G25 StrategyAFL Victoria – G25 Strategy – Final Report Final 4 2 Overview 2.1 OVERVIEW OF THE...

AFL Victoria – G25 Strategy – Final Report

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G25 Strategy

Final Report Recommendations June 2020

This document has been prepared in-line with the Terms of Reference Document. The purpose of this document is to provide the final recommendations for the Senior football competitions for the G25 Strategy.


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1 Contents 1 CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................... 1

2 OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Overview of the report ........................................................................................................................ 4

2.1.1 Scope of the review ............................................................................................................................... 4

2.1.2 Approach ............................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Factors impacting Gippsland Football.................................................................................................. 4

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 6

3.1 Challenges ........................................................................................................................................... 6

3.2 Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 7

3.2.1 Playing the game ................................................................................................................................... 7

3.2.2 Growing the game ............................................................................................................................... 11

3.2.3 Running the game ............................................................................................................................... 14

4 APPROACH FOR STRATEGIC PLAN ................................................................................. 24

4.1 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 24

4.2 Aim ................................................................................................................................................... 24

4.3 Approach........................................................................................................................................... 25

4.4 Success Elements .............................................................................................................................. 26

5 GIPPSLAND REGION OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 27

5.1 The Gippsland Region ........................................................................................................................ 27

6 FACTORS IMPACTING THE GIPPSLAND REGION ............................................................. 29

6.1 Demographic Factors ........................................................................................................................ 29

6.1.1 Population shifts ................................................................................................................................. 29

6.1.2 Economic ............................................................................................................................................. 29

6.1.3 Employment ........................................................................................................................................ 29

6.2 Football in Gippsland ........................................................................................................................ 29

6.2.1 Junior Leagues (Male) ......................................................................................................................... 30

6.2.2 Senior Competitions (Male) ................................................................................................................ 30

6.3 Current Roles and accountabilities for stakeholder groups in the region .......................................... 35

6.3.1 AFL ....................................................................................................................................................... 35

6.3.2 AFL Victoria ......................................................................................................................................... 35


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6.3.3 AFL Gippsland Commission ................................................................................................................. 36

6.3.4 Regional Administrative Centres ......................................................................................................... 36

6.3.5 Leagues/Umpires Associations ........................................................................................................... 37

6.3.6 Clubs .................................................................................................................................................... 38

6.3.7 Players ................................................................................................................................................. 38

7 PLAYING THE GAME – SENIOR COMPETITIONS ............................................................. 39

7.1 Challenges ......................................................................................................................................... 39

7.1.1 Levels of Competitive Imbalance ........................................................................................................ 39

7.1.2 Reliance on Out-of-Region Players to “top-up.” ................................................................................. 41

7.1.3 Alberton .............................................................................................................................................. 43

7.2 Impact if nothing changes ................................................................................................................. 44

7.3 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 45

7.3.1 League Structure Evaluation Framework ............................................................................................ 45

7.3.2 Potential League Structure Options .................................................................................................... 46

7.3.3 Evaluation of the Potential Future Gippsland League Structures ....................................................... 48

7.3.4 Implementation of the new league structures ................................................................................... 50

7.3.5 Equalisation Policies ............................................................................................................................ 55

8 PLAYING THE GAME – UNDERAGE COMPETITIONS ....................................................... 56

8.1 2019 Junior Competition Structures .................................................................................................. 56

8.2 Key challenges impacting the junior competition structures ............................................................. 57

8.2.1 Gippsland’s Aging Population ............................................................................................................. 57

8.2.2 Participant Attrition ............................................................................................................................ 58

8.2.3 Required participants for current League Structures ......................................................................... 60

8.3 Impact of the current model ............................................................................................................. 60

8.4 Recommendation underage structure ............................................................................................... 61

8.4.1 Considerations .................................................................................................................................... 61

8.4.2 Recommendation ................................................................................................................................ 61

8.4.3 Implementation .................................................................................................................................. 62

9 GROWING THE GAME ................................................................................................... 63

9.1 Challenges to growing the game ....................................................................................................... 63

9.1.1 Varying Population Growth across Gippsland ..................................................................................... 63

9.1.2 Gippsland’s Aging Population ............................................................................................................. 64

9.1.3 Increasing Population Centralisation .................................................................................................. 64

9.1.4 Junior/Youth Participant Attrition ....................................................................................................... 65


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9.1.5 Football development programs ......................................................................................................... 67


9.3 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 68

10 RUNNING THE GAME ................................................................................................ 70

10.1 Challenges Impacting the running of the game ................................................................................. 70

10.1.1 Governance ..................................................................................................................................... 70

10.1.2 AFL Victoria ..................................................................................................................................... 70

10.1.3 AFL Gippsland ................................................................................................................................. 71

10.1.4 Regional Administrative Council (RAC) ........................................................................................... 72

10.1.5 Clubs and Leagues........................................................................................................................... 73


10.3 Recommendations – Running the Game ........................................................................................... 74

10.3.1 Evaluation framework for recommendations ................................................................................. 74

10.3.2 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 74

10.4 Impact of recommendations for stakeholder groups ......................................................................... 80

11 RISKS ........................................................................................................................ 82

12 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................. 83

12.1 Glossary ............................................................................................................................................ 83

12.2 Rationale for league structure rankings ............................................................................................. 83

12.2.1 Southern Gippsland Solution .......................................................................................................... 83

12.2.2 Supporting Competitive Balance .................................................................................................... 84

12.3 2019 Gippsland leagues structure ..................................................................................................... 85

12.4 Calculation methodologies ................................................................................................................ 96


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2 Overview 2.1 OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT

2.1.1 Scope of the review

The Gippsland region has a rich football history with some leagues dating back to the 19th century. However, while community football across Victoria continues to grow, macro challenges have emerged that are impacting community clubs and their respective competitions, including in Gippsland.

To address the concerns and develop a long-term plan for the Gippsland region, AFL Victoria engaged ColganBauer to conduct an independent review into the structure of Gippsland Football. The focus is on creating a structure to ensure the sustainability of football in the region going forward, with a view for developing a strategy for football in Gippsland called the “G25 Strategy”.

The G25 Strategy addresses the Gippsland challenges and determines the appropriate operating structure, including governance and competitions, to ensure long term growth for community football in the Gippsland Region.

The strategy differs from previous reviews at it covers both competition, development and growth areas specific to community football in Gippsland and is structured around:

1. Playing the Game: Determine the right competition structure for the region and how to create a sustainable future.

2. Growing the Game: Identify the challenges and factors impacting the growth of football in Gippsland.

3. Running the Game: Determine the main issues and develop recommendations related to all off-field administrative aspects of community football in Gippsland.

2.1.2 Approach

This review focused on extensive engagement with the Gippsland football community. ColganBauer has provided several opportunities for individuals, clubs, leagues, and participants to provide feedback and commentary on the state of football in the region.

This review consisted of four phases:

1. desktop review 2. industry engagement via town hall meetings/industry surveys/club submissions, 3. Evaluation and solution design 4. Post-draft consultation and solution refinement, with consultation including:

a. Virtual town halls with the region b. Sessions with League presidents c. One on One interviews d. Written submissions from the Gippsland community

The contents of this final report are the views and recommendations of ColganBauer, AFL Victoria will need to review the recommendations with the industry to determine their position.

2.2 FACTORS IMPACTING GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL

AFL Victoria identified the need to develop a strategy for community football in Gippsland to address four critical issues that are impacting the region:


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1. The current league structures are not sustainable. Following restructures of the leagues in Gippsland, the Alberton League has reduced to six clubs and, under the current model, this league is not viable.

2. There is a decline in participation in the Gippsland region. Current Gippsland participation rates are declining while Victorian country participation is growing - male juniors are declining at 1% per year, male youth at 2% per year and male seniors are flat. Junior participation decline is a lead indicator for future issues with participation at a senior level.

3. Demographic changes are impacting community football. Over the last ten years, the population in Gippsland has been increasingly ageing, with low overall population growth across the region. Population growth is flat in the most eastern areas compared to the western regions, alongside increasing migration to regional centres. All these factors have been impacting club sustainability and competitive balance.

4. The current administrative model is broken. In July 2019, the previous AFL Gippsland commission was replaced by three interim commissioners from the AFL. There is also a lack of support for the current regional services with most leagues leaving the Regional Administration Centre (RAC).

Thank you for everyone that has participated in developing this report. The community has been very keen to provide feedback throughout the process, and this report has looked to incorporate the views of the community.

