ANNUAL REPORT 2014 COVER: The year that was - Season 2014. Photos by Darrell Jones and Raelene Clinch. INSIDE FRONT COVER: Tim Watson and the 7NEWS helicopter touch down at Avalon Airport Oval with the Premiership trophy ahead of the Division One Senior Grand Final. Photo: Darrell Jones. 2 WRFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 CONTENTS Page 2: President’s Report Page 4: CEO’s Report Page 6: Football Operations Report Page 8: Club Development Report Page 10: President & CEO History Page 11: Director of Umpiring Report Page 12: Tribunal Report Page 13: Media Report Page 14: Division One Team of the Year Page 15: Division Two/Three Team of the Year Page 16: Division One Competitions Page 19: Division Two Competitions Page 22: Division Three Competitions Page 24: Representative Football Page 26: Western Region Map Page 28: Junior Ladders Page 29: Junior Grand Final Results Page 30: Junior Premiers Page 36: Youth Girls Page 37: League Best and Fairest Winners Page 38: Best and Fairest History Page 42: League Awards Page 44: WRFL Life Members Page 45: Finance Report Page 52: Our People WRFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 1 PRESIDENT Bruce Mildenhall It has been a great pleasure to preside over the year in 2014. Succeeding The Council has also been briefed on AFL Victoria’s “player payments” Bill Baarini in late 2013 was a relatively smooth transition as he had left the initiative, aimed at addressing the community football wide issue of growing Presidency with a strong sense of strategic direction and a united board. player payments, which threaten the fi nancial sustainability and evenness of competitions across the state. It is likely new measures will be introduced on a Bill had also managed a series of major reforms that have created a new level trial basis in 2015, with full implementation in 2016. The WRFL Board will be of professionalism in the League administration. The new headquarters, new keen to participate in the trial stage and contribute to the development of a robust CEO, an independent governance model, and refreshed Board were signifi cant plan for full implementation. achievements. This has resulted in an improved profi le and fi nancial performance for the WRFL, and four additional senior clubs joining the League in 2013 and The 2014 WRFL season itself was spectacular, with the combination of the 2014. dominant performance of Deer Park in Division One; the long sought fl ag in The growth in the number of senior clubs has allowed the League to address one Second Division for Parkside; and the nail biting victory for Braybrook in the newly of the major outstanding issues – the competitive balance within the competition. created Third Division. Congratulations to the teams, offi cials and volunteers of The WRFL has one of the largest average winning margins in community football. the Premiers in these divisions, and to those in all of our age groups! Our game The introduction of a third division during 2014 was a response to these concerns and competition represent the combined efforts and support of tens of thousands and appears to have made a signifi cant difference. of people in Melbourne’s West. Our community is signifi cantly strengthened by young people playing together, volunteers and players working together, With the likelihood of additional growth in club numbers over the next few years, and family members supporting and helping them. The benefi t should not be the Board is confi dent it can make further progress on the issue of competitive underestimated. balance. In fact, the value of community football has recently been measured in a LaTrobe During 2014 the WRFL has participated in the work of the AFL Victoria Western University Centre for Sport and Social Impact study. It found the average and North West Development Council. The Council is chaired by Western community football club makes an annual economic contribution of $630,000. Bulldogs President Peter Gordon and includes the Essendon District Football Perhaps more importantly, players are more socially connected than the average League, AFL Victoria and ourselves. It represents a major effort to identify joint Victorian of their age group and more likely to obtain employment from the social projects to further develop community football in our respective areas. It had networks provided by their club. been prompted by a research report that showed participation in AFL football has not been growing at the same rate as population growth in the developing The study also showed football players enjoyed a signifi cantly higher level of self areas of Melbourne’s West and North West. The AFL Commission has identifi ed reported physical and mental health than the general population, especially in Melbourne’s West as one of its three key areas across Australia for strategic the ‘at risk’ age group of 18 – 24 years. On average, for every player another 10 attention. people are involved or reached in their respective communities. So football is not only big business, it contributes a substantial benefi t to the wellbeing of our The Council is working on ways of providing more opportunity for children to community. experience football and to better integrate the efforts of all the bodies involved, including clubs, the AFL, schools, Auskick, and AFL player visits. I am confi dent Finally, I thank my fellow Board members and staff of the League. The Board has that additional resources will be found in response to the Council’s work and that again recruited well, with Scott Chapman, Meredith Angwin, Paul Robinson and new partnerships will be created to increase participation in football. Ross Williamson joining our ranks. 