“... to enhance regional communities through having professionally run football competitions where participants are able to develop within a team in a safe, well governed and successfully administered environment” WEST AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2014 annual rePort contents President’s Report 03 2014 WA New Holland State Country Team 16 Landmark 40 Year Anniversary 04 WA Country Week 50 Year All Stars 17 WA Country Week 50 Year All Stars 04 2014 WACFL Results 18 The Executive and Staff 05 2014 AFL Players List 20 General Manager's Report 07 2014 AFL Draftees 21 Umpire Manager's Report 08 2014 Landmark Country All Stars 21 1 General Manager Pathways and 2014 CBH Country Colts All Stars 21 Competitions' Report 11 2014 Landmark Country Football Champions 21 WACFL ANNUAL RE Honorary Life Members and Joint Patrons 12 Country Football Championship Records 22 2014 Highlights 13 2014 Awards 23 WACFL Executive 14 2014 Merit Awards for Service 24 WACFL Staff and Office Bearers 15 Financial Report 25 P THE WEST AUSTRALIANTHE COUNTRY WEST AUS FOOTBALLTRALI LEAGUEAN COUN IS FORTUNATETRY FOOT TOBA HAVELL LE THEAGUE COMMITMENT IS FORTUN OFAT THEE T FOLLOWINGO HAVE T HE COMMIORT TMENT COMPANIES FOR 2014O FAND THE THANKS FOLLO THEMWING FOR C THEIROMP ASUPPORT.NIES FOR 2013 AND THANKS THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT. PREMIER PREMIER PARTNERS PARTNERS MAJOR MAJOR PARTNERS PARTNERS SPONSORS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS WACFL SUPPORTS 2 WACFL ANNUAL REPORT PRESIDENT’S REPORT On a state-wide level, there continues to be some uncertainty The future of representative football continues to be a around the structures of football heading into the future as contentious issue on a national level with WA one of the few negotiations around the new Perth Stadium look set to come states still supportive of carnival football. Unfortunately, with to a pointy end in 2015. It is critical that the West Australian changing structures of how football in other states is being Football Commission continues to negotiate in the best managed, representative football for senior competitions interests of football as revenue they currently generate from is something that has fallen by the wayside, which I feel is managing Patersons Stadium is used to support the WACFL extremely disappointing. We continue to develop our relationship and regional development staff and structures. with the SACFL and look forward to hosting their state side in WA in 2015. The WACFL is affiliated with the WAFC and we continue to support the WAFC and Chief Executive Gary Walton as they In 2014 country football saw the passing of Colin Philpott, an work through these complicated negotiations with the State individual who was critical to the establishment of the Country Government. Week Championships, for which we will be forever grateful. Country Football as a whole has certainly been surrounded by The executive continues to be very proud of our small but uncertainty, as in the country so much is dependent on areas dedicated team of staff and welcomed the addition of Shaun often out of our control such as the impacts of the mining and Jasper in 2014. Having a steady foundation to manage our agricultural industries. The WACFL’s strategy around dealing operations is certainly advantageous to our executive and with uncertainty is to ensure we have our own house in the stakeholders and we hope that continues in 2015. 3 best possible order to be in a position to cope with future uncertainties. In 2014 we saw two long serving members depart our executive in Catherine VanderWeide and Michael Kain. This year we will WACFL ANNUAL RE Football (as with a number of industries) is currently going also say goodbye to Graeme ‘Charlie’ Young and Peter Sheridan through an evaluation phase whereby we analyse exactly what who have both decided to retire from the executive. We thank we deliver and how it is delivered. Across the state football the above four for their services to country football and certainly has experienced tremendous growth in participation over hope they continue to support country football, as I’m sure they the past decade whilst, unfortunately, the economic factors will. behind football have been somewhat diminished. The executive continues to evaluate our financial model and the programs we With executive members leaving it opens up opportunities for deliver as we strive to become more efficient. new board members with some new ideas and Colin Cox and Ken Rowe have both been solid contributors to the executive’s P I’m pleased to report that in 2014 we released our three activities in the previous 12 months. ORT year strategic plan which has already produced vast improvements in how our executive functions by giving us I’d like to thank the 25 Leagues within the WACFL network for and our stakeholders a shared vision, “To enhance regional their continued support of the WACFL and hope we can continue communities through having professionally run football to carry