AFL North East Border

2018 State of the Region

PRESENTATION EXTRACT

Compiled by AFLNEB
This document contains extracts from the complete “2018 State of the Region”
as presented to affiliated League Executive Members on Wednesday July 18th, 2018
INTRODUCTION
The Regional landscape for football is continually changing and evolving. Work undertaken since 2016
under the 2016-2018 AFLNEB Regional Review has collated important data and opinion and has
addressed some of the challenges and opportunities for the game, however, a longer-term view and
understanding at all levels of the game is necessary to ensure the sport remains relevant and vibrant.

Both antidotally and factual assessment of the current football environment establishes that change
is inevitable however, ultimate collaboration is necessary with leagues and the region aligning
strategies which are considerate of the broader implications of change and that the best interests of
the game in the Region must be the highest priority.

This presentation will provide a regional overview which identifies opportunities, acknowledges the
challenges, establishes individual league and club desired directions and the inevitable impacts the
game can expect in the Region with and without managed change.

REGIONAL SNAPSHOT
With a mix of major population bases and several smaller rural townships and communities, the
overall KPI's for the health of the game can vary. We can celebrate what is going well, recognise what
is not going so well, acknowledge the emerging trends and those which can be evidenced whilst
identify individual league and/or club desired directions for the game.

WHAT’S GOING WELL

Whilst the game faces some challenges, there is opportunity to recognise what is going well and to
understand the practices adopted and the influencing factors

WANGARATTA DJFL
• Transition rate from Auskick to WDJFL Under 12 teams continues to be more than 80% +
across Wangaratta, Benalla and Myrtleford
- plus, another 18 new players in Wangaratta
- plus, another 10 new players in Benalla on top of 75 Auskickers transitioning
• Introduction of 3 Under 12 teams from Benalla in 2018
• WDJFL Under 12 teams boast 22-29 players per team
• WDJFL has grown from 16 to 32 teams in 4 years with inclusion of the BDJFL and an U12's
grade

ALBURY WODONGA JFL

• Under 12 teams average 24 players per team
• Wodonga Raiders 2 x U12, U14 and U16
• Wodonga Bulldogs 2 x U12
• Albury, St. Patricks, Lavington and Yarrawonga have approximately 34 in some age groups for
one side*
*considered both a positive and negative

OVENS & MURRAY FNL

• The Introduction of more night games in 2018 has seen bigger crowds
• Anzac Day games in 2018 attracted bigger crowds
• After 9 Rounds, the competition is solid amongst the current top 4-5 teams
• Corowa Rutherglen fielding 3 teams
UPPER MURRAY FNL
• Netball grades are strong with all clubs fielding all 5 teams except for 2 clubs who only field 4
- Maximum 30 teams across 5 grades
- 2018 UMFNL has 28 teams
• Turn around in fortunes for UMFNL club can be rapid

OVENS & KING FNL

• Netball strong numbers
• After 9 Rounds, the competition is solid amongst the current top 4-5 teams
• The 4 Under 19 teams have strong numbers
- level of competition is strong within the grade

TALLANGATTA DFL
• Competition at senior level has remained balanced over a period
• Dederang Mt. Beauty resurrection after a "call to arms" in 2017
• After 9 Rounds, the top 4-5 team’s competitiveness

HUME FL
• Club Umpire System
• Financially stable at League and Club
• Netball - 8 Grades with high numbers
• Clubs competitiveness - last 5 years 10-12 clubs playing finals
• Amalgamated clubs being competitive

FEMALE FL
• Female participation continues to grow and into new markets, 7 clubs and 14 teams.
• 3rd year teams starting to become competitive (Murray Felines)
• Women's League has strong numbers across open ages
• Numbers continue to grow during the season in what is a growing and developing league

NEB UMPIRES
• 90 Central Umpires - need 72 per week*
• 55 Boundary - with 25% new umpires in April
• 30 Goal - stable year on year
• Games serviced – close to 100%*, impacted due to unavailability
• New Wangaratta facility scheduled for 2019

AUSKICK
• Regionally, Auskick numbers have remained constant over the past 3 years.
• No progress in overall Regional numbers as some centres have spiked and others dropped
• Transition of participants into competition football in the southern regions is 80% plus
• Overall female participation has grown in 2018
WHAT’S NOT HOT
The game in the region faces challenges which must be acknowledged and appreciated at a
governance level. These challenges cannot be considered in isolation and require a Regional approach
which identifies the causes and effects.

