Premier Cricket Merger Frequently Asked Questions Has SACA been clear and transparent in its decision making process? Yes. The decision to reduce the number of clubs was flagged in the Zadow Report, a report that was commissioned in response to a perceived decline in the standard of premier (then grade ) cricket in South Australia. Prior to this, a survey by SACA at the end of the 2012/13 season showed support from the clubs for a smaller competition. Interviews undertaken for the compilation of the Zadow Report also tended to support the notion that 13 teams was too many. The Zadow Report was presented to SACA s Board of Directors on 7 July 2014 and immediately thereafter to premier cricket club representatives. The conclusion clearly expressed in the report was that the competition was too large. The SACA executive set about adopting some of the recommendations of the report immediately. These recommendations included an increased focus on the quality of 1 st grade pitches and outfields, the quality of ball used in 1 st grade cricket, an increase in funding for umpiring at a 1 st grade level and a range of grants where made available for facility improvements such as pitch covers and sight screens. Over the past three seasons, a further $550,000 has been invested into premier cricket from these initiatives alone. Funding of $130,000 was also made available through the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) to increase the level of coaching at premier clubs. These amounts are on top of the already generous funding provided to premier cricket clubs. Additionally, a Premier League competition was introduced in 2013/14. This competition was designed to better link premier club cricket with first- class cricket. The investment of $900,000 over the past three seasons in this program has proven successful. In May 2015, the remaining recommendations of the Zadow Report were considered by the SACA Board. A 12- team 1 st grade competition, as compared to the 10 team competition recommended by the Zadow Report, was endorsed. At this point, no clubs were identified for removal from the 1 st grade competition. SACA President Andrew Sinclair and Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw presented to club representatives on 29 June 2015 to advise them that the 1 st grade competition would be reduced to 12 clubs to meet a number of strategic objectives which have been conveyed to clubs and the media on a number of occasions. These strategic objectives include dispensing of the bye that currently exists in our premier cricket competition. The current bye can extend periods between innings and limit opportunities for players who are seeking to catch the eye of either their club or high performance selectors. A 12- team competition will also align the premier cricket competition with the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association (ATCA) scheduling, allowing for more movement of players between the two competitions. This will in turn enhance the relationship between the competitions and strengthen the position of premier cricket as the top level of community cricket to which people
aspire. The reduction to a 12- team competition will also reduce the need for Sunday cricket, which is often seen as an obstacle in retaining experienced players. As the conduit between community cricket and the high performance pathway, all premier cricket clubs need to be performing at an elite club level. Clubs were invited, in the first instance, to hold their own interclub discussions as to how this might occur. They were also advised that the SACA Board would take action if the clubs of the premier competition were unable to devise their own solution. A number of clubs discussed mergers after this meeting but no clubs came to SACA with a firm proposal. At the November 2015 SACA Board meeting, a management paper was presented in relation to the recommendations contained in the Zadow Report. This paper highlighted, amongst other things, the strengths and weaknesses of all premier cricket clubs, including on- field and off- field performance, player retention, financial viability and importantly, the population demographics of the area surrounding the club s home ground. The Board subsequently made a decision that the focus would be on the clubs on the western seaboard due to demographics. This was highlighted by the inability of some clubs to field junior sides and the ongoing poor performance of some of the other underage teams. Additionally, the off- field concerns with some of these clubs in regards to their facilities and finances further supported the thought that there is an overrepresentation of Premier cricket clubs in the western suburbs. This decision was in- line with the recommendations of the independent Zadow Report commissioned some two years earlier. West Torrens District Cricket Club, Woodville District Cricket Club and Port Adelaide Cricket Club were advised on 7 December 2015 that they were the clubs under consideration and the clubs were invited to present to the Board about their future. In the lead up to the presentations of 29 February 2016, SACA met with each club individually to consider their concerns. We were advised at these meetings that each club had also held discussions with the other two clubs. Separate to this, SACA was invited to meet with representatives of West Torrens and Woodville to assist in facilitating a possible merger between the two clubs. The clubs all presented to the SACA Board on 29 February 2016. To retain the history of the clubs involved, while also working to the strategic objectives of the Association, the Board determined that their preferred position would be for two of the three clubs to merge. This will be supported with significant infrastructure funding directly from SACA, with additional support to source funding from other avenues and additional funding and other support. The three clubs were advised of this position on 4 March 2016. While Woodville and Port Adelaide stated in their response that they would continue to prefer to stand- alone, the President of the West Torrens District Cricket Club wrote to SACA to advise that the West Torrens Board had voted unanimously to commit to merger discussions with another club should that club also be willing to do so.