The recommendations have considered the impact of COVID on the region. As things are

still changing, there may be further adjustment requirements during implementation through

the agreement between AFL Victoria, AFL Gippsland and the Gippsland Community


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3 Executive Summary Summary of the findings and recommendations in the report

3.1 CHALLENGES

Through the development of the report, there have been many challenges identified across each of these areas:

1. Football participation base is declining:

a. Male juniors are declining at 1% per year, male youth is declining at 2% per year, and male seniors are experiencing zero growth (2017-2019). These dynamics place pressure on senior teams.

b. Population trends indicate modest growth in 10 – 19-year-old males across Gippsland over the next ten years, with the eastern side experiencing small growth. These trends will impact the viability of clubs.

c. Population forecasts also indicate that Gippsland residents are increasingly centralising into larger towns. The movement will impact isolated towns and their associated community clubs.

2. The current league structures are not sustainable:

a. The creation of the West Gippsland Football Netball League resulted in the Alberton league reducing to seven teams. When an Alberton club, DWWW, entered administration, this reduced to six sides for the 2019 season. A six-team league will not be sustainable moving forward.

b. Significant growth in the western corridor of the region is forecast over the next ten years. The competition model needs to be flexible enough to adapt to these changes.

3. The model to support the run football in the region has broken down:

a. During 2019, AFL Gippsland was operating at a loss. As a result, the AFL Gippsland Commission resigned and were replaced by an interim commission. The current Commission does not include anyone from the local area.

b. Post-implementation of the Regional Administrative Centre (RAC), several leagues have now left citing poor service levels or increasing costs as the primary reasons. Without changes, the existing model is likely to fail.


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3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

The Final recommendations for the G25 Strategy are captured in the following tables

ColganBauer appreciates the level of involvement from all stakeholders across the Gippsland community football to provide input into this report.

3.2.1 Playing the game

3.2.1.1 Senior competitions

Recommendation – Playing the Game

Detail Rationale

P.1.1. The Alberton FNL Clubs to join the Mid Gippsland FNL for the 2021 season

In 2019, six teams competed in the Alberton Football Netball Competition, and nine clubs in the Mid Gippsland FNL.

Integrate into the Mid Gippsland Football Netball League competition to create a 15-club competition.

The league structure would then become an 18 round season, with an annual rotation of home and away, followed by a top-eight finals structure.

1. League sustainability, for the smaller leagues with less financial security having a larger league size, will provide high protection for the league that may come from further shocks

2. It is forecast that the Western corridor will continue to grow, but the central and southern parts of Gippsland is going to have low/ no growth. Highlighting the need to strength central Gippsland

3. The amalgamation of the two leagues under the Mid Gippsland governance of the MGFNL will improve the financial position for all members

4. A final eight structure will ensure more teams play finals, increase the number of finals played to nine – which should also improve the financial health of the competition

5. The demographic and economic dynamics between the Southern Gippsland clubs and Mid-Gippsland are similar, while the dynamics in the Western Corridor a different

6. The Mid Gippsland FNL structure is financially sound with a robust governance model that can accommodate the addition of the South Gippsland clubs and provide the opportunity for the South Gippsland clubs to be active members


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Detail Rationale

P1.2. Develop a model in the western region to manage the competitive balance by 2025

Shift to divisional football in the Western corridor, with the West Gippsland competition and Ellinbank League maintain their heritage. To be implemented at the point of best fit before 2025

Before the implementation of the divisional structure clubs should develop the promotion/relegation criteria

1. Address the forecasted population trends in the western half of Gippsland, where the north-west population is growing at a faster rate than the south-west, which will impact competitive balance and the financial strength of clubs.

2. There are currently two levels of competition within both leagues (as measured by average club win rate over three years). By creating a divisional structure, the competitive balance across these two league’s associated clubs should improve.

P1.3. Update salary caps by the start of 2021

The apply a reduction in salary caps to all Gippsland senior competitions. The modification to be done in conjunction with surrounding areas as this will have a direct impact on the ability of leagues to attract and retain talent.

AFL Victoria to continue to review of the salary caps across all of Victoria annually, to ensure no senior participation shock in the regions.

There also needs to be an increase in the audit of the club’s salary cap positions with a new process put in place to ensure compliance

A key concern raised by interviewed clubs was the increasing cost and revenue pressure of running a club, with player payments what identified as a primary driver cost pressure for clubs.

By reducing salary caps, the financial pressure on clubs will decline, and club sustainability will increase.

Reduction in salary caps may also contribute towards increased competitive balance as the incentive for players to move to financially stronger clubs will be reduced.

There a currently very few audits conducted on salary caps. As the caps reduce the controls to identify and educate “offending” clubs, need to be strengthened as the margin of error will decrease.

Coming out of COVID football finances will be challenged, this is going create a greater need to reduce salary caps.


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Detail Rationale

P1.4. Review the player points system to continue to incentivise junior retention/development ongoing

AFL Victoria to conduct a review of the player points program currently being used in Gippsland and identify improvements/revisions to incentivise junior retention and development by senior clubs.

While there is not a 1:1 relationship between every junior / senior football club in the region, the importance of forging relationships between junior and senior clubs was highlighted at various Town Hall sessions.

To promote these relationships and incentivise clubs to develop local talent, reviewing and adjusting the player points program to promote further the creation of junior / senior club alignment should occur. Addressing the region’s challenge and concern regarding junior/youth drop-out.


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3.2.1.2 Underage competitions


Detail Rationale

P2.1. Align the Junior / Youth age bracket structure in central and eastern Gippsland to an U14s / U17s structure

Transition all central Gippsland leagues (junior and senior) to a U14s / U17s competition model from 2021.

Leagues that would change include:

• Traralgon DJFC: Remove U16s

• Mid Gippsland FNL: Remove U16s and U18s, add U17s

• North Gippsland FNL: Remove U18s, add U17s

Lower population growth in central Gippsland areas (La Trobe Valley and Wellington), along with population centralisation will impact participation levels into the future.

There is not the current participation base in the Gippsland region to be able to support the existing number of clubs and grades within Gippsland at the 14 to 18 age group.

The current starting grade for junior football aligns to AusKick and provides a pathway for players to move into and ensure players stay playing the game.

To ensure club sustainability and alignment with the youth structures, we need the model needs to support clubs to field a youth competition to support the transition from the junior leagues into the senior sides

By aligning to the Football Netball East Gippsland’s U14s / U17s structure across half the region, clubs will have greater ease to fill sides, given less overall age brackets, and promote greater sustainability (e.g. MGFNL’s U18s competition only had four clubs in 2019)


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3.2.2 Growing the game

Recommendation – Growing the Game

Detail Rationale

G.1. Conduct a study to determine the significant factors for participation drop-off in junior and youth participation

AFL Victoria should conduct a research study to understand factors that lead to players to leave the football system at junior and youth age groups in country regions.

Junior and youth participation was a significant issue that was expressed by most of the Gippsland football community. However, each party had varying views on the key factors the led to participation drop-off.

By completing this recommendation, AFL Victoria, AFL Gippsland and the Gippsland football community will have clarity on the drivers of football drop-out, allowing programs to be developed that will have the most impact in the future.

G.2. AFL Victoria to launch a ‘junior/youth acquisition and retention program’ based on the findings from Recommendation G.1.

AFL Victoria to launch an ‘acquisition and retention program’ – aimed at increasing junior and youth participant retention in the region. The program scope and direction to be based on the findings from the ‘participation drop-off’ project.

Based on ColganBauer analysis, AFL Gippsland league participants have a higher drop-out rate across most age brackets between 10 and 18 years old compared to the Country Victorian average.

The community also expressed this as an area of concern during consultation.

Utilising the findings from the participation drop-off study ensures that tactics employed address the significant factors of the decline and provides maximum benefit from the effort invested.

G.3. AFL Victoria to devise a women’s football strategy for the Gippsland region

To best promote and grow women’s football across the region, AFL Gippsland with AFL Victoria need to develop a women’s football strategy specifically for Gippsland.

In 2019, there were ~1.1k female participants in Gippsland compared to ~11.5k male participants.

Considering the strong community ties expressed regarding netball in Gippsland, AFL Victoria should create a Gippsland-specific women’s football strategy. This strategy should determine how to promote best and grow women’s football while remaining mindful of netball.


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Detail Rationale

G.4. AFL Victoria to take greater accountability for the development of grassroots football within the region in working with the FDM’s

Greater alignment between FDM’s in the region and the overall AFL Victoria model. Agreement with AFL Victoria of their annual plan.

