group behind it provides to AFL Masters WA a copy of the ‘formal agreement’ they claim to have with the AFL.
Our arrangements with the WAFC are highly contingent on Good Governance No consideration will be given to the proposal unless and until the group behind it were prepared to provide AFL Masters WA with access to the past four years of the accounts and financial arrangements of the Federation they were asking that we join
That no consideration will be given to the proposal until they provide to AFL Masters WA a complete copy of their Governance Policies.
No consideration would be given to the proposal until such time as there is a full disclosure to WA of the affiliation fees that are paid by other states and territories, excluding the cost of insurance.
No consideration would be given to the proposal until such time as there is a full disclosure to WA of the insurance fees that are paid by other states and territories, excluding the cost of affiliation fees.
No consideration could be given to the proposal until such time as this state is provided with definitive information as to what dividends would be returned to the state, when they would be paid, the amounts that would be paid, how often they would be paid and with a full accounting of the conditions attached to such dividends.
No consideration would be given to the proposal until a full and frank disclosure in writing is provided to AFL Masters WA as to what benefits there would be to this state, other than a once per year Carnival, should we again affiliate with the group making the proposal.
No consideration would be given to the proposal until such time as the group behind it provides a full and frank explanation as to just why it is that we should have to pay for affiliation with them to derive no benefit when our current arrangements with the AFL and in particular the WAFC cost us nothing and deliver benefits to this League in cash and kind in excess of $60,000.00 per annum.
No consideration would be given to any proposal from this group until such time as it ceases interfering with this states affairs and election processes.
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At the recent Tasmanian Carnival the group behind the offer demanded the email addresses of WA players that were attending the carnival and threatened that if they did not provide them they would not be allowed to play at the carnival.
A number of those players had never previously provided those email addresses to that group. The WA Board is very interested to know just how it is that following the carnival that email addresses that were provided that group, and to no one else, suddenly started to receive emails from the false email address – [email protected]. when they had never previously done so.
Until such time as a satisfactory explanation as to how that might have occurred is received no further consideration will be given by AFL Masters WA to any proposals from this group.
The National Board seeks to punish WA by charging $8000 in fees to our players over and above the fees that they charge to players from other states to attend the Carnival. They justify this by maintaining that if WA attended and paid the same amount to attend a Carnival then it would be unfair to the other states, because they pay affiliation fees to be a member of the Federation.
This is in the view of the WA Board a clear admission by the National Federation that they have nothing to offer this or any other state, other than a Carnival at the end of each year. If they had any other benefits to offer then their current members would be receiving them for the fees that they pay for affiliation with their group and there would be no reason to charge WA additional fees to attend a carnival other than the normal registration fees paid by the other state players.
The costs of attending Carnivals has become exorbitantly expensive and they are as a result increasingly irrelevant to WA Clubs and Players. It is those spiralling costs to individual players that directly contributes to the deepening lack of interest in National Carnivals amongst our players.
There was an undertaking in the proposition of a Carnival in Western Australia. This is a complete “firfy”.
No carnival will be held in this state that is not run and controlled by AFL Masters WA. To do anything else would be a complete sell out of our clubs and players. AFL Masters WA does not need to be a member of the group making the proposal to either attend or hold Carnivals. If that group is so desirous of WA attending carnivals then it is simple – invite us with no strings attached.
By the same token WA does not need to be a member of that group to host a carnival in WA and we have made it very clear that that we are quite willing to do so. The only condition that we place on it is that WA organises and runs it in total with all profit from the carnival being retained for the overall benefit of our member clubs in this League.
I could go on but will not.
This Board has decided that it would be far more productive for our game in this state that the time and effort that has otherwise been spent on preparations for a National Carnival would be better spent on our state based competition with solid programs to support both our Metropolitan and Country clubs alike and to ensure that our own League remains well funded, is managed properly, maintains solid growth and remains a viable proposition well into the future.
That decision has been overwhelmingly supported by the vast majority of WA Clubs in the election just passed. 32
STATE GAMES
During the year the AFL Masters WA Board entered into negotiation with the WAFC and PSM (Perth Stadium Management) the arm of the WAFC that manages Domain Stadium.
