PORT LINCOLN, South Australia – 9am 8 April 2019
FOOTBALL AND NETBALL SUSTAINABILITY FORUM A WINNER
EPFC Strategic Plan is available below
The Eyre Peninsula Football Council (“EPFC”) held a forum on Sunday 7th April 2019 commencing at 9:30am in the Wudinna Community Club for all Eyre Peninsula Football Leagues, Netball Associations Executives and individual football and netball clubs to attend. Over 60 people attended giving testament to how important the future of football and netball are to the region’s leagues, associations and clubs.
The forum objectives were about planning for football and netball to have a sustainable future and ensuring the EPFC is sustainable and strategic in its collaboration with its stakeholders.
It soon became very obvious that it is critically important for the region to work together in a collaborative way to make football and netball sustainable. The forum also learnt of the need to better understand how football and netball affect community development within the broader context of sustainability, then, the region must be willing to embrace and navigate the complexities that currently face many clubs through a declining population among other things.
Mr Irvine, Chair of the PFC said “The forum’s general feeling was that the region will be faced with making some very difficult and hard decisions in the very near future in regards to the future of football and netball.” He went on to say “ This forum paved the way for such decisions being made in a consensus fashion and ensuring all leagues and clubs understand how their decisions can affect others futures.”
The forum investigated the regions football sustainability issues and possible solutions in some detail through various presentations set to challenge and make participants think outside the box. Issues discussed as part of the forum were:
The role & service agreement responsibilities of the SANFL EP Football Council (“EPFC”);
The EPFC’s Strategic Plan and relevance to the reginal situation and future;
The EPFC’s own funding model to ensure it is also sustainable;
The sustainability and future of the Mortlock Shield was raised; including the public release of the investigation undertaken by the EPFC. All leagues and clubs were urged to respond to this draft investigation report by 31 May 2019. A working party representative of all leagues, netball and EPFC will then prepare final recommendations for the Mortlock Shield Committee for response and /or implementation. Due to the size and complexity of the draft report it could not be discussed in any great detail at the forum. The draft report deserves and requires much more time for attention and decision from the leagues, clubs and netball.
Umpire recruitment, development and retention were also highlighted as a major issue with common agreement on the future actions required being an EP regional & State approach. Spectator behavior towards umpires was also discussed and the need improvement.
The SANFL held an interactive session to assist clubs in establishing suitable business models, procedures and policies to ensure compliance with legislation, such as the liquor laws. Other topics addressed included; developing suitable club cultures, volunteering recruitment and assistance, budgeting and forward planning etc.
Clubs were also requested by the EPFC to complete a survey to assist with a regional approach to meeting future regional and individual league and club infrastructure requirements and the potential for regional funding.
League governance on individual club’s player points systems, salary caps, match day compliance & integrity matters along with other SANFL matters of importance to region was also discussed.
The Norwood Football Club’s Chief Executive Mr. James Fantasia and Talent Manager presented a session on their plans for the zone and other matters of interest around talent pathways, partnerships, regional promotion and future opportunities for Norwood and the region.
The forum came to conclusion with individual Football Leagues and Netball Associations each reporting on issues and complexities they are facing. The maturity and honesty in the discussion; bids well for the future planning by the EP Football Council. It was clearly spelt out how player payments, and inter league recruiting was affecting the viability and sustainability of neighbouring leagues. The general consensus was that the EP Football Council needs to start planning for various “what if” scenarios as it was best placed to make such plans based on facts, evidence and data than those directly affected due to the emotional connections.
There was also opportunities for all football leagues and clubs along with netball associations and clubs to share information and to investigate opportunities to collaborate and share more in the future with a view to making the EP’s football and netball being more sustainable and more efficient.
Inquiries:
Tony Irvine
Chair SANFL EP Regional Football Council
0428 826 587 or anthony.irvine3@bigpond.com
Last Modified on 15/04/2019 18:13