Currently, the Gippsland region is responsible for establishing the development plan. A model replicated across the whole of the state.

AFL Victoria should be responsible for working with the regions to develop the strategy, with the regions responsible for the tactics to implement the plan.

Support from AFL Victoria could provide scale across the state in developing the tactics and providing tools to support the region.

G.5. An annual plan to be developed by FDMs for programs that will run during the year

The recommendation will promote greater transparency regarding responsibilities; the FDMs will conduct yearly planning.

There should be a quarterly review of progress against the plan between the FDMs/AFL Victoria/RGM.

Through annual planning, FDMs will be able to establish their responsibilities for the year, subsequently allowing the clubs and leagues to plan for the year with greater clarity. Ongoing monitoring provides for adjustments where required and ensures accountability

G.6. Club Improvement Program (CIP) requires greater investment by AFL Victoria

The CIP requires greater support from AFL Victoria.

It is unreasonable to expect FDMs should be skilled in all areas. Implement a ‘champion model’ between FDMs to educate and train other FDMs/additional resources provided.

Part of the role of the FDM’s remit is to deliver the CIP. The scope of the FDM role is vast and identifying someone with all the required capabilities to support club improvement is challenging.

Refreshment of the way the CIP is delivered should enable greater support to be provided to Clubs.

A ‘champion model’ provides the ability for specialisation and means that there is not the need to have capabilities in all areas.

AFL Victoria should be responsible as the model can be leveraged to support all regions across the state.


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Detail Rationale

G.7. Complete more targeted schools’ programs across primary and secondary schools

Devise more targeted school programs and roll-out these programs across the region; the project aims to transition more kids into community football.

During interviews and consultation with the region, people identified that the focus for development was on Auskick age participants with a gap for older school development programs in the region.

These programs can recruit players to the game as well as enhance the capability/ enjoyment of current participants.

These first phases of these programs should focus on areas where there has been seen a reduction in youth penetration, before expanding across the whole region.

G.8. Clearly define the roles between league administrators and FDMs

Provide clarity for league and clubs by clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of league administrators and FDMs.

The role of the FDMs in Gippsland should be communicated to all stakeholders, including captured on the AFL Gippsland website

The role of the FDMs and league administrators are linked. However, the roles and responsibilities of both areas are not understood by the whole community.

The role of the FDMs is funded by AFL Victoria, while the league administrators need to be financed by league fees.

The current model provides ambiguity in the role that each function plays in delivering football in the region.

Clearly defined roles and responsibilities that are communicated will ensure the community understands the services they should be receiving depending on their engagement with the RAC or as affiliates of AFL Victoria.

G.9. Create a Club Development/ Sustainability role in the RAC

The RAC should create and hire a Club Development / Sustainability role to provide specialist support to Gippsland clubs regarding their challenges around sustainability.

This new role should be introduced to ensure clear separation of game development activity and club sustainability activity, and reduce confusion in roles/responsibilities across the region


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3.2.3 Running the game

3.2.3.1 Increase coordination in the management of football in Gippsland

Recommendation – Running the Game:

Area 1: Increase coordination in the management of football in Gippsland

Detail Rationale

R.A1.1. AFL Victoria to review and respond to the report within six weeks of the receipt of the final report., this should include a timeline for recommendations that are not impacted by COVID.

To address the region’s feedback regarding multiple reviews without action/ feedback, AFL Victoria set out a clear timeline for implementation of the G25 Strategy.

One of the most significant friction points between the region and AFL Victoria was regarding the number of reviews that have occurred without action or feedback. AFL Victoria should avoid a repeat of these events.

There will be several recommendations delayed by COVID that may require amendment in the future, resulting in the need for flexibility regarding implementation timing

R.A1.2. Develop a working group made up of a mix of AFL Victoria, AFL Gippsland, leagues and clubs to be responsible for the review and implementation of the recommendations.

Similar to R.A.1.1, to address the challenge of multiple reviews without action/feedback, a working group, including a mix of stakeholders, should be assembled to implement these recommendations.

The working group consisting of multiple stakeholder groups (see left), will ensure the recommendations progressed to implementation consist of both a community and administrative focus.

A mixed stakeholder group will also help to continue to encourage transparency across the region.

R.A1.3. Move to structured communications and forums with a clearly defined calendar for meetings in the region.

Avoid breakdowns in communication between all parties; communications/ forums should operate to a clearly defined schedule in the region.

Clear communication with the region will help improve relationships between the various stakeholders.


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Detail Rationale

R.A1.4. Redefine the role of the AFL Gippsland Commission to act as an advisory board setting the strategic direction for football in the region. This advisory board should consist of people from the Gippsland region

The role of the Commission needs to be redefined and focus on setting the strategic direction for football across Gippsland.

Including removing the volunteers from financial liabilities and other risks associated with being a director

By redefining the role to focus on the strategic direction in sharpens the focus of the group, while removing the “day-to-day” administrative burden of the previous commission structure

Having local people setting the direction is essential as they have a higher level of understanding of the issues impacting football in the great

R.A1.5. Develop a responsibilities matrix for community football in Gippsland defining the roles and responsibilities for all processes.

Accountabilities for all relevant community football activities should be clearly defined.

Consultation with the region revealed that there was a level of ambiguity regarding the roles/responsibilities of various stakeholder groups in Gippsland.

Developing a responsibilities matrix and distributing in into the region will remove ambiguity in who should be delivering each process.

R.A1.6. AFL Victoria to support Gippsland to implement this strategic plan.

It is ColganBauer’s view that AFL Victoria stepped back too far from administering football in Gippsland. AFL Victoria should increase its role in the region by supporting Gippsland stakeholders. Implement this strategic plan.

The current model of Gippsland football resourced constrained to have the capacity to implement all the recommendations. The recommendations included in this report will require additional time and resources.

To deliver this plan AFL Victoria will need to provide support to ensure operations can continue during implementation


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Detail Rationale

R.A1.7. AFL Victoria to include KPIs in their performance measures related to AFL Gippsland meeting their compliance obligations.

It is ColganBauer’s view that AFL Victoria stepped back too far from administering football in Gippsland. AFL Victoria should include KPIs in their performance measures related to AFL Gippsland.

To ensure increased accountability from AFL Victoria regarding football in Gippsland, KPIs should be included in their performance measures relating to supporting AFL Gippsland in meeting their compliance obligations, e.g. the non-production of financial statements for two years.

R.A1.8. AFL Victoria representatives to periodically attend formal league meetings and participate in a regional working group. Invest in developing more significant ties with the region.

To reverse the deterioration of AFL Victoria’s relationship with the region, AFL Victoria representatives should attend formal league meetings and participate in the regional working group.

AFL Victoria to get a better understanding of regional issues and enhance their relationship with the region.

Where appropriate attendance could be via a video conferencing tool or teleconference tool

R.A1.9. Ensure that the appeals board members are communicated to the region, with the rationale for findings widely shared

AFL Victoria nominates the appeals board from a shortlist.

The sharing of the rationale for the board members and their reasoning behind decisions will provide visibility to the region

Ensures decisions include a representative with an understanding of local issues.


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3.2.3.2 Refresh of the Gippsland RAC Operating Model


Area 2: Refresh of the Gippsland RAC Operating Model

Detail Rationale

R.A2.1. Implement a continuous improvement model to refine the business processes and identify points of failure.

Roll out standardise improvement practises across the RAC to identify the root cause of issues and develop initiatives to address the challenges.

The implementation will help address the RAC cost increases that have occurred in the past, with a focus on process improvement to delivering cost efficiencies

R.A2.2. AFL Victoria to provide support to the RAC through additional resources and training until the centre can stabilise their service offerings.

AFL Victoria should provide additional funding or resources to help rapidly advance the services that can be delivered by the RAC.

To help the RAC stabilise as quickly as possible to provide a cost-effective service offering to the region, AFL Victoria should give support in the form of additional resources and training.

Other regions can use anything developed for Gippsland can be used in other areas.

R.A2.3. Perform an activity analysis of RAC staff.

Undertake a baseline of all activities completed by RAC staff to understand what services to stop and what provides value.

Discussions with community members detailed that there was a level of ambiguity regarding the service offerings from the RAC.

Subsequently, an activity analysis should identify processes delivered by the RAC. Following this analysis, identify services to stop/ refine


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Detail Rationale

R.A2.4. Develop a service catalogue for RAC services with a clearly defined pricing matrix based on a clearly defined cost driver.

Use this to develop a tiered service model to provide greater flexibility to leagues (e.g. low, moderate, high service).