Those negotiations resulted in AFL Masters WA being granted the use of Domain Stadium to stage interstate Masters Football games on selected Saturday’s during the forthcoming 2016 AFL season when no AFL Games are being played at that venue and when it does not interfere with the normal scheduling of AFL games at the Stadium.
The Board views the offer as an opportunity to provide an opportunity for players to represent their state at very little cost and to play on what is an iconic AFL Stadium.
Invitations have been extended to two states to come to WA with sides in all age groups for games against our state sides. One of those states has advised that they are unable to do so in 2016 but they remain interested in future years. The other is considering a proposal that has been put to them by this state and we shortly hope to have an answer as to whether they are able to accept the invitation for 2016.
Should they accept, all clubs and players will be notified accordingly.
CONCLUSIONS
2015 in all respects was a successful year for AFL Masters WA and our game continued to grow and expand making it available many more players.
We have maintained and grown our close working relationship with the Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC). Representatives from the AFL Masters WA Board meet regularly with the Commission to discuss issues of mutual interest and benefit and meetings have also been held during the year with our National Body, the AFL, for the same purpose.
AFL Masters WA has maintained its level of funding from the WAFC despite severe budget cuts at the end of last season. AFL Masters WA was one of only two affiliates that did not receive cuts to funding and this is largely because we remain a growing League with continued potential for further growth both in the Metropolitan area and the Regions.
In the 2014 Presidents Report I advised that many might not realize it but our funding and other benefits that we derive form the Commission is very directly tied to the two AFL Licenses held by the Commission and the profits that are generated by the Commission from their management of Domain Stadium.
Every year the Commission has been returning around $15 million dollars to Community football in this state. We directly benefit from this.
The WAFC, in conjunction with other partners, is one of three groups that has put proposals to the WA Government that relate to management of the new Perth Stadium
As at the time of this writing the WA Government has not yet made a decision as to just which group
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will be granted that right and this leaves all Community leagues in this state with great uncertainty as to just what funding arrangements might be in the future.
We are kept appraised of the progress of the WAFC negotiations with the Government but as no decision has yet been made by the Government there was nothing further during the year that we could report to our clubs relating to the outcome of those negotiations.
Your Board has, in light of that situation, been planning for all possible outcomes. During the year a submission was prepared and forwarded to all members of the WAFC Finance Committee. That submission outlined the history of this League, its progress over the years and its huge growth over the last few years.
Several proposals were made in that document by AFL Masters WA relating to the future funding of football in this state. The document took some effort to prepare and was contributed to by every member of the AFL Masters WA Board.
The submission looked at all aspects of the way in which funding was apportioned between leagues in this state and requested that the Commission review the way that current funding was allocated. That submission was comprehensive, and included information relating to every area in which AFL Masters is played in WA.
The submission was a very well received by the WAFC and in recent meetings with the WAFC Chief Executive Officer an undertaking was given that a full review will be undertaken in 2016 of the way in which funds available to Community Football are to be distributed in the future. The Board is confident that this should result in a greater share of that pie being distributed to AFL Masters WA in order to assist with the continued strong growth of our game.
As and when the Board becomes aware of further developments in this regard we will keep clubs and their committees informed.
The AFL Masters WA Board is acutely aware that without all the volunteers that work within our clubs at every level, be that as a President, a Committee member, a coach, a strapper or water boy that our League would be so much the poorer without them.
The dedication and commitment of our club volunteers forms the backbone of our competition. They are the ones that give up their time with what can at times be thankless tasks of organizing their clubs for fixtures and making sure that everything runs smoothly each time their club is required to play in a fixture.
This applies even more in the Regions were some of our clubs have to travel hundreds of kilometers just to play a single game of football and where the logistics around such games can be very daunting indeed.
On behalf of all the members of the AFL Masters WA Board I would like to thank all Presidents, Committees and volunteers that regularly give up their valuable time, week in and week out, to run our clubs, organise games and players, run water, coach sides and administer first aid. Our game simply could not exist without you.