WANGARATTA DJFL
• Competitive in-balance with teams outside of Wangaratta extremely strong
• Second year in a row, no Bright U16's
- Dropout rate in Benalla at U16's in 2018 (also at OKFNL U19 level in 2019)

ALBURY WODONGA JFL

• Players playing on permit on Saturdays
• Scots JFC - only U16s and low on numbers with most of club Admin are in last year of JL
• Nth Albury JFC - U16 numbers
• Clubs not realising 2 teams in an age group

OVENS & MURRAY FNL

• Competitive in-balance top 5 to bottom 5
• Reserve numbers - 3rds players playing up
• No U18's at Myrtleford.
• Low U18 numbers at Lavington and Corowa

UPPER MURRAY FNL

• No U16 grade in 2018 and won’t return
• U13's is 9-10 a side on average includes males and females
• Reserve football

OVENS & KING FNL

• Reserves Football
- Nth Wang have no reserves
- Bonnie Doon have no reserves
- Clubs doubling up seniors and reserves (not just bottom clubs)
• Nth Wang and Bonnie Doon uncompetitive
• 3rds (under 19's) have only 4 teams
• Competitive in-balance from top 5 to middle 5 and bottom 2

TALLANGATTA DFL
• Wodonga Saints competitiveness
• No U17's at Wodonga Saints
- Juniors is an ongoing issue for Saints - no signs of improvement
• No U14's at Mitta
- forecast is unlikely to return
• Dederang Mt. Beauty Junior numbers

HUME FL
• Struggling Junior numbers - particularly Under 17's
• No U14's at CDHBU
• Senior playing numbers falling (Reserves)
• Compromised competition due to lack of players in grades
• Volunteer strain at Club and League
FEMALE FL
• Under 16 grade numbers are low but increasing
• Need to have 7, 12 & 13-year old’s entering the league at each club, each year
• Culture of the league is negatively affected by behaviours on and off the field
• Clubs not fully accepting ownership of female teams and embracing as a part of the club

NEB UMPIRES
Facility access for Umpires in Albury
• another “Umpire Group”
• Umpire unavailability
- averaging 20 central umpires unavailable each week
- Unavailability results in only 2 central umpires to OMFNL - game requires 3
• Quality is therefore diminished
- 5 of top 10 in 2017 unavailable
• Umpire Abuse threatens umpire numbers

AUSKICK
• No substantial progress in overall Regional participant numbers
• From Wodonga Centres 2017 into 2018
o 39% of 10-year-old participants dropped out of the game
• From NSW Centres 2017 into 2018
o 48% of 10-year-old participants dropped out of the game

Data based on 10-year-old Auskick participants in 2017 not continuing Auskick or registering at a club
the following year

WHAT’S ON TREND
Trends which impact of the viability of the game can be influenced by a range of factors which are
particular to a specific part of the Region.

These trends can be passing however, must be considered in future planning as trends can become a
normal occurrence and may not be cyclical. These trends can be evidenced when considering
population and participation figures.

Some trends also highlight the lack of ultimate collaboration where proposed plans and initiatives are
not considerate of the ramifications, positive and negative, on the entire region

PLAYER POINTS SYSTEM & ALLOWABLE PLAYER PAYMENTS

• Minimal issues raised from District Clubs
• Some sectors push for reform to PPS categories and generally top teams do not have PPS Cap
issues - with exceptions
• Some lower placed clubs have high PPS weekly averages
• Reassessment requests and appeals whilst still recruiting and "rolling the dice"
- process appears too easy
• HFL aligning for 2019