2 WRFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Scott Chapman is the current CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Victoria). He has a strong background in senior management roles in local government and sport. Scott facilitated the workshops for our 2010 and 2014 strategic plans and adds signifi cantly to the acumen of the Board. Meredith Angwin has a unique pedigree steeped in WRFL history. Father Ron (dec.) served as President of the FDFL for 11 years, while mum Thelma served as Treasurer for 10 years – both were awarded life membership of the League. Meredith has extensive experience both in Australia and overseas in senior consulting roles for some of the world’s largest corporations and has recently joined multinational professional services fi rm Ernst & Young as Partner - Advisory. Top Row L-R: Bruce Mildenhall, Terry McGarity, Barry Lovell, Bill Baarini, Dominic Drenen Bottom Row L-R: Gina Smith, Meredith Angwin, Scott Chapman, Ross Williamson, Paul Robinson Paul Robinson brings a blend of football administration experience and business skills to his role as a WRFL Director. He served as President of Altona Juniors Football Club for many years and is Deputy Chairman of the WRFL Juniors Sports Minister Justin Madden; Terry McGarrity – WRFL legend who has played, Board. He is a director of an engineering and mechanical testing company and a coached and umpired at the highest level; Dominic Drenen; our Treasurer and CEO passionate North Melbourne AFL club supporter. of an energy retailer; and Gina Smith; - a widely experienced sports administrator and offi cial. Ross Williamson is the General Manager of the popular South Melbourne Market. He has a Masters Degree in Sport and Recreation Management and extensive Thanks also to CEO Bob Tregear, Football Operations Manager Dave Newton, Club experience in senior management roles in sports as diverse as golf and swimming. Development Offi cer Tim Shellcot, Media and Communications Offi cer Kirstie Ross worked in a senior sports and recreation planning role with Sport & Fitzgerald, Events and Admin Lyn McLeod, Accounts Kristy Vidovic - our permanent Recreation Victoria after migrating from Scotland in 1989. staff. Thanks also to the range of specialists and partners who bring the game to us – from Stephen ‘Boppo’ Smith and Peter Harley in the offi ce, to media identity The new members complement the Board with a strong combination of sports Kevin Hillier, caller Louis Bulzomi, ‘Mr Interleague’ Steve Thom, statistics guru administration experience, club backgrounds, and diversity of skills. The existing Andrew Muscat, and a host of others who bring this terrifi c game to us every week. members; Bill Baarini – a lawyer with wide experience in the courts, unions and former Mayor of Hobson’s Bay; Barry Lovell – an experienced sports, state Bruce Mildenhall President government and local government administrator and former Chief of Staff to The crowd is silent as the national anthem is sung before the Division One Senior Grand Final. Photo: Darrell Jones WRFL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Bob Tregear The value of strategic planning is nowhere more visible than in the advances Another important achievement from the 2010 Strategic Plan has been a near made by the Western Region Football League in recent years. The 2010 strategic trebling of umpire numbers over the past fi ve seasons. With more than 320 planning process that involved a wide range of club, umpiring and administration active umpires now registered, our attention is turning to quality improvement and stakeholders in setting a new direction for the WRFL and its member clubs retention. A second umpire training base was established this year at Saltwater continues to bear fruit. Development of new clubs; return to the fold of Reserve, Point Cook. Almost 60% of our umpires are under 18 years of age; a established clubs; massive increase in umpire numbers; and a clear focus on similar proportion lives in the Wyndham and Hobsons Bay local government areas. quality service to all member clubs are just some of the many indicators of recent A training base closer to home than the long-serving Scovell Reserve (Maidstone) success.