STRATEGIC PLAN 2020-2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

This strategic plan has been developed through consultation with representatives of the current member states of Gridiron Australia in conjunction with the board of directors. It is the hope that this document will provide some clarity on the direction of Gridiron Australia as the peak body for American Football in Australia over the next five years. 1 INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF THE SPORT

1 HISTORY OF THE SPORT American Football commenced in Australia in In November 1989, the Grand Prix Challenge 1979 with the formation of the Waverly Oval was held in Adelaide, a four-way competition Raiders. The Waverly Oval raiders were started involving Victoria, South Australia, Western by Stephen Jones with school and work mates. Australia and New South Wales. New South Wales went on to win the Challenge. In 1983 Teams from both New South Wales and 3 OUR VISION Victoria started to form and play each other in In 1990 the Down Under Bowl concept arrived a social competition. in Australia and is still going strong. Each year individual American States are invited to field In early 1984 an advertisement was placed over High School all-star teams, travel to Australia a Sydney radio station advertising for American and spread the growth of the game down under. football enthusiasts to assemble. The response Games are played against local Australian 3 OUR MISSION was remarkable and seven teams formed in teams and between US teams. These games Sydney teams comprising enthusiastic amateurs are run by International Sports Specialists Inc. who had been throwing the ball around on (ISSI), a company based in Utah, USA. 1998 saw Sunday afternoons were formed. the most successful year yet with 36 teams travelling to the Gold Coast in Queensland to The first season saw all games being played at a compete in the Down Under Bowl. 4 GRIDIRON AUSTRALIA disused rubbish tip. There were no goal posts, GAME PLAN no medical supervision and no insurance. The Trans-Tasman competition came to Melbourne early pioneers did not wear helmets but found in January 1991 when Victoria played the kick boxing protective headgear useful. visiting South Auckland Raiders from New Zealand, finishing in a thrilling 19-19 draw. 1984 also saw the first interstate clash when a team from Melbourne travelled to Sydney A series of interstate Bowl games were to be 6 OUR PILLARS to play. NSW won the match 30-7. American played between all major States in October/ Football had arrived in Australia. November 1991. The Victorians were rewarded with a good win. Fred and Melba Burson were the first people that imported football equipment into Australia The following week saw the NSW state team to use. They also did things like bring coaches go down to the Victorian Eagles at Olympic 7 CONCLUSION out from the University of Hawaii for clinics Park. This left Victoria as the National State at their own expense. Luckily for Gridiron in Champions for 1991. Australia Fred had the money to actually have the equipment on stock in Australia. Their The National Gridiron League of Australia efforts helped lay the foundation for the sport (NGLA) was formed in January 1991 “to govern to develop in Australia so that other leagues and promote American football on the national could start up around the country. level and to represent Australian gridiron on the international scene.” Also in 1984 the Australian American Football Conference was founded (later renamed the Gridiron Australia (GA) was formed in 1994, Australian American Football League). with the aim of replacing the old National Gridiron League of Australia.

1 AMERICAN FOOTBALL- THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

By 1995 American football was being played in also planned. Australia also participated in the every State and Territory in Australia, a total inaugural World Cup, to be held in Italy in June of approximately 100 teams. 1999. 3512 MEMBERS 226 COACHES OVER 70 TEAMS In 1995 Darren Bennett became the third In May 1998, the AAFL was dissolved, with Australian to play in the NFL when he was Gridiron Australia becoming the only National selected as the punter for the San Diego body involved in the management of Gridiron Chargers. The first Australian to play in the NFL matters in Australia. was Colin Ridgeway, who played Aussie Rules for Carlton in the 1960’s before being picked There are currently six active member states up by the Dallas Cowboys as a punter. After and one affiliated body – Australian Capital him came Colin Scotts, who went to college in Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Hawaii before being drafted to play with the Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, and Phoenix Cardinals and then the Houston Oilers the Australian Gridiron Officials Association. in the middle to late 1980’s. 394 VOLUNTEERS SIX ACTIVE MEMBER STATES 59 OFFICIALS Gridiron Australia is a member of the ONE AFFILIATED BODY Gridiron Australia’s First National Championships International Federation of American Football were held in the national’s capital, Canberra, (IFAF).. in January 1996. Both senior and junior teams from New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and The Australian Gridiron League is a national South Australia attended. South Australia won tournament run by Gridiron Australia. The the Senior Championship 34-0 and New South event is held biennially. The event consists of Wales won the Junior Championship 12-8. Men’s and Women’s games and is held in either OUR MISSION a fly in fly out - home and away format or an In 1996 24 US teams toured Australia and New in-camp tournament, pending the members’ Be the dynamic and innovative leader of gridiron in Australia. Engage, support and inform all Zealand as part of Down Under Bowl VIII. Both preference.The Junior Nationals is an in-camp gridiron stakeholders. Raise the profile and standing of and participation in gridiron. Support Victoria and South Australia recorded wins over tournament held biennially for under-19s. US teams. The Outback Gridiron Team is the Australian and deliver quality competitive and recreational gridiron opportunities locally, nationally and In 1997 the Australia Day Championships were Representative Team which competes every internationally. held in Sydney, with Queensland taking the four years in the International Federation of Championship. American Football World Cup.