CLUB VIABILITY
• Corowa Cluster Clubs
• UMFNL Clubs
• Bullioh - expected transfer application to TDFL
• Bright - rumours of another push to join the TDFL
WISH LISTS
• WDJFL Clubs wanting OKFNL underage grade to fold into WDJFL
• OKFNL Clubs wanting WDJFL to fold into OKFNL
• Bullioh and Bright looking at TDFL
• OMFNL proposition of an Under 16 grade
• GVFL U16 proposition - impacts WDJFL model
• Yarra Valley/Goulburn Murray corridor discussion

OTHER ISSUES
• Recruitment & retention of Club executive/leaders
• Hume FL Soft Cap
• 2 Governance models in overlapping area Vic/NSW
• UMFNL League and club sustainability
• Auskick
- Participation rates in Wodonga relevant to sustaining current teams
▪ Transition rates from Wodonga Auskick Centres
- NSW participation rates relevant to sustaining current teams
▪ NSW transition rates
• Lack of a "progressive mindset" at entry levels
• Clubs being encouraged and carried when in pure survival mode or on life support but doesn't
address the issues - problems are transferred
• Self-interest ahead of the game’s best interests and lack of real collaboration
• Insufficient players to adequately fill current teams and a decline in participation projected to
2031 - one of only 3 Regions state-wide with projected decline

CHANGE & EFFECT

Change must be embraced.

Where change is not managed, and the strategies and philosophies of leagues and regions are not
aligned, the process of change will continue to negatively impact and not resolve the issue.

An understanding of the impacts and effects of change can be better managed than when allowed to
evolve.

PLAYER POINTS SYSTEM & ALLOWABLE PLAYER PAYMENTS

• Process are in place to Review the PPS after 3 years with the NEB PPS Audit Panel
- considerations need to be balanced within State-wide framework and of
consequences on Major and District Leagues
• Reassessment requests are from same clubs annually generally on emotional grounds
- Review needs evidence-based recommendations
- Unforeseen consequences need to be flushed out
• HFL aligned in 2019

CLUB or LEAGUE VIABILITY

Corowa Cluster
• Corowa Cluster remains unresolved and won’t be resolved between clubs
- game will continue to suffer without intervention
- requires league/regional intervention
- no guarantee of any club’s viability
- review process will be ongoing in 2018
• In the meantime, the clubs will continue to battle and unlikely to progress and game suffers
 • HFL Soft Cap spend encourages an unsustainable economy with players
• Clubs capacity will diminish further

UPPER MURRAY FNL

No obvious solution to sustain football and netball in the Corryong area should UMFNL collapse

• Maintaining UMFNL in whatever format is acceptable

- no guarantee of any club’s viability
- doesn't address the challenges associated and unlikely to be sustainable regardless
- requires major decisions at some point understanding ramifications

• Enter a combined team UM/Corryong in TDFL

- unlikely to be well received by TDFL Clubs
- unlikely to be sustainable/competitive in TDFL model
- 120km from Wodonga, further to Wahgunyah, Chiltern and Rutherglen

• No junior numbers to build upon

• Rugby is in recess in Tumbarumba

BRIGHT – OKFNL, TDFL & UMFNL

• Any application from Bright to transfer to the TDFL would be unlikely to be successful.
• Creates a bye in TDFL with 13 clubs, necessitates a longer H&A season
• Complicated further if a Corryong or UM team were to join TDFL

MERGERS/TRANSFERS
• Bullioh in discussions to merge/transfer to the TDFL
• Without permission, clubs can merge and withdraw from UMFNL anyway

OVENS & KING FNL

Nth Wangaratta
• Only a senior team and netball. Seniors non-competitive
• Volunteer strain visible
• New player pool is not obvious.
• Ground will be ready for 2019 and will be a high-end facility

Bonnie Doon
• Only a senior team and netball. Seniors non-competitive
• Have relied heavily on traveling players and local recruitment base is low

ALBURY WODONGA JFL

Scots
• Only have 1 team of approximately 16 players at U16
• Most administrators are in their last year of Jnr football
• Club at risk
• Most players play elsewhere on permit on a Saturday

