AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
AFL GIPPSLAND IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY: 2 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
CONTENTS Commission Chair report 4 Region General Manager report 6 AFL Gippsland Regional Admin Centre Structure 8 AFL Gippsland Mission and Commission Members 9 AFL Gippsland Region Maps 10 Financial report 11 Community engagement report 27 All Gippsland team 32 2015 senior premiers 33 3 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Commission Chair report 2015 has been a challenging but nevertheless progressive year for the Commission. We have been able to build on the solid foundations established in our first year of operation. Our Region General Manager, Travis Switzer, has continued to spread our footprint across the region and address the myriad of issues as they arise as well as progress our strategic business plan for the improvement in all levels of football across Gippsland. He is to be commended for his efforts. The Commission has seen some changes of personnel during the year. Our inaugural Chair Angus Hume had to step down due to outside work requirements. He was a wise choice for the role and we can be forever thankful to Angus for getting us off to such a solid start. Ongoing Commissioners Trevor Wilson, Paul Buckley, Mikaela Power, Andy Francis and John Anderson have continued to show a vision and passion for Gippsland football that has been invaluable to both our staff and the wider football community, John Brookes joined the Commission during the year. They are a great team to work with and I thank them for their contributions. As we head into 2016 we look to quickly complete the winding up of the East Gippsland Commission and welcome Les Mathieson and Tracey Dear to our ranks. I would also like to acknowledge the much appreciated support and advice that the AFL State Country Manager, Jim Cail provides to us. For various reasons we have farewelled a number of staff during the year. Football Development Managers Ryan Evans and Rob Reid; League Administrators Pauline Bayley and Matt Ogilvie; and Office Assistant Tia McNair have moved on. We thank each of them for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavours. Damen Francis has been a tower of strength as he has carried out two major roles for the majority of the year. As the first female development Officer in the state Chelsea Caple has excelled in her role and has a very bright future in the AFL industry. Lynn Whelan has also done an excellent job administering the Alberton League and handling the accounts for the RAC. The co-operation and support from our East Gippsland colleagues Rod Twining and Adrian Bromage has also been appreciated. We have just completed appointments to a number of positions on our staff and have been very impressed with the quality of applications and believe we will have a very well qualified and enthusiastic team to continue our work in the coming year. 4 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
A highlight of the year was to go around grounds during the season and meet up with league officials, club administrators, players and supporters. To see well prepared venues and well organised game day programs with committed people being involved and very good local community support our leagues and clubs present an enjoyable day out. With kind weather this year, record gates were recorded in all leagues during their finals series. Congratulations to all involved; league and club officials can be well pleased with their efforts. During 2015 major time and effort was put into both the South Gippsland Junior Football Review and a major review of senior football league structures in Gippsland. The clearly stated aim of both reviews was to provide for the ongoing sustainability of all our clubs. To those involved in the two groups carrying out the reviews, we owe you a depth of gratitude. With diligent fact finding and consultations with all clubs they have come up with recommendations which hopefully we can implement in the near future. Without detracting from any of the other objectives in our Strategic Management Plan, I am very keen that we continue to take major steps forward in the following area during 2016. - As a matter of priority upgrade the facilities at the RAC to properly accommodate our growing staff numbers - With the recent release of the senior leagues review, deal with issues from its recommendations, then advertise, recruit and set up the administration for the proposed new league in West Gippsland - Implement the new South Gippsland Junior Structure and monitor its progress - Continue to build a solid and respectful relationship with League and Club officials - Consolidate our role with the four senior Umpires Associations currently operating in our Region - Club Health Surveys (Business Plans) get every Club online with the surveys and in consultation with our Development Officers review & update them annually - Continue to build our online social media profile and have a regular presence in each of the league weekly game day publications - Continue to build on sponsorship opportunities for the game in Gippsland - Continue to support the rapid growth of female participation in our sport - Introduce AFL 9 s into many more schools during 2016 With a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic Commission and growing numbers of professional and hardworking staff, these are exciting times for Gippsland football and I look forward to the year ahead. Brian Quigley Chair, AFL Gippsland Commission 5 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Region General Manager s report Season 2015 represented another year of progression for football in Gippsland. AFL Gippsland s principle task for 2015 was to build on the solid foundations laid in the first year of the Regional Administration Centre. Our core objectives remain the same: To promote and grow the AFL football community in Gippsland through higher participation at all levels To provide leadership and support to the football and wider sporting community I believe we have enjoyed a good degree of success in both objectives this year and put things in place to further this work in 2016 and beyond. Undoubtedly our most significant step was launching our Senior Football Leagues Review in February. The review committee has released its draft recommendations for the consideration of the AFL Gippsland Region Commission. The review included a significant amount of consultation with the key stakeholders and analysis of data and information. Final decisions are still to be made, but the committee members have put in a power of work and agreed changes will be implemented in time for 2017, making next year an important year of preparation. I would like to thank the members of the review panel and the clubs and leagues involved for the commitment given to the review and the collaborative approach to the outcomes, as well as Netball Victoria for their involvement in the project. In addition to the senior review, we have been conducting a review into junior football in South Gippsland and assisting AFL Victoria roll out its Community Club Sustainability Program, which will introduce a points system and salary cap across the state over the next two years. This represents a lot of a changes in a short period of time, but it shows that those in a position to do so, are actively addressing the concerns of the football community. I would like to thank all of the AFL Gippsland team for their tireless efforts and commitment to our organisation during 2015. We are fortunate to have some many people who genuinely care about community football and netball pulling in the same direction, from our development managers Rob Reid, Chelsea Caple, Leigh Brown, Michael Roberts and Ryan Evans through to our administration staff in Lynn Whelan, Pauline Bayley, Matt Ogilvie, Damen Francis and Tia McNair. All go above and beyond and I appreciate the hours they put in to ensure we meet the needs of our key stakeholders. 6 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
