OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WAFL ROUND 1 MARCH 22, 2014 $3.00 Partnering Model Under Close Watch Season-opening previews WAFL club gains & losses New Partnering Model kicks in Custom made for your protection Win a TV for the fi nals Every Football Budget Reader who purchases a Shutter or Blinds package from us before the end of the Home and Away season goes in to the draw to win a Samsung Series 6 60inch F6400 LED TV Present this advert to your Sales Consultant when they visit to enter the draw. Terms & Conditions Only one entry per sale, draw will be held in the Nu-Style offi ces and winner will be notifi ed by phone. Every Week 7 Tipping 24-26 WAFC 28 Club Notes 29 Stats 30 Ladders & Results 31 Fixtures Features 8 Collectables 9 Entertainment 16 Peel poster Game time 11 Previews 12-13 East Fremantle v WWestest PPertherth 14-15 Peel v East Perth 18-19 Perth v Claremont 20-21 Subiaco South Fremantle 22 West Coast v Western Bulldogs CONTENTS3 4 By Tracey Lewis PPARTNERINGARTNERING Publisher This publication is proudly produced for the WA Football Commission by Media Tonic. Phone 9388 7844 Fax 9388 7866 Sales [email protected] Editor MODEL Tracey Lewis Email [email protected] @traceylewis5 Contributing writers Ross Lewis, Sean Cowan. uundernder ccloselose wwatchatch Photography Andrew Ritchie, William Crabb & Paul Litherland It will be a ground-breaking year for the WAFL. A Another local, Jacob Brennan, will become Design/Typesetting new structure for two teams and a change to the a Royal after being groomed through the East Jacqueline Holland - Visible Ink Graphics way the other seven operate. Fremantle system. Printing So there will be testing moments for the league “I think the clubs have settled into the Quality Press. in 2014 and West Australian Football Commission agreement,” Walton said. Phone 6254 9999 chief executive Gary Walton has indicated the WAFC “I am really excited about the competitiveness of Address would be prepared to tweak the new AFL Partnering the nine sides this year. We have been sitting around 8 Babel Road Model if needed at the end of the season. the table at times talking about who may finish Welshpool WA 6106 Email Walton has also acknowledged more WAFL clubs where this year and it’s a really difficult conversation [email protected] will have to consider changes, especially ground to have so I think it will be a very competitive season. redevelopments not unlike the one happening at Cover West Perth take out the 2014 WAFL Claremont Oval this year. premiership. “We are going to see this transformation of club grounds over the next decade,” Walton said in :: Jacob Brennan reference to the revamp that is forcing the Tigers to is now a Royal The Football Budget is printed on play not only at the Showgrounds this year but also Express Gloss 90gsm paper, which is a home game at East Fremantle Oval as Claremont sourced from a sustainably managed forest and uses manufacturing Oval undergoes major works. processesof the highest environmental “They (the grounds) are the most valuable standards. asset the clubs have and if they can help turn that The Football Budget is printed by a Level 2 EnvironmentalAccredited into a new way of generating revenue it is about printer. The magazine is 100% sustainability of the WAFL as much as anything else.” recyclable. When it comes to major developments – there aren’t WAFL admission prices many bigger than those occurring in the WAFL. $15 – Adult* $12 – Concession* As of this season every West Coast Eagles listed 2 for 1 offer – Student Edge Member* player will be aligned to East Perth and every Free – Children U16 Fremantle Dockers player aligned to Peel Thunder. *Includes a copy of Football Budget Find us on The first steps towards the new partnering model were taken in 2013 when Eagles and Dockers players who were listed on 2012 East Perth and Peel playing lists were transferred to either the Royals or Thunder, depending on their AFL listing. For example Matt Rosa, who was aligned to Peel Copyright © No part of this publication may since 2005 when he was drafted by the Eagles, was be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the permission of the publisher. Opinions moved to East Perth for season 2013 during which expressed in the Football Budget are not necessarily those of the WAFC. The WAFC or he played six games for the Royals. affi liated clubs believe that the material produced in this publication is accurate, but gives no WAFL 2013 grand final Simpson medallist Mark warranty in relation thereto and disclaims all liability for claims