out our vision in 2015. competitions where participants are able to develop within a team in a safe, well governed and successfully administered environment”. One of the major challenges facing the WACFL will be to ensure our stakeholders continue to have a voice and are represented as the WAFC negotiates through the challenging times with key stakeholders such as the State Government and the AFL. For Country Football to remain strong we need to ensure we have positive relationships with these bodies for the Terry House betterment of our stakeholders. PresiDent WACFL Landmark WA Country 40 Year Week 50 Year Anniversary All Stars 2014 marked the fortieth year that Landmark (formerly At the commencement of 2014, WACFL set about trying to Wesfarmers) has sponsored the WACFL and Country select a team that composed the ‘best players’ that had ever Week. This would have to be one of the longest continual played at Country Week, not an easy task. sponsorships of sport in Australia. Four selectors were chosen to put the side together and One of the great things about our relationship is that, through included WACFL President Terry House, John Ditchburn (Peel working together, there is mutual benefit for both parties. Thunder President), Darrell Panizza (Claremont Legend) There is a strong understanding at Landmark that Country and Cameron Knapton (WAFL Manager). All selectors have Football plays a critical role in keeping young people in a thorough background and involvement in country football regional areas. over a number of years. In April 2014, the Country Football community joined together The major criterion for selection in the side was specifically with Landmark staff to celebrate this 40 year partnership an individual’s performance at Country Week. A number of with a formal evening at Crown Perth. The night was hosted fantastic players have used the Carnival as a stepping stone by Kevin Sheedy and celebrated not only the partnership, but to bigger and better things, but that did not necessarily hold also those original founders and supporters of Country Week them in good stead for selection in this particular side. football. Many of those founders have gone on to become WACFL Life Members. This team is composed of players who repeatedly supported Country Week and represented their region with outstanding The night also gave us a great opportunity to recognise a WA individual performance. Country Week 50 Year All Stars team. Whilst there is no doubt a number of quality players could 4 WACFL is very proud of our ongoing relationship with have been squeezed into this side, I don’t think anyone who Landmark and hopes this relationship can continue to develop knows anything about Country Week football could argue with in the years ahead. the quality of the team that was selected. WACFL ANNUAL RE P ORT the EXecutiVE 5 WACFL ANNUAL RE TERRY HOUSE JOHN SHADBOLT MILTON MILLoy President Senior Vice President Junior Vice President P ORT GRAEME yoUNG PETER SHERIDAN ALAN BISHOP NoEL MIGUEL BARRY BUTTERWORTH COLIN COX KEN ROWE THE staff JOE GEORGIADES SHAUN JASPER RoBYN PAYNE KELLIE MCBEAN General Manager Operations Coordinator Administration Administration Assistant Part-time Assistant Part-time 6 WACFL ANNUAL REPORT GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT 2014 was another busy and productive year for the WACFL as will be looking for a better result. State football again received we celebrated 50 years of Country Week Championships whilst fantastic support from the players who tried out and travelled continuing to strengthen our systems and support provided to away and we thank their clubs for allowing them to participate in our leagues and clubs. the program. WACFL’s number one focus continues to be regional club football Country football always has a strong group of colts players, and the majority of our energy is channeled into helping deliver as was evidenced in a strong victory against the WAAFL colts professionally run competitions across the state. Through having prior to the West Coast v Gold Coast Suns match at Patersons well run leagues and clubs with a focus on sustainability we are Stadium in June. The side was coached by Craig Walker and we confident that football will continue to prosper. hope to continue to provide opportunities for these young men to show their wares to develop the next generation of leaders for Across all aspects of regional football there was a 10.67% growth country football. figure recorded. Club football will continue to be our number one focus and, importantly, whilst many clubs operate in challenging The financial position of the WACFL continues to strengthen with circumstances, no clubs have shut the doors in the previous 12 an operating profit of $34,330 in 2014. Accumulating funds and months. Being able to recognise clubs in trouble and implement diversifying income continues to be a strategy of the WACFL some strategies prior to the doors closing is an important executive as we continue to build for the uncertainty ahead.