Taking into account the information presented by the three clubs on 29 February, the SACA Board met on 21 March 2016 and determined that its preferred position was for the West Torrens District Cricket Club and Port Adelaide Cricket Club to merge. Woodville District Cricket Club would remain as its own entity in the West End Premier Cricket 1st Grade competition for the 2016/17 season. SACA reconfirmed that additional funding will be provided towards infrastructure expenditure for facilities for a new entity, with additional funding towards on- costs such as legal fees, communications and marketing to facilitate a merger. Why was Woodville District Cricket Club retained in the 1 st grade competition? The presentation of the Woodville District Cricket Club of 29 February 2016 convinced the SACA Board of the club s strategic and competitive direction into the future. Other mergers were recommended in the Zadow Report why the west? Consideration was given to a number of factors. Importantly, the number of eligible males living in the vicinity of clubs was given strong consideration. Woodville and West Torrens have very small numbers of eligible males in their area. Port Adelaide has much larger numbers, but the Port Adelaide zone is split geographically into the peninsula and a northern area. Salisbury Oval is located right beside the northern part of the Port Adelaide zone and the Port Adelaide Cricket Club does not draw players from this area. Looking at just the peninsula area, then, the eligible male population that Port Adelaide is drawing on falls to the lowest of the premier clubs. This is reflected in their inability to consistently field junior teams and the very poor performance of these teams over an extended period of time. The other clubs with similar catchment populations are Kensington and Adelaide. Neither of these clubs have demonstrated an inability to get players on the field; they both record a high retention of players and have had consistently strong results over a number of seasons. Other issues with other clubs have been identified through this process, and SACA management will be working with those clubs individually to assist them in achieving the strategic objectives of the association and ensuring the integrity of the premier competition. Had clubs previously discussed mergers? Yes particularly West Torrens. In fact, the Board of West Torrens minutes of 18 September 2014 that is, just two months after the Zadow Report was presented and almost a year before the SACA Board made a decision on the size of the competition voted in favour of the club merging with another club. Again on 14 December 2015, SACA was formally advised that the West Torrens District Cricket Club Board had voted unanimously that they would consider a merger with another club. On 2 February 2016, a meeting was facilitated by West Torrens and Woodville representatives and SACA
management where the two clubs sought clarification around aspects of a potential merger. Again on 11 March 2016, SACA received written confirmation from West Torrens management that their Board was committed to merger discussions with another club. Given this ongoing and proactive commitment the club has shown to merging with another club, SACA has been confused by the West Torrens Board of Management s response to the decision that they are a club we would like to see merge. Other clubs have been involved in discussions around mergers to greater or lesser degrees. Why is funding being reduced and by how much? SACA funds our premier cricket clubs at a much higher level than that provided to premier cricket clubs by any other State Association, with most clubs receiving over $50,000 funding investment each season. A further $10,000 was also made available to clubs this season through an arrangement with the ACA. Over the past year, SACA has commenced a process to tie funding to the required outcomes of a premier cricket club. This process will be further refined in 2016/17 and will naturally apply to all premier cricket clubs in South Australia. If a merger does not occur between West Torrens District Cricket Club and Port Adelaide Cricket Club, one of the clubs will be removed from the men s 1 st grade competition. It has been demonstrated through this process, however, that both clubs have areas of significant concern going forward areas that the SACA Board believe will be addressed through the merging of the clubs. SACA has a responsibility to ensure that all funding that is expended by the Association is working towards the betterment of cricket. No club is entitled to any specific amount, especially when it is clear that the club is not working to meet the objectives of South Australian cricket. It would be remiss of SACA to identify shortcomings within a club but continue to fund it at the current level. A figure has been circulated of a decrease in funding of 50% of current funding through the media. SACA is unsure where this rumour arose as the Board has not decided on an amount of the reduction, as it will no doubt vary between clubs, and no figure has been communicated to club representatives by our representatives. As mentioned earlier, SACA introduced tied funding to strategic objectives in the past year. This will be further tightened and reviewed for all clubs in the coming season. Is there any truth to the claim being circulated by some club representatives that Woodville was retained as it is planned that Woodville Oval will be used in one day state games from 2018/19? Again, SACA is unsure where this rumour originated. Firstly, the venue of the Matador Cup (the current one day state competition) into the future has not been confirmed. Secondly, the facilities at Woodville Oval are not currently suitable to host state cricket. SACA is keen to tender for the Matador Cup in the future. This would require the development of more first- class facilities in Adelaide and the proposed redevelopments of Park 25 and Adelaide Oval No. 2 would help towards this end.
Is this merger happening because of Glenelg District Cricket Club s want to host women s teams and this will reduce the number of existing women s teams in the west? There are a number of rumours and theories being circulated as to why these changes are happening. This is another of those rumours that has no basis in truth. Through the tied strategic funding process introduced by SACA prior to season 2015/16, it was clear to clubs that SACA was encouraging all premier clubs to introduce women s teams into the future. Those who chose not to were advised that they would face reduced funding opportunities into the future. Glenelg has been proactive in forming a relationship with a local school to help facilitate the introduction of women s teams at their club, and SACA commends them on building these community relationships to enhance cricket s reputation as being a sport for all. Women s cricket is the number one strategic priority for Australian cricket and we will assist all clubs who wish to host women s (or girls ) teams to make this a reality. Is this change happening to allow for Adelaide University Cricket Club to host juniors in the west? This rumour arose out of an unattributed media article (Advertiser, 8 March 2016) that stated a proposal by Adelaide University to upgrade their playing fields at West Beach was being progressed to facilitate the hosting of junior cricket at these fields; this is again untrue. There has been no discussion between SACA and AUCC regarding the establishment of a junior cricket hub at West Beach. AUCC President Adam Kimber has also confirmed that the AUCC do not have any plans to establish a junior club at West Beach. SACA immediately issued a communication to all premier club delegates fully explaining this situation (issued on 9 March 2016). The grounds themselves are owned by the University, not the cricket club, and the upgrade has been planned since July 2010 as part of the University s Sport Facilities Plan 2010 2020.