In 1997 Australia resumed its international The IFAF 2015 World Cup was Australia’s most campaign, against New Zealand. On 1 August successful to date with Australia finishing 5th. 1997, the Australian Bushrangers played the The next World Cup is slated for 2023. OUR VISION New Zealand Haka in Auckland, New Zealand. The game, the inaugural Anzac Bowl, was a The Women’s Outback Team compete every Providing exciting competitive and recreational opportunities to a rapidly expanding and great success. four years in the IFAF Women’s World Cup. Australia attended for the first time in 2017 diverse membership and to communities across Australia. On 7 January, the Australian American Football and will attend for a second time in 2021. League (AAFL) was formed. On 31 January 1998, the Bushrangers played Team Hawaii in The Junior Outback Team competes every 2 Honolulu during the National Football League’s years to attend the IFAF Junior World Cup. The Pro Bowl week. Trips to Europe and Japan are next world cup is slated 2020.

2 3 OUR GAME PLAN

HOW WE PLAY STAKEHOLDERS PILLARS SCORECARD Players Communication Communication Football Operations Annual marketing plan overnance Access to representative G Governance Member survey results Promotion robust governance football and elite pathways Emerging Programs 5,000 Members by 2022 practices at club state and national levels Coaches Football Operations Access to learning and National Coaching framework development National tournaments Respect National Coaching Conference Respect for all stakeholders Volunteers PROGRAMS Outback Outreach Camps through education and Encouragement of behaviour participation National Competitions Australian Gridiron League Governance (AGL) Review and update GA Officials (AGOA) policies pportunity Women’s Australian Gridiron O Access to learning and Transparency with member Opportunity for all to League (WAGL) development states participate in the sport and U19 Nationals Maintain national recognition provision of elite pathways State Bodies National Teams by the Australian Sports Support through Commission governance and national (Outback) Working Together programs Women’s Championships Emerging Programs World Qualifiers Cooperation and for the Development of programs Development Tours betterment of the game. ASC which appeal to all age Governance & source of groups support Skill Development Providing leagues and clubs National Coaching with tools to administer these Framework programs National Officials Framework Enhance Non-player capacity Outback Outreach program opportunities National Coaching Conference

6 4 5 OUR PILLARS

COMMUNICATION FOOTBALL OPERATIONS GOVERNANCE EMERGING PROGRAMS

We will provide robust We will support and deliver modern We will promote robust We will develop national communication channels to coaching and officiating development governance practices at programs that will encourage engage our members and other systems to give our members the club, state and national level and support the participation stakeholders. We will promote our best quality of training available for through education and policy and retention of members, giving access to the sport for great sport to all Australian’s so the sport. development. We will ensure that the presence of Gridiron is that our sport maintains the a wider demographic through known across the country. specifications set out by the variants of the sport. Australian Sports Commission. KEY STRATEGIES • Develop and implement a modern KEY STRATEGIES KEY STRATEGIES KEY STRATEGIES •Engaged membership base through Coaching Accreditation process • Making gridiron accessible to a wider • Allocate resources to develop •Annual Review and update of Gridiron transparent communication Australia policies demographic by developing variants of •Increased communication with Officials across the country the game (Youth/ Flag Football) • Deliver elite coaching exposure to •Nationally shared financial outcomes external stakeholders such and aligned financial systems that allow • Supporting current state leagues as government agencies, sponsors the player’s doorstep through the and clubs so that they can offer more Outback Outreach program a whole-of-sport financial overview and the community to support transparency, viability and programs to prospective members •Resources allocated to the active • Quality National tournaments are • Creating a framework which delivered sustainability promotion of Gridiron in Australia •Systems that allow for the creation of encourages members to stay actively •Digital rebranding and an overarching commercial framework involved in Gridiron after they stop asset consolidation •Education programs for SSOs and Clubs playing •Transparency through correct and •Develop National Working with PERFORMANCE MEASURES reliable communication channels Children register, anti-doping • National Coaching Accreditation education program and concussion framework rollout policy PERFORMANCE MEASURES • Investment in AGOA officiating • The development of programs which PERFORMANCE MEASURES programs appeal to all age groups from young • Financial allocation to PERFORMANCE MEASURES • Increased participation and children through senior adults advertising in yearly budgets • Annual review of all GA Policies gameplay quality at National • Providing leagues and clubs with • Development of annual • Transparency with tournaments tools to administer flag, youth marketing plan member states • Successful hosting of a National contact, junior, senior programs • Regular reporting accessible • Maintain national recognition Coaching Conference • Creating attractive opportunities for to all members and the public by the Australian Sports • Outback Outreach Camp those who wish to get involved in a • Member survey results Commission non-player capacity • 5,000 Members by 2022 Coaching Conference • Outback Outreach Camp

6 7 CONCLUSION

This sport can positively influence so many people and has perhaps one of the highest ceilings in the sporting world in terms of pathway opportunities. Few other sports can provide this.

It is time to band together as a community and finally realise the potential this sport has. A call-to-arms is being made by the board of Gridiron Australia for all current members to positively contribute towards the future.

• Put the future and growth of the sport as your personal priority • Approach your nearest club or league association • Volunteer your time or resources • Engage others and contribute in any way possible towards #GROWTHEGAME

8