WISH LISTS
OKFNL
• U19's are an OKFNL grade but has only 4 teams
• Projections suggest zero growth potential
OVENS & MURRAY FNL U16’s
Can’t be considered as the end goal, but only as a consequence of further junior pathway analysis and
if deemed to be in the best interests of the game regionally

Requires a regional overhaul of all junior football pathways - as a concept doesn't have Commission
support but an undertaking for ongoing examination of junior football direction

GVFL U16’s
• A recommendation only and is undergoing an assessment of the impacts elsewhere
• Benalla and Mansfield have opposed the proposal
• AFL Vic rules dictate that new teams need to be approved and due to impacts in the NEB
Region, we have opposed the proposal
• Considerable work required to justify the benefits to the game

TALLANGATTA DFL TRANSFERS

• Bright have considered the TDFL previously and rumours have emerged again
• Bullioh, whilst committed to a strong UMFNL, are exploring the option
• Neither can guarantee a suitable junior model to fit the current TDFL grades
• AFL Vic rules allow transfer applications but ideally this would be deleted for a regional
direction to dictate the process

OTHER ISSUES

VOLUNTEERISM

AFL NEB/NSW
• A long-term issue for ultimate collaboration in the Region
• Requires a definitive position on governance and management of the game in the grey areas
of the region
• 2 governance systems, regulations and process to manage the same areas and communities
• Process to define the situation has been flagged with AFL

AUSKICK
• Needs to be greater recruitment into Auskick just to sustain existing participation levels
• Needs greater transition from Auskick to underage teams

PLAYERS
• It cannot be disputed that we are currently facing a player crisis
• Dwindling numbers in seconds football and teams forfeiting
• Dwindling numbers in 3rds grades with teams forfeiting
• Greater pressures on younger players to "play up" to make numbers and permit use still high

• TOO MANY JUMPER SPOTS FOR PLAYERS AVAILABLE

AFLNEB PROGRESSION STRATEGY
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Ultimate Collaboration
o All football stakeholders working together across the region to progress the game

• Easy Access
o Clear pathways to participate and progress through the games transitional stages

• Strong inclusive Clubs

o Strong clubs who as leading organisations are the heart of every community

ULTIMATE COLLABORATION
All football stakeholders working together across the region to grow the game
More than ever, all levels of football need to have aligned strategies which not only align but are in
the best interests of the game ahead of a league or club.

League Executives must acknowledge that change is inevitable and must be both progressive and
advocates for regional reform which benefits the game.

EASY ACCESS
Clear pathways to participate and progress through the games transitional stages
Statistics substantiate that entry and introduction programs for 5-10-year old’s are essential the
games future. Generating a greater participation base and managing the pathway of a player to
maximise participation and minimise the dropout rate during transition stages is vital.

Providing a managed and balanced process which progresses players through to higher levels and
values participation above win/loss ratios is to be embraced.

STRONG INCLUSIVE CLUBS

Strong clubs who as leading organisations are the heart of every community
An assessment of clubs identifies varying degrees of health which can be measured both on and off
field. The overall health of the game is determined by the capacity of clubs and the environment in
which they operate.

Not all clubs are healthy and not all clubs possess the capacity to become or remain relevant.
Acknowledging the need for reform, the ideology of maintaining existing clubs and competition
models is unrealistic and we must embrace and encourage managed change.

STRATEGIC PLAN PILLARS

PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS
Programs tailored to introduce, recruit, transition and retain participants

COMMUNITY FOOTBALL
Vibrant strong clubs that compete in competitive leagues and provide opportunity for players of all
abilities and aspirations

ORGANISATION, PEOPLE & COMMUNICATIONS

Engaged club volunteers, invested partners and high performing staff delivering consistent messaging

FACILITIES
A network of football facilities that are fit for purpose and support the growth demands of the game
FINANCE
Sustainable financial practices at all levels of the game

SUMMARY
• The Region is changing and evolving, the game must be prepared to also change with its
environment
• Change is inevitable
• Ultimate Collaboration is necessary with the betterment of the game the highest priority
• All levels of governance need to be aligned