Once again on behalf of all of the current members of the AFL Masters WA Board I extend our collective gratitude to all member clubs, both Metropolitan and also those in the Regions, for the
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courteous and productive way in which you have all worked with and supported the Board throughout season 2015.
The management of a League of this size, particularly with the resources that are available to us, is a never ending task which is made all that easier by the f a n t a s t i c commitment, goodwill and co- operation that we received from the Club Presidents, Committees and their respective volunteers throughout 2015.
We have a lot to be proud of in Western Australia. AFL Masters WA is a very strong and independent League with strategic affiliations with the WAFC and the AFL as its National Body. All of our clubs both new and old, should take great pride in what has been achieved thus far.
The carnivals that were held by our clubs throughout the year all received good comments from the clubs attending and the Board congratulates all those Clubs that took on the responsibility of staging carnivals. They were all of a good standard and enjoyed by those that attended.
Every year we remind Club presidents and committees that if there is change to you club or committee personnel then you need to go onto your website and open up your Club page and make any necessary changes to your Committee on that page particularly email addresses. This is vitally important as it is the way in which the Board is able to provide you with informational to keep you up to date with developments that are important to your club.
On behalf of the AFL Masters WA Board I wish you all and your families the very best for the holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 promises to be an exciting year for AFL Masters in Western Australia and we look forward to working with you all throughout the season.
Kindest Regards
Robert Smith President AFL Masters Western Australia
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ANNEXURE 2
4th December 2015
AFL MASTERS WA FOOTBALL AFFAIRS REPORT – SEASON 2015
Masters football in WA is strong and vibrant and continues to go from strength to strength. UMPIRING From my perspective, the umpiring standard continued to be good in season 2015 principally for the following reasons: My decision to not permit new umpires to officiate in fixtures until they had received their Stage 1 on-line theory Certificate. This ensured that all potential umpires at least understood the theory before undertaking any practical experience
Pairing of new umpires with experienced umpires such that on field support was on hand for newer umpires
A solid carry-over of umpires from the 2014 season which gave us a solid base from which to launch 2015. A lot of these umpires were appropriately accredited and were experienced in the rules of our game I believe most Clubs and their players are, in the main, appreciative of the efforts made by umpires, notwithstanding that we all make mistakes at times. The directive to umpires and all clubs that existed for all of the 2015 season will continue into the 2016 season and I encourage all clubs to actively promote these directives continuously throughout the 2016 season. The only negative to the season was the large number of red and yellow cards issued, a significant number of which were for umpire abuse and dissent. I encourage all clubs to undertake an internal message program reminding all players that this behaviour and conduct is totally unacceptable. Let me take this opportunity to thank all umpires who pulled on the green shirt and officiated in games during the season. In addition, a huge thanks to those clubs who nominated and provided umpires for the 2015 season. Those clubs that did not provide umpires during the last season, will be expected to provide umpires for 2016 to ensure appropriate standards are maintained. Finally, a significant vote of thanks to Seth Bolas for all of the work that he did arranging umpires for each fixture; and huge thanks to Johnny Manuel for his assistance and support during the season. The arranging of umpires is not always straight forward and without the efforts of these guys games would not operate as smoothly as they do. FIXTURES The production of the fixtures is a difficult task compounded by the (sometimes) unrealistic expectations of clubs only interested in their own needs and circumstances. A lot of thought is put into all fixtures including travel expected of clubs, making sure there are limited double up fixtures during the season, making allowances for times of games where clubs have more than 1 team and so on. It was agreed with all clubs prior to the 2015 fixturing that all seniors games would be the first games played at all fixtures, principally because it was advised that a large number of supers/masters players were unable to make early games because of clashes with their kids sporting requirements. I believe that this was a successful innovation that will be repeated in 2016. I have received some comments from clubs on fixturing matters that will be given due consideration when preparing the fixtures for the 2016 season.
Greg Nairn Director – Football Affairs AFL Masters Western Australia