AFL Goldfields STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 – 2018 inclusive. Author: AFL Goldfields Commission Date: June 2014 Version: FINAL 2 | P a g e Tuesday, 4 February 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Background Information .............................................................................. 5 2.1 AFL Structure ........................................................................................... 5 2.2 Review into Country Football ................................................................... 5 2.3 Creation of AFL Goldfields ...................................................................... 7 2.4 Key Findings of Situation Analysis ......................................................... 10 3.0 Overview of AFL Goldfields ........................................................................... 12 3.1 Map of AFL Goldfields ........................................................................... 13 3.2 AFL Goldfields – League Overview ............................................................ 14 3.2.1 Ballarat FNL ......................................................................................... 14 3.2.2 Central Highlands FL ........................................................................... 16 3.2.3 Maryborough Castlemaine District FNL ............................................. 17 3.2.4 Riddell District FNL ............................................................................. 19 3.2.5 Summary of Participation in AFL Goldfields Region ......................... 20 3.3 AFL Goldfields – Regional Administration Centre .................................... 21 4.0 Economic Value of AFL Goldfields ................................................................ 22 4.1 Contribution by expenditure classification ............................................ 23 5.0 AFL Goldfields Mission & Vision .............................................................. 25 5.1 AFL Goldfields Mission ............................................................................... 25 5.2 AFL Goldfields Vision ................................................................................. 25 6.0 Our Principles ............................................................................................. 25 7.0 AFL Game Development Objectives & Development Pillars ................... 26 8.0 AFL Goldfields Strategic Objectives .............................................................. 28 8.1 Key Objective Explanations .................................................................... 28 8.2 Strategic Objective’s ............................................................................... 30 9.0 Action Plan ...................................................................................................... 43 9.1 2014 Action Plan to support Strategic Plan ........................................... 43 9.2 2015 & 2016 Action Items to support Strategic Plan ............................ 44 9.2.1 2015 Action Plan .................................................................................. 45 9.2.2 2016 Action Plan .................................................................................. 46 AFL Goldfields Strategic Plan: 2014 – 2018 inclusive 2 3 | P a g e Tuesday, 4 February 2014 1.0 Introduction AFL Goldfields is delighted to present this Strategic Plan to the members of AFL Goldfields, and to provide this information to all partners, stakeholders and lovers of our “nation game” in the region. AFL Goldfields is responsible for overseeing the governance of football in the Goldfields Region, which includes the following football & netball leagues: o Ballarat Football and Netball League o Ballarat FL Junior Football and Netball League o Central Highlands Football League 1 o Maryborough Castlemaine District Football and Netball League o Ballarat Youth Girls FL o Ballarat Football Umpires Association The AFL Goldfields Region is also responsible for the administration and management of the Riddell District Football and Netball League, however the RDFNL is not an affiliated member of the AFL Goldfields Commission and is responsible for its own governance. In total, this encompasses some 64 Clubs, 704 football & netball sides and approximately 15,000 registered players. Annual attendances across the entirely of the fixtures across the region is estimated at in excess of approximately 800,000. An independent assessment by Street Ryan in 2012 estimated that the economic value of football/netball in the Goldfields Region was $35.5 million. But the value of football and netball to the region should be considered in far more than economic terms. In our opinion the “Footy & Netball Club” is in most cases the biggest service club in town, and it provides a source of local pride, meaning and relevance to hundreds of thousands of Victorians. The “Club” is a meeting place, and provides a venue for fun and entertainment. It teaches family and community values. It provides a continuity of tradition and history. Being part of a footy club teaches specific football skills but also life skills and in turn self-esteem and worth amongst individuals. It promotes participation, which in turn promotes health and fitness, and as outlined it provides an economic boost through direct and indirect spending. Going to “the footy” is about recognizing the sense of community and seeing the value of sport, namely football and netball, to the social well-being of regional Victoria. It’s about seeing the value of a sporting club to the 1 Note that the Central Highlands FL is affiliated with AFL Goldfields. The Central Highlands Netball League is a separately incorporated body and operates independently of the CHFL, and is not affiliated with AFL Goldfields. AFL Goldfields Strategic Plan: 2014 – 2018 inclusive 3 4 | P a g e Tuesday, 4 February 2014 community as generally 25 - 40 volunteers are involved in Club activities each week. The AFL Goldfields Commission accepts as its responsibility the objective of growing this wonderful game in our region. Former AFL Chairman Ron Evans (dec) has famously said that the aim of the game should be: “Ultimate competition on the field, Ultimate collaboration off it” Although some collaboration in the region has existed in the past, it is quite evident that greater collaboration is required to ensure the sustainability and growth of Football, Netball and umpiring in the region. Most of the leagues and associations have a long history and although support a regional approach to grow the game, there is some resistance through ownership of their ‘product’ and is mainly based around operational delivery. Netball is critically important to the structure of the leagues and greater collaboration is needed within leagues and across the region as a whole as well with the state body. Development has been limited due to resources in the past, both at club level and other game development areas such as umpires, schools, recreational football and Auskick. Some key recommendations that have been presented in this report include: • More strategic focus needed • Relationship building between all stakeholders • Ensure greater access to resources for stakeholders • Set up RAC to service all affiliates in a professional manner • Deliver development programs to support growth • Adopt Regional Strategic Plan It is the aim of the AFL Goldfields Commission to work towards these goals, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders in the region to deliver this vision, and to continuing to grow and support the game in the AFL Goldfields Region. Thanks to all who have contributed to this plan. Tim Bunning Chairman AFL Goldfields Commission Chairman AFL Goldfields Strategic Plan: 2014 – 2018 inclusive 4 5 | P a g e Tuesday, 4 February 2014 2.0 Background Information 2.1 AFL Structure The AFL Commission is the official governing body of the Australian Football League (AFL), the elite national Australian rules football competition. Further, and importantly in the context of this report, the AFL is responsible for the national governance of AFL football at all levels as the sports national government body, the controlling body of the “Laws of the Game” and generally as the “keeper of the code”. As the sport's governing body, the AFL also delegates governance to various state bodies, and importantly provides significant development funding to these bodies. In Victoria, the AFL has delegated responsibly for governing and overseeing the game (outside of the AFL competition clubs) to AFL Victoria. Under AFL Victoria’s jurisdiction fall there is 115 leagues, including the Victorian Football League, the Victorian Amateur Football Association, all local metropolitan and country leagues, and 1,942 clubs, (not including the AFL clubs) and various development, coaching, and umpiring bodies 2.2 Review into Country Football In 2012 the AFL, AFL Victoria and the VCFL conducted a review into the structure of country football. This review identified that irrespective of how the VCFL or AFL Victoria were seen to be operating now, country football needed a change of governance structures to provide greater strategic focus, more effective decision- making at a regional level and an investment in resources directly in regions. Subsequently, one of the recommendations was to establish local regional commissions who had authority to make independent and local decisions. The intention in establishing this Commission is to ensure