against the WAFC or affi liated Hutchings may have a won last year’s premiership clubs, Media Tonic, its employees, agents, or with West Perth, but through the new alignment any other person, which may rise from any person acting on the materials contained herein. he’ll return to his club of origin, East Perth, where he made his WAFL debut in 2008 before being drafted Registered by Australia Post - PP642521/00112 onto St Kilda’s rookie list. “ :: Alex Silvagni has moved from Claremont to Peel “When it comes to the partnering model under the new agreement we need to watch it very closely over the course of 2014 and we’ve always committed to the fact that if it needs to be tinkered with at the end of the year we will get all of the stakeholders together and we’ll come up with adjustments where we need to.” “ Gary Walton. “When it comes to the partnering model we need to watch it very The partnering model will come into play for a minimum of five closely over the course of 2014 and we’ve always committed to the years and a major part of the agreement involves the Eagles and fact that if it needs to be tinkered with at the end of the year we will get Dockers each paying an additional annual $450,000 to the WAFC on all of the stakeholders together and we’ll come up with adjustments top of their annual rent and royalties payments. where we need to. The model came into effect after the WAFL clubs rejected the “There is no doubt this is a collaborative effort. Eagles and Dockers’ bid to have stand alone teams in the State league. “Steve Hargrave in his new role as the WAFC General Manager There have been a few rules and regulation changes ahead of the Pathways and Competitions and Nick Sautner in his new role as the new season to help work with the implementation of the new model, WAFC Chief Operating Officer are both working with the clubs very including the introduction of a Marquee Player Allowance. closely and I think we have a new breed of CEO’s at the clubs who are very pro-active and are trying to make sure this competition gets to Some of the Rules and Regulation changes include: the level it needs to get to. • Partner clubs must apply to have any non-district, interstate, non- “The guys through various committees, working with the district AFL delisted players on their squads. WA Football Commission I think everything now is being run • All 40 players who were listed with the Royals and the Thunder under close watch collaboratively with the WAFL clubs and the WAFC to make this season as at July 1, 2013 are deemed to be local district players and are work.” allowed to stay with their respective clubs, no matter of their club Each of the non-partnering clubs, Claremont, East Fremantle, of origin. Perth, South Fremantle, Subiaco, Swan Districts and West Perth, will • Due to its ninth placing in 2013, Peel has been granted permission receive $7,000 in compensation for losing returning AFL-listed players to recruit a maximum of two non-district players for the 2014 to the Royals or Thunder as part of the arrangement. season. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Total Player Payments (TPP) WAFL Partner Club Recruitment (2014) • Football match payments set at $230,000 The following outlines the WAFC - WAFL process given a WAFL • Introduction of a Marquee Player Allowance of $10,000 and an Partner club’s request to recruit, other than a Local District increase of the Veterans Allowance from $10,000 to $20,000. Player (1 point) for season 2014. The WAFC will assess the The introduction of the Marquee Player Allowance and increase WAFL Partnering club and the AFL Partnering club to ensure a in the Veteran’s Allowance is designed to retain and reward comprehensive player assessment is conducted. long-serving WAFL players and entice retired or delisted AFL a. WAFL Partner club to formally apply in writing to the WAFC players to return to the WAFL. outlining the reasons for the need to recruit. Marquee players are defined as those who bring value to a club b. The WAFC to complete a WAFL Partner club player list and the league both on and off the field and must be agreed to by assessment. the WAFL manager after a written request by the club. AFL or State c. The WAFC to complete an AFL Partner club player list League playing experience and individual honours which highlight assessment. the value that the player will bring to the club and competition d. List assessment finalized following the AFL 2013 Draft & will be considered as part of this determination. Only one player Rookie Draft. can be nominated by each club as a marquee player.