I would like to acknowledge the great work of the AFL Gippsland commissioners during 2015. Their willingness to undertake significant tasks, such as the senior football leagues review, in their personal time demonstrates their dedication to improving the state of our great game at a local level. We are fortunate to have a hard-working and knowledgeable set of Commissioners looking out for Gippsland football. I would also like to acknowledge the support and assistance AFL Gippsland has received from the leagues, clubs, umpires associations, players and volunteers throughout the year. It is extremely pleasing that all of our original member leagues have signed on to the RAC for another two to three years in the Gippsland League, Alberton and North Gippsland football netball leagues and Traralgon and District Junior Football League. We also welcome South Gippsland Umpires Association into the RAC for 2016, alongside existing member associations Gippsland and Sale umpires. One of the most encouraging aspects to come out of the reviews we have been conducting is the passion of the Gippsland football community. The AFL Gippsland Commission continues to strive to be a sustainable business that has the necessary capacity grow the game. As of the end of August, our football development managers had conducted more than 215 school clinics, as well as various school holiday programs. AFL Gippsland also employed eight game development officers to provide further resources for future programs. Sponsorships for our member leagues continued to grow, as did their social media presence and level of community engagement, with various causes using their local football and netball leagues as a vehicle to promote important community messages about mental health, responsible gambling and domestic violence. In a significant development, Evans Petroleum has extended its position as major sponsor of AFL Gippsland for another three years. I cannot thank Stuart Evans and his team enough for their unrivalled support of Gippsland football and remain committed to ensuring it is a partnership that benefits all parties. I am very proud of the progress AFL Gippsland has made in 2015 and look forward to continuing to work with the football community in improving football in Gippsland in 2016. Travis Switzer Region General Manager AFL Gippsland 7 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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2015 COMMISION MEMBERS Brian Quigley (Chair) John Anderson Mikaela Power Trevor Wilson Paul Buckley Andrew Francis John Brookes OAM MISSION AFL Gippsland was established to promote and grow the Australian football community in Gippsland through higher participation at all levels and by providing leadership and support to the football and wider sporting communities. AFL Gippsland is one of 13 AFL Victoria regional commissions responsible for overseeing the governance of football in its region. The AFL Gippsland region encompasses: - Five senior leagues; Gippsland League, North Gippsland and Alberton football netball leagues and Mid Gippsland and Ellinbank and District football leagues - Five junior leagues; Traralgon and District, Sale and District, Warragul and District, Alberton and Central Gippsland - Four football umpires associations; Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, Sale and South Gippsland - Seven councils; Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Casey-Cardinia, East Gippsland, Latrobe City, South Gippsland, Wellington - A geographic region stretching from Nar Nar Goon in the west to Bairnsdale in the east and south to Phillip Island, Tarwin and Fish Creek - An estimated 98 registered clubs - Approximately 12,000 registered football participants The commission's key objectives include: - Participation - Community - Engagement - Fans - Talent & Second Tier - Facilities - People and Culture 9 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
2015 AFL GIPPSLAND REGION MAPS 10 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REPORT In 2015, AFL Gippsland participated in a number of initiatives to engage with the community. Partnering with GippSport, Gippsland Women s Health and Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault, AFL Gippsland helped TRFM Gippsland League host Orange Round to raise awareness of violence against women and children. AFL Gippsland also worked alongside Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, with North Gippsland FNL hosting a Gambling s Not A Game round and 12 clubs signing the Sporting Clubs Program charter. AFL Gippsland teamed with Gippsland Mental Health Alliance to raise awareness and highlight the importance of good mental health within sporting clubs and communities. AFL Gippsland Mental Health Round initiative involved all seven senior football and netball leagues in the region, with clubs at more than 30 local venues sporting light blue socks and netball bibs and also included information sessions and a function featuring AFL champion and event ambassador Wayne Schwass as guest speaker. 27 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
AFL Gippsland also participated in a host of other events and activities for the purposes of promoting football to different sections of the Gippsland community. These included: - Farm World Lardner Park - Federation Training - AFL Player Appearance Program - Australia Post AFL Community Camps - Toyota Good For Footy Dealer of the Round events - Work Solutions Gippsland Job Shadow Day - NAB Challenge match in Morwell - VLine Cup and Youth Girls Shield - AFL Victoria Umpires Roadshow 28 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
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Other notable achievements include: - The formation of an inaugural open women s football team, Gippsland Galaxy - The establishment of Gippsland s first multicultural Auskick clinic in Morwell - The continued development of the Gippsland Youth Girls Football League, which has grown from three to 10 teams in three years - Securing a grant to fund Gippsland Footy s Fight Against Ice - Implementing a new umpiring appointments systems in Schedula 30 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ALL GIPPSLAND TEAM In 2015, AFL Gippsland introduced an inaugural All Gippsland Team to recognise the season's outstanding individual performers from across the region's five senior football leagues. League vote counts and relevant Teams of the Year were considered, league officials consulted, as well as performances and higher accolades such as representative football being taken into account when deciding the final make-up the team. 31 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015
2015 SENIOR PREMIERS ] TRFM Gippsland League premier: Traralgon Alberton FNL premier: Dalyston North Gippsland FNL premier: Rosedale Mid Gippsland FL premier: Yinnar Ellinbank District FL premier: Cora Lynn 32 AFL GIPPSLAND ANNUAL REPORT 2015