Defined RAC service offerings and pricing structure should improve transparency for all parties.

To provide service flexibility and incentivise leagues/associations to come onboard to the RAC, implement a tiered service model, e.g. low, moderate, high service).

Given the ambiguity in RAC service offering and lack of financial reports, leagues/clubs were unclear about what the pricing they were paying the RAC for delivered.

A service catalogue of the RAC will help outline prices to leagues and improve transparency.

The reputation of the RAC in the region is currently negative, with leagues highlighting RAC costs as an issue.

By providing a tiered service model with various pricing levels, there will be greater flexibility for leagues should they wish to re-engage the RAC in the future.

R.A2.5. The RAC to report through AFL Victoria (not the Commission).

This change would result in the reporting line for the RAC moving from the AFL Gippsland Commission to report to the AFL Victoria country football team.

Historically the RAC reported through the AFL Gippsland Commission. The Commission is a volunteer board – with limited time to invest in staff management. Bringing the RAC under AFL Victoria will provide

• Greater alignment between the RAC and AFL Vic

• The ability for the RAC to use AFL Victoria resources

• Increased scale benefits to the Gippsland RAC

• Enhanced staff development

• Remove administrative management from the AFL Gippsland Commission so they can focus on the competitions in the region


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Detail Rationale

R.A2.6. FDMs to report through a development area manager, with greater alignment to AFL Victoria.

To separate administrative and development activities, an area manager responsible for FDMs should report provide oversight over the FDM’s in Gippsland and have more alignment with AFL Victoria.

Delineates the two areas between administration and football development, and ensures the focus is on development and not administrative support.

R.A2.7. Create greater specialisation in RAC roles, e.g. financial management to remove hybrid roles.

Improve service quality and delivery by making RAC roles more specialised.

Where the scale does not exist in Gippsland look to pool resources across regions

Under the current model, staff have a mix of skillsets and generalist capabilities. Realignment of activity allows for the development of specialisation.

The recommendation should improve service quality and efficiency within the delivery of football in the region.

3.2.3.3 Improve AFL Gippsland financial management


Area 3: Improve AFL Gippsland financial management

Detail Rationale

R.A3.1. For each element of the service catalogue, determine the cost to deliver and pricing model (also refer to Recommendation R.A2.5.)

For all delivered services by the RAC, there should be a clear understanding of the cost to provide that service. Understanding the cost will inform the pricing structure and whether the service is viable.

Based on the cost to deliver, create a pricing model for each service that the RAC will provide.

Understanding the cost of services allows the RAC to determine the appropriate charge out rate to the leagues. The change provides transparency to leagues regarding the price for specific services.


Final 20


Area 3: Improve AFL Gippsland financial management

Detail Rationale

R.A3.2. Work performed by the RAC not related to a league administrative service arrangement requires a different funding model (e.g. AFL Vic if they need the job).

Separating administrative and game development funding sources, any activity that not administrative deemed “league administration” should not be funded by the RAC and an alternative model

Leagues in the RAC subsidise non-league administrative services today. By removing this burden and finding an appropriate funding source, RAC cost pressures will be addressed

R.A3.3. Update financial controls, purchasing policies and delegations of authority

Analyse and update financial cost controls where appropriate to reduce spend (i.e. purchasing policies, delegations of authority).

Reduces unnecessary spending, helping to improve AFL Gippsland’s financial management

R.A3.4. Implement a strict annual planning process to enter the new financial year with clearly defined budgets.

AFL Gippsland should have a greater focus on business performance, given their prior history, including implementing a strict annual planning and budgeting process to enter the new financial year.

Address the financial performance of AFL Gippsland in recent years. By having a strict annual planning process, there will be a greater focus on business performance.

R.A3.5. Establish a meeting calendar, capture critical meetings, including when the AGM.

Communications and forums should have a clearly defined schedule in the region – including AGMs.

Ensures AFL Gippsland has accountability to the region for communication and reporting on performance.

R.A3.6. Continue to work to align the current Gippsland umpire associations and drive scale

The five Gippsland umpire associations should continue to work closely together and identify opportunities for increased central management (i.e. HR, Finance functions, etc.). Centrally management should help to improve efficiency and reduce industry cost of umpiring.

There are currently five umpire associations that operate to meet the officiating needs of the region. They have worked to drive greater coordination.

They should continue to work towards a central model. By centrally managing these associations, there will be increased efficiency of umpire scheduling and cost management.


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3.2.3.4 Deliver a volunteer support program


Area 4: Deliver a volunteer support program

Detail Rationale

R.A4.1. Develop a community volunteer marketing campaign to encourage more people to be involved in their local sporting organisation. (Investigate the potential to enter a partnership with other organisations.)

To promote volunteerism in community football, launch a community volunteer marketing campaign throughout the region.

Declining volunteerism and higher expectation of volunteers was a challenge raised by Gippsland community members.

By promoting an increased number of volunteers through a designed marketing campaign, the issue of volunteer burnout and increased volunteer workload will reduce for existing volunteers

R.A4.2. Review the role of the club secretary to reduce the workload.

Given the large workload expected from committee roles, a review of the club secretary role should be conducted with the view to reduce the role’s workload.

Discussion with clubs and league representatives identified significant complexity had been introduced to the club secretary role.

We expect reducing the workload through identifying efficiencies, higher retention, and attraction of volunteers for committee members/club secretary roles

R.A4.3. Review and update salary cap management process (Aligned to Recommendation P.3.)

The process to manage salary caps by Clubs / Leagues should be reviewed and streamlined, this includes the audit process

Community members identified that the process to track and manage the salary cap is not efficient and time-consuming. To promote volunteerism and volunteer retention, streamline the process.

R.A4.4. Review and update the player points process.

The process of management player points by Clubs / Leagues should be reviewed and streamlined.

Community members identified that the process to track and manage the player points is not efficient and time-consuming. To promote volunteerism and volunteer retention, streamline the process.


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Area 4: Deliver a volunteer support program

Detail Rationale

R.A4.5. Leagues to review by-laws to simplify and standardise across the region.

Simplify the league by-laws should reduce administrative burden and complexity for volunteers.

Reduction in the by-laws of the leagues will streamline administration.

Greater alignment across league’s by-laws should ensure that support/ advice provided by AFL Gippsland or AFL Victoria is consistent.

R.A4.6. Increase training and support for volunteers through a volunteer program.

Volunteers should have access to training and support materials relevant to their roles (especially new Committee members).

Given the increasing pressure of attracting volunteers and the complexity of the roles, providing training and support will help to support volunteer retention and workload reduction.

R.A4.7. Hold formal sessions for committee members at the commencement of each season to understand responsibilities.

To best prepare committee members for their role in the season ahead, a formal session should be conducted before the start of the season to outline responsibilities.

Various club representatives raised a key-person risk for their club/league given the tenure of some of the current committee members.

This recommendation will address this risk in knowledge leakage, improve education and support volunteers in executing their role.

R.A4.8. Review the roles required by leagues and clubs to develop an example best in class operating model for clubs and leagues.

A standardised best in class model for community clubs would help clubs to benchmark their structure against peers and identify areas for improvement, help address the increasing workload on volunteers.

By establishing the roles required by leagues/clubs to demonstrate what a ‘best in class’ model for operating a club/league.

Due to limited volunteers, management, and efficient use of their time is critical to reducing workload. By understanding what is ‘best practice’, clubs and leagues will be able to review and update their governance functions.


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3.2.3.5 Improve club finances


Area 5: Improve club finances

Detail Rationale

R.A5.1. Continued focus on salary cap reduction (also refer to Recommendation P.3.)

There should be a continued focus on salary cap reduction by clubs, with input into AFL Victoria for a more regional review of salary caps.

Reduction in salary caps reduces the cost base for clubs, helping to improve financial sustainability

R.A5.2. RAC to develop a centralised procurement offering (opt-in model) for clubs and leagues with a focus on leveraging buying power across the region, e.g. tape, food and beverage contracts, equipment.

To improve negotiating power with suppliers, the RAC should develop a centralised procurement offering for clubs (opt-in model).

Group buying should provide a reduction in the cost per unit for the clubs, helping clubs address the increasing cost and revenue pressures.

Implement an opt-in model to offer flexibility for clubs/leagues to participate, given the RAC’s current position.


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4 Approach for Strategic Plan 4.1 BACKGROUND

While community football continues to grow at a national level across Australia, the macro challenges emerging impact community clubs and their respective competitions:

1. While volunteers are still passionate about community football, they are finding it harder to run the clubs/leagues and require additional support/tools.

2. There is increasing financial pressure. The costs associated with running leagues and clubs are growing at a time when it is becoming more challenging to raise funding, which places stress on the bottom line for community clubs and leagues.

3. Clubs/associations are finding it harder to attract players, coaches, and umpires. The two factors impacting country football are:

a. Changing population trends in regional areas has led to a smaller pool of people to draw players.

b. As urbanisation expands, more players are attracted to playing in metro centres.

4. The safety and wellbeing of players are paramount. Most country players are young males aged between 18 – 35, which is a particularly high-risk demographic (1). There is an opportunity to increase support through programs targeted at community football players.

The Gippsland region has a rich football history, with some of the leagues dating back to the 19th century. Along with the macro factors, there are also several localised challenges which place additional strain on the clubs and leagues.

To address the concerns and develop a long-term plan for the Gippsland region, AFL Victoria engaged ColganBauer to conduct an independent review into the structure of Gippsland Football with a focus on creating a structure to ensure the sustainability of football in the region going forward.

4.2 AIM

The G25 Strategic Plan aims to:

• Provide a model that supports all leagues and clubs to be financially viable, moving forward.

• Maintain competitive balance across all competitions.

• Develop a future model to support clubs attract and retain players.

• Build mechanisms to support volunteers in running their clubs/leagues.

• Ensure junior, and youth competitions are healthy and can feed into senior competitions.

• Maintain the history and legacy of football in the Gippsland region.

• Create a governance and coordination model that provides consistency across the region (e.g. AFL, AFL Vic, AFL Gippsland, leagues, and clubs).

(1) Refers to mental health, drugs and risk-taking behaviour as discussed by community members


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In developing the G25 Strategic Plan, this work has endeavoured to:

• Understand the current situation.

- How is football in the region currently managed?

- What are the current challenges experienced?

- What are the external factors influencing the competitions?

• Develop a future model to support the delivery of football in the region:

- What are the needs of stakeholders from the new model?

- What variables do we need to manage in developing the future model?

- What are the critical principles with the new model?

- What steps are required to establish a future model?

• Engage extensively across the industry to drive alignment and ensure a sustainable solution:

- Engage with Gippsland Regional Representatives, leagues, clubs.

- Engage with AFL, AFL Victoria Representatives, Netball Victoria.

- Engage with neighbouring Commissions.

- Seek and obtain feedback on recommendations.

4.3 APPROACH

This review focused on engagement with the Gippsland football community. We have provided several opportunities for individuals, clubs, leagues, and participants to provide feedback and commentary on the state of football in the region.

The approach to the development of the strategic plan was broken into four phases.

4.3.1.1 Desktop review

• Evaluate prior review outputs to understand the findings and outcomes of decisions.

• Analysis of source participant data to identify player trends and changes

• Study of macro demographic factors in the region affecting football.

• Evaluation of financial performance where the information is available

4.3.1.2 Industry engagement and solution design

1. Initial industry survey sent to club and league presidents – conducted in October

2. Four town hall discussions to capture feedback on the health of football were held in Wonthaggi, Bunyip, Traralgon, and Bairnsdale in early November.

3. A series of one-on-one interviews with a random selection of community participants from across the region

Interviewees were selected at random from the AFL Gippsland stakeholder base and included leagues, clubs, and umpire panels. November 2019.

4. Open submissions for feedback on football in the region with submissions invited to be submitted by the end of November.


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4.3.1.3 Evaluation and solution design

The strategy differs from previous reviews at it covers both competition, development and growth areas specific to community football in Gippsland and is structured around:

• Playing the Game: Determine the right competition structure for the region and how to create a sustainable future.

• Growing the Game: Identify the challenges and factors impacting the growth of football in Gippsland.

• Running the Game: Determine the main issues and develop recommendations related to all off-field administrative aspects of community football in Gippsland.

Recommendations have been developed based on our fact-based analysis and consultation with the industry.

4.3.1.4 Consultation

• To ensure we reflected the views of the community, following the release of the draft plan, we held a consultation period and invited the industry to provide feedback.

• Post-draft consultation and solution refinement, with consultation including: o Virtual town halls with the region o Sessions with League presidents o One on One interviews o Written submissions from the Gippsland community

• The recommendations have now been refined where appropriate to reflect the feedback provided by all industry participants

• Implementation timing has also been indicated for each of the recommendations

For the recommendations to be implemented, they are required to be adopted by AFL Gippsland under Rule 4.7.

4.4 SUCCESS ELEMENTS

The success of the G25 Strategy Plan will be measured by:

• Involvement of the relevant Gippsland Football stakeholders during the consultation process.

• Distribution of the final recommendations to all relevant stakeholders (e.g. AFL, AFL Vic, AFL Gippsland, Leagues and Clubs)


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5 Gippsland Region Overview 5.1 THE GIPPSLAND REGION

The Gippsland region is in the south-eastern corner of Victoria and covers an area from outer Melbourne to the most easterly point of Victoria, with six local government areas.

Shire Population (2016 Census)

Bass Coast 32,804

Baw Baw 48,479

South Gippsland 28,703

Latrobe 73,257

Wellington 42,983

East Gippsland 45,040

Total 271,266

Table 5-1 Gippsland Local Government Areas – Populations Source: ABS

Figure 5-1 Local Government Areas in the Gippsland Region Source: Regional Development Victoria


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Gippsland’s settlements are well established with the Latrobe Valley corridor the economic and population centre of the region. Latrobe and the west of the region have most of the larger towns. Table 5-2 shows the top 10 largest towns in the region.

Statistical Area 2 Shire Population

Traralgon Latrobe 26,785

Wonthaggi – Inverloch Bass Coast 22,228

Warragul Baw Baw 18,758

Moe – Newborough Latrobe 16,551

Drouin Baw Baw 16,207

Bairnsdale East Gippsland 14,728

Sale Wellington 14,646

Morwell Latrobe 13,808

Leongatha South Gippsland 11,079

Lakes Entrance East Gippsland 9,916

Table 5-2 Gippsland Largest Towns Statistical Area Level 2 Populations Source: ABS


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6 Factors impacting the Gippsland Region

6.1 DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

6.1.1 Population shifts

Aligned with broader Victorian trends, the larger towns in Gippsland are growing at a faster rate than smaller townships. Most of the growth is in Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Wonthaggi, Warragul and Drouin. Smaller areas are forecast to experience slow or stable growth.

The areas closest to Melbourne are forecast to grow faster than the rest of Gippsland, driven by the development of the Cardinia Employment corridor and new developments in the region.

6.1.2 Economic

The Gippsland economy has historically related to natural and economic assets, energy, water and agriculture. There has been limited growth in these areas over the last ten years with the growth focused in smaller sectors, e.g. Construction and financial services.

Recent and planned closures of powerplants in the Latrobe region, and the current Victorian government proposal to end logging of native forests in East Gippsland, is likely to translate into economic challenges.

Industry Employees Growth Rate 2014 to 2018

Health Care and Social assistance

16,900 +22%

Construction 16,000 +19%

Education and Training 13,200 +37%

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

9,800 -41%

Retail 9,600 -16%

Table 6-1 Gippsland Top Five Employing Industry and Growth Rates 2014 – 2018 Source: Australian Government Labour Information Portal

6.1.3 Employment

In the last four years, unemployment has declined from a high of 8% in October 2016 to less than 5% by October 2019. During this period, the labour participation rate stayed at a constant speed in 2017/18 with a drop off in October 2019.

6.2 FOOTBALL IN GIPPSLAND

There has been organised football and Netball clubs in Gippsland for over 120 years, with the clubs providing a central point for the towns and sense of community.


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The current structure in Gippsland includes six junior competitions, eight male senior competitions, one youth girls’ competition and one women’s competition.

The leagues have grown in the geographic areas, with two leagues (AFLG Women’s League and the Gippsland League) covering the whole region. The senior competitions are more dispersed than the junior leagues.

6.2.1 Junior Leagues (Male)

League Registered Participants 2019

East Gippsland Junior Football League Data aggregated into Senior Participation

Central Gippsland Junior Football League 649

Sale & District Junior Football Association 665

Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition

610

Traralgon & District Junior Football League 839

Warragul & District Junior Football League 1,005

Total 3,768

Table 6-2 Junior Leagues Participant Numbers 2019 Source: FootyWeb data extract

6.2.2 Senior Competitions (Male)

League Registered Participants 2019

Alberton Football Netball League 503

Ellinbank & District Football League 1,056

East Gippsland Football Netball League 1,290

Gippsland League 1,111

Mid Gippsland Football Netball League 926

North Gippsland Football Netball League 1,092

Omeo & District Football Netball League 420

West Gippsland Football Netball Competition

1,307

Total 7,705

Table 6-3 Senior Leagues Participant Numbers 2019 Source: FootyWeb data extract


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There is a concern in Gippsland about the participation base growth, as it is currently lower than the state-wide country region averages across all male categories and youth females, as shown in Figure 6-1.

Figure 6-1 Registered Players in Gippsland compared to Victoria Country Average Source: FootyWeb extract

West Gippsland Football Netball Competition has the highest registered number of participants at 1.3k, and Omeo & District Football Netball League (FNL) is the smallest at 0.42k. Without accounting for the movements of clubs between leagues, larger leagues are growing faster than smaller leagues across both junior and senior competitions. These trends This indicates there is a level of centralisation occurring within the football landscape in Gippsland.


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Figure 6-2 Gippsland Registered Players by League compared against Participant Growth Rate by League. (1) includes both junior and senior leagues. Blue = Senior Leagues, Red = Junior Leagues.

Age groups across Gippsland leagues are highly uniform, with junior leagues all fielding U10s, U12s and U14s, while Traralgon & District Junior Football League also have U8s and U16s age groups. Most senior leagues have U16s, U18s, Reserves and Senior competitions, with East Gippsland FNL being the exception having U17s, Reserves and Senior competitions only. Following the last review, FNEG shifted to an U17s model. See Table 6-4 and Table 6-5.

League

U8

s

U1

0s

U1

2s

U1

4s

U1

6s

U1

7s

U1

8s

Re

s.

Sn

r.

Y. G

irls

East Gippsland JFL

Central Gippsland JFL

Sale & District JFA

Southern Gippsland JFC

Traralgon & District JFL

Warragul & District JFL

Alberton FNL

East Gippsland FNL

Ellinbank & District FL

Gippsland League

Mid Gippsland FNL

North Gippsland FNL

Omeo & District FNL

West Gippsland FNC

Table 6-4 2019 Age Groups by League (sorted by Junior, Senior League). Green cells indicate the associated competition was active in 2019.


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League U8

s

U1

0s

U1

2s

U1

4s

U1

6s

U1

7s

U1

8s

Re

s.

Sn

r.

Y. G

irls

East Gippsland JFL

N/A 7 8


N/A 12 9

7

Sale & District JFA

N/A 11 11


N/A 9 8

6

Traralgon & District JFL N/A 9 8 8 9


15 15 15

Alberton FNL

5 6 6

East Gippsland FNL

8

8 8


9

9 10 10

Gippsland League

10

9 10 10

Mid Gippsland FNL

7

4 9 9

North Gippsland FNL

10 10 10

Omeo & District FNL

6

6

West Gippsland FNC

9

11 12 12

Table 6-5 2019 Number of Teams by Age Group by League (sorted by Junior, Senior League). Cells are coloured based on the number of teams in the age bracket/league.


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Umpire Association Leagues Officiated

Gippsland Umpire Association • Ellinbank & District Football League

• Gippsland League

• Warragul & District Junior Football League

• AFL Gippsland Youth Girls League

Sale Umpires Association • North Gippsland Football Netball League

• Gippsland Football League

• Sale and District Junior Football Association

• Victorian Women’s Football League and Junior / Youth Girls League

South Gippsland Umpires Association

• Alberton Football Netball League


• West Gippsland Football Netball Competition

• Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition

East Gippsland Umpires Association • Gippsland League

• East Gippsland Football Netball League

• Omeo & District Football Netball League

• East Gippsland Junior Football League

La Trobe Valley Umpires Association


• Mid Gippsland Football Netball League

• Central Gippsland Junior Football League

Table 6-6 Umpire Associations in Gippsland including leagues officiated


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6.3 CURRENT ROLES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES FOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IN THE REGION

6.3.1 AFL

“The AFL is responsible for the administration of the AFL and AFLW competition, and its constitution also proclaims it as the ‘keeper of the code’, the body universally responsible for the sport of Australian Football “

Source: AFL Gippsland Responsibility Matrix

Key accountabilities:

• Establish the laws of the game.

• Provide funding and oversight for AFL Victoria.

6.3.2 AFL Victoria

“AFL Vic is responsible for progressing the game so everyone can share in the heritage and possibilities and be the most accessible sport for all Victorians.”



• Stewardship over the game in Victoria.

• League/Competition integrity:

o Rules and laws of the game for Victoria. Player transfer regulations.

• Membership, participation and football development:

o General marketing/promotional activities, AFL player community visits, NAB AFL Auskick support and coordination, school promotion and recruitment programs, multicultural participation and promotional programs, representative and talent pathways.

• Volunteer support:

o Sports TG Subscription

o League/club websites

o National insurance program (public liability, professional liability, management liability, personal accident, asset protection)

o Volunteer recognition program

o Football Development Managers and Regional General Managers

o Club development programs

o Aflcommunityclub.com.au resources including templates, training and resources to support volunteers

o Incident response/crisis support

o Umpire support

o Education

o Accreditation programs (e.g. coaching, umpiring)

o Media management.


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• Club sustainability and infrastructure:

o Facilitates funding

o Grant funding and contra supplies (e.g. Maccas on Your Team)

o Revenue opportunities (e.g. Toyota Good for Footy)

o Competition management tool (online rego, comp management and clubs’ websites)

o Grants

o Training and support

o Talent pathways.

6.3.3 AFL Gippsland Commission

“To be responsible for the strategic management and conduct of Australian Football programs and competitions in the Region.”



• Strategic oversight for football in Gippsland

• Management of uniform rules for all league members (tribunals, appeals, salary cap etc.)

• Encourage, promote, manage and develop the playing of Australian football by and between members and their registered players including:

o participation growth (Auskick through to senior football)

o community and fan engagement

o talent development

• Provide oversight of the Regional Administrative Centre including finances, people and the discharge of their responsibilities

• Manage disputes between AFL Gippsland Members (leagues/clubs/players, etc)

6.3.4 Regional Administrative Centres

“To provide a service model that allows effective football development, sustainability and competition management formats within the region. While also providing strategic, administration and operational support to and for the region through varied functions.”


The Regional Administrative Centres (RAC) operate as an opt-in model for leagues/associations, with services delivered as part of an agreement between RAC member clubs and the RAC.

Critical accountabilities for participating members are:

• Working with the AFL Gippsland Commission to develop a strategy for the region

• Commercial and financial management for the AFL Gippsland Commission and the RAC

• Support functions for the RAC include:

o Financial Management


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o Human Resources

o Information Technology

o Procurement

• League administration:

o General administration (clearances, match day paperwork, fixturing, etc.)

o Interleague competition

o Management of the tribunal

o Event management (finals, medal events, information evenings, etc.)

o Financial administration (financial statements, financial planning, AP/AR, BAS preparation)

o Identify and cultivate sponsorship for leagues and AFL Gippsland

o Work with clubs to develop a strategic plan and initiatives

o Monthly performance reporting

• Media and Marketing management of the AFL Gippsland and leagues media, social media, internal and external communication, marketing, community engagement and websites

• Working with AFL Victoria FDMs to help develop football in the region

• Manage and identify facility opportunities for development, redevelopment or expansion within the area and working with the applicable regulatory body to help secure funding

6.3.5 Leagues/Umpires Associations

“The principal objective of the leagues is to stage a competitive and compelling football competition that allows all clubs playing to compete effectively at any level.”

Source: AFL Victoria Responsibility Matrix


• Develop and deliver a clear strategy for the league

• Provide league rules and overall governance for the running of the league including competition elements

• Leagues not part of the RAC:

o Game administration clearances, match day paperwork, permits

o Fixturing

o Management of the interleague competition

o Promotion of the league and clubs in the media and over social channels

o Event management (finals, medal events, information evenings, etc.)

o Financial administration (financial statements, financial planning, AP/AR, BAS preparation for the league)

o Support clubs to identify and cultivate sponsorship for leagues

o Support clubs in dealing with other regulatory authorities


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6.3.6 Clubs

“Aim to provide an opportunity for all junior, youth and senior participants in their area to participate in Australian Rules Football and enhance their health and wellbeing through organised sport.”



• List management (including the salary cap and player points)

• Coach and develop players.

• Governance and coordination of administrative activities for the club (finance, implementation of policies and guidelines, e.g. working with children, racial vilification, member protection, etc.)

• Fundraising for the club

• Promote and market the club

• Management of facilities (including co-tenant relationships)

• Recruitment and training of volunteers.

• Management memberships – acquisition, retention and administration

6.3.7 Players

“To participate and compete fairly for a club of choice within the rules and regulations of the Australian Football Club competition.”



• Prepare and play.

• Conform to all relevant policies and regulations.


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7 Playing the game – Senior Competitions

Review of the competitions in Gippsland to determine the right competition structure for the region and how to create a sustainable future.

7.1 CHALLENGES

7.1.1 Levels of Competitive Imbalance

Many Gippsland leagues suffer from competitive imbalance with a few dominant clubs in each league. Competition balance is a significant driver of attendance, participation, sponsorship and interest, both from a player and support perspective.

Figure 7-1 captures the distribution of win rates within each league’s senior competition. The closer the win rates across the sides, the more competitively balanced the competition is.


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Figure 7-1 Three-year Average Win Rate by Club by League Source: SportsTG end of season ladder results, 2017 – 2019, ColganBauer analysis

From these win rate distributions, we can see various areas of concern:

• Ellinbank & District Football League have two levels of competition, one including the

top seven teams and one including the bottom three teams

• West Gippsland Football Netball Competition top six clubs (Phillip Island, Inverloch-

Kongwak, Cora Lynn, Tooradin-Dalmore, Nar Nar Goon) all have similar win rate

percentages. At the same time, the bottom six are significantly lower.

• There are several clubs with win rates below 15% (~1 in 6 games):

o M.D.U. (9%) – Alberton FNL.

o Lang Lang (11%) – Ellinbank & District Football League.

o Boolarra (6%) – Mid Gippsland FNL

o Gormandale (7%) – North Gippsland FNL

o Swan Reach (13%) – Omeo & District Football League

o Warragul Industrials (11%) – West Gippsland Football Netball Competition.

7.1.2 Reliance on Out-of-Region Players to “top-up.”

Given the proximity to the outer urban fringes of Melbourne, some of Gippsland’s leagues have ‘out-of-region’ players on their playing lists. This reliance on out-of-region players suggests that the total number of leagues and clubs in the region is not in line and sustainable with the local population.


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Each league has a different reliance on out-of-region players to top-up their playing lists. As expected, the further east of Melbourne, the lower the percentage of ‘out-of-region’ players. Alberton FNL is an outlier – which has a comparatively large 20.1% of players sourced from out of the region. See Table 7-1 and Table 7-2.

Out-of-region players have been defined based on their registered place of address in the Footyweb database and whether it aligns with the AFL Gippsland region. Under this definition, areas such as Pakenham are considered ‘out-of-region’. In 2019, 7.5% of players on Gippsland lists were considered ‘out of region’.

The high reliance on out-of-region players is likely to become a significant problem if there is a shock that impacts community football. The need to attract players relies on incentives to compete for players with other areas and encourage players to commute to Gippsland.

The reduction or loss of the 2020 season and economic impact on the community from COVID, will put the ability for clubs to be able to attract players to commute to the region at risk. If there is a significant drop in the number of out of region players will place club sustainability at risk.

7.1.2.1 Junior Leagues (Male)

League % of Out-of-Region Players

Warragul & District Junior Football League 3.0%

Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition 1.2%

Sale & District Junior Football Association 0.7%

Central Gippsland Junior Football League 0.0%

Traralgon & District Junior Football League 0.0%

East Gippsland Junior Football League Data aggregated into Seniors

Table 7-1 Percentage of Out-of-Region players in Junior Leagues Source: Footyweb Data Extract, ColganBauer Analysis


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7.1.2.2 Senior Competitions (Male)

League % of Out-of-Region Players

West Gippsland Football Netball Competition 27.9%

Alberton Football Netball League 20.1%

Ellinbank & District Football League 17.8%

Mid Gippsland Football Netball League 6.1%

North Gippsland Football Netball League 5.4%

Gippsland League 5.2%

Omeo & District Football Netball League 3.7%

East Gippsland Football Netball League 3.0%

Table 7-2 Percentage of Out-of-Region Players in Senior Leagues Source: Footyweb Data Extract, ColganBauer Analysis

7.1.3 Alberton

The Alberton FNL is in southern Gippsland with six clubs competing in the 2019 season (Fish Creek, Foster, M.D.U, Stony Creek, Tarwin, Toora), which is down from 12 teams in 2016.

During the 2015 season, a review was conducted by AFL Gippsland with the recommendation to create a West Gippsland competition. The league was created for the start of the 2017 season with five teams coming out of the Alberton League leaving a smaller seven club competition. Then in 2018, DWWW went into recess citing a lack of players in the district, leaving the Alberton league with a six-team competition.

Following another review in 2018, there was a recommendation for Alberton to join the Mid Gippsland Football Netball League (FNL). Mid Gippsland FNL’s appeal against the review recommendation to merge the two leagues was upheld.

Following the upheld appeal of Alberton to join Mid Gippsland, clubs then submitted applications to go to other leagues which broke up the Alberton League. Stony Creek’s application to join Ellinbank DFNL went ahead and was denied by the Ellinbank DFNL with the subsequent appeal dismissed.

As a six-team competition, the strength of the league has declined, increasing the challenge to attract and retain players. As such, it is creating a burden on the existing clubs to remain viable in the current structure.

Three options exist to solve the Alberton league issue:

1. Shore up the Alberton League by bringing additional clubs into the league, disrupting other leagues

2. Disband the Alberton League by shifting clubs into different leagues. The result would be that there would not be a football league in South Gippsland, ultimately challenging the sustainability of these southern clubs.


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3. The Alberton League remains in its current structure but stops being a ‘competitive’ football league and shifts to a ‘social’ competition with a reduction in the number of teams. Resulting in a significant impact on the netball league and have potential flow through to participation at both a senior and junior level in Gippsland.

7.2 IMPACT IF NOTHING CHANGES

Competition balance is a significant driver for club viability and long-term league viability. If clubs are not competitively sustainable on-field, with player attraction becoming difficult, player attrition will increase, and sponsorship revenue will be harder to acquire. If there is not an improvement in competitive balance in select Gippsland leagues, weaker clubs may lose too many players to field sides and subsequently fold or must merge to survive.

Relying on out-of-region players to top-up Gippsland playing lists is not sustainable in the future from a financial perspective. Currently, AFNL relies on 20% top-up of players from out of the region. These Melbourne-based players are driving up the total player payments as higher payments are required incentivising them to drive down to Southern Gippsland every week. This reliance on top-up players for the western and southern leagues also places Gippsland participation levels at risk to external factors such as increases in player salary caps in metropolitan regions. Without addressing this reliance, player costs will continue to remain at the same level as they are today, which have been expressed as not sustainable in the long-term by the Gippsland community clubs.


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7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

7.3.1 League Structure Evaluation Framework

We assessed the various league structure options against framework defined framework. This framework captures two elements: a qualitative assessment against the selected design principles and a view on the ease of acceptance within the region.

The four design principles chosen are:

1. Long-term sustainability: To what extent does the new structure allow for long-term

sustainability, given population trends and shifts?

Since the release of the interim report, the focus on sustainability has increased

because of COVID. We expanded sustainability to consider the impact of COVID on

Gippsland and more directly on football.

2. Competitive balance adaptability: To what extent does the new structure allow for

maintenance of competitive balance and adapt as different clubs become more

dominant due to population growth, financial means and greater junior

retention/development?

3. Alignment of junior and senior competitions: To what extent does the new

structure have alignment between the clubs that juniors compete against senior

clubs?

4. Alignment of football and netball competitions: To what extent does the new

structure cause issues aligning both football and netball clubs within a

club/competition?

Evaluated the alternatives on a five-point scale:

• -2: Significantly worse than the current state

• -1: Worse than the current state

• 0: Same as the current state

• +1: Better than the current state

• +2: Significantly better than the current state

These scores are weighted according to the values found in Table 7-3. These weightings were developed from community feedback via the distributed survey.

Design Principle Respondents that said Important/Very Important

Attributed Weighting

Long-term Sustainability N/A 100

Competitive Balance within the League 92.0% 100

Alignment of Football and Netball Competitions 86.7% 94.2

Alignment of Senior and Junior Competitions 81.4% 88.5


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Table 7-3 Design Principles for League Structure Evaluation Source: Industry Survey, ColganBauer Analysis

We compared a total weighted score of the design principles against an ‘ease of acceptance’ within the region. Options are rated from ‘low’ and ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ and related to the number of impacted clubs/leagues in each of the potential league structure options.

This ‘ease of acceptance’ ranking is not referencing the level of acceptance for any specific club that would be required to make a change in their current competition structure. It refers to the acceptance sentiment within the entire region about what is the best direction forward for future sustainability.

While we did evaluate the many different permutations for the league structure in the region, we have only included the highest rated options.

7.3.2 Potential League Structure Options

In developing league structures for the central and western portions of the region, we have had to consider the issues in southern Gippsland and the competitive balance and growth through the West Gippsland corridor.

7.3.2.1 Southern Gippsland

Option 1 – Providing sustainability for football in Southern Gippsland by adding clubs

Move two clubs from West Gippsland Football Netball Competition into the Alberton FNL. The clubs would be selected based on geographic proximity to the other Alberton clubs and level of competitive balance.

It will help teams that cannot compete at an appropriate level with the other WGFNC clubs but also ensure that Alberton FNL is more sustainable in an eight-team competition.

Option 2 – Provide sustainability for football in the Southern Gippsland by separating current Alberton FNL Clubs into existing league structures

Move four Alberton FNL Clubs to Mid Gippsland FNL and two Alberton FNL Clubs to West Gippsland Football Netball Competition. As this would result in WGFNC being a 14-team competition, two WGFNC would move to Ellinbank & District Football League to balance their competitions with 12-clubs each.

Mid Gippsland FNL would be a 13-team competition once the four Alberton FNL clubs joined. Moving one or two of the Mid Gippsland FNL clubs to North Gippsland will then create a more sustainable long-term future for football in that region.

Option 3 – Strengthen football in Mid Gippsland and Southern Gippsland with the Alberton FNL clubs joining the Mid Gippsland competition

Under this model, the six Alberton clubs would shift into the Mid Gippsland competition to create a 15-club competition – covering central and southern Gippsland. The clubs would then compete across an 18 round season, playing each club once with a split between home and away games. The following year would see the teams flip, with teams previously played away now playing home and vice versa.

This model results in a more robust competition with both leagues now protected from clubs leaving either to other leagues, club mergers or clubs no longer being sustainable.


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7.3.2.2 The Western Corridor

An alternative to the current model: Implement a divisional football in Western Gippsland that can adapt to changing population demographics.

Bring Ellinbank & District Football League and West Gippsland Football Netball Competition would occur to create a two-divisional competition structure. This solution would provide a competition structure in the western part of Gippsland that could remain competitively balanced as the demographic changes occur in that portion of the region.

This two-divisional structure would also allow enhanced competitive balance in the short-term with the more substantial clubs from both competitions being able to compete against each other and the same for the weaker clubs. The divisional structure allows for greater flexibility the teams that may look to join the Western Leagues as it supports greater competitive balance.

Under this model, the legacy of both leagues should be maintained.


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7.3.3 Evaluation of the Potential Future Gippsland League Structures

7.3.3.1 Competition Structures – Addressing league structures

To determine the recommended structure, the evaluation, as described in section 7.3.1, was conducted. Table 7-4 and Table 7-5 shows the ratings and weighted score for each of the league structure options below. Figure 4-2 shows the total weighted score for each option compared against the rated ease of acceptance in the region.

Table 7-4 Potential League Structure Options Design Principle Ratings

Table 7-5 Potential League Structure Options Impact Assessment


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Figure 7-2 League Structure – Summary Evaluation Assessment

Recommendation

Based on the modelling and investigation we have determined that option two is the best solution for football in Gippsland and implemented for the 2021 season. It will ensure a strong league in the south and central Gippsland area that should be able to adjust to the impacts of COVID.

Future Considerations

As with all competitions, the dynamics are going to change as the landscape continues to evolve. Many different permutations could be considered; in the future, potential changes could include:

• Some teams shifting to North Gippsland FNL

• Some Mid Gippsland FNL teams moving into the Ellinbank and District Football League to increase this league size

7.3.3.2 Competition Structures – The Western Corridor

There several dynamics impacting football in the western corridor of Gippsland - population growth and two levels of competitions across the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition and the Ellinbank & District Football League. The fundamental elements in considering shifting to divisional football include:

• Club alignment – within each club, there may be variability in performance across the four grades. A shift would need to consider how the whole of club performance would be managed.

• Netball alignment – there is also the potential for there to be variability in performance between the netball sides and football sides – with clubs more robust one area over the other

• Travel – The geographic distance across the corridor is large; the most extended travel distances are over 130km or an hour and a half drive

• Competition structure – there are currently 22 clubs within the Western Corridor, any divisional structure would need to consider the right number of clubs in each league. The competition would also flow in the construction of the fixture and finals system

• Salary Caps – There is the misalignment between the two leagues at the moment, during implementation consideration should be given to what each league should


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have as a salary cap level and how caps should be adjusted a clubs move between grades.

Table 7-6 Potential League Structure Options Design Principle Ratings- Western Corridor

Based on the above weighting, we recommend moving to the divisional structure before the end 2025 season. In the implementation section, we explore how this process could work to consider the above factors.

7.3.4 Implementation of the new league structures

Based on industry consultation and independent analysis, ColganBauer recommends a two-phase approach to the future league structure in Gippsland (Recommendation P.1.). We recommend the Alberton teams move across to the Mid Gippsland FNL before the 2021 season. With the divisional football in the Western Corridor implemented before 2025.



7.3.4.1 Critical considerations for the implementation of the future model

Areas Mid Gippsland FNL Alberton FNL Future (Recommended) Alternative solutions

Competition

Fixture • 18 Rounds – each team

with 16 matches

• Each has 4 fixtures, with one club having a bye

• Play each club home and away once

• 15 Rounds – each club 15 matches

• Each fixture 3 matches (no bye)

• Each club plays each other 3 times

• 3 clubs get 8 home games, 3 clubs get 7 home games

• 18 rounds

• 7 matches per round, one bye

• Each club with one bye (All teams with a bye awarded 4 points)

• Existing Mid Gippsland o 3 Mid Gippsland clubs with 2

byes, play other 2 Mid Gippsland clubs twice

o 6 Mid Gippsland with 1 bye, play other 3 Mid Gippsland clubs twice

o Play the Alberton clubs 1 – 3 at home and 3 away

• Existing Alberton o Play 3 other Alberton clubs twice o Play remaining Alberton clubs

one (annual rotation home and away)

• Play each Mid Gippsland club once

• 15 rounds

• 7 matches per round, one bye

• Each club with one bye

• In year one clubs play each club once, with half at home and half away

• In year two the fixture flips

Finals Top 5

• Week 1 o Q1: 2 v 3, o E1: 4 v 5

• Week 2 – o S2: 1 v Winner Q1, o S1: Loser Q1 v

Winner E1

• Week3 o P1: Loser S2 v

Winner S1

• Week Four o Grand Final

Top 4

• Week 1 o E1: 3 v 4

• Week 2 – o S2: 1 v 2

• Week 3 – o P1: Loser S2 v

Winner E1

• Week 4 – o Grand Final

Top 8

• Week 1 o QF2: 1v4 / QF1: 2 v 3 o EF1: 5 v 6/ EF2: 7 v 8

• Week 2 o SF1: Loser QF2 v Winner EF1 o SF2: Loser QF1 v Winner EF2

• Week 3 o Winner QF2 v Winner SF2 o Winner QF1 v Loser QF

• Week 4 o Grand Final


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Grades – Football

• Firsts

• Seconds

• Thirds (U18’s)

• Fourths (U16’s)

• Firsts

• Seconds

• Thirds (U18’s)

• Firsts

• Seconds

• Thirds

• Fourths (TBC)

• Firsts

• Seconds

• Thirds

• Fourths (TBC)

Grades – Netball

Fixture as above

Finals as above

• A

• B

• C

• D

• 17 & Under

• 15 & Under

• Fixture as above

• Finals as above

• A

• B

• C

• 17 & Under

• 15 & Under

• 13 & Under

• Fixture as above

• Finals as above

• A

• B

• C

• D (New team Alberton)

• 17 & Under

• 15 & Under

• Question 13 & Under (Play in local Competition

Salary Cap $80,000 – 2019 $110,000 2019 Alberton to align their salary cap to the Mid Gippsland salary cap for the 2020 season

Alberton to have two years to align the salary cap to the Mid Gippsland Level

Player Points To operate under the Mid Gippsland structure. Treat all players as having been playing in the same league

Governance

Transition - - Working group to be established with equal Alberton/ Mid Gippsland Reps to manage the transition

Executive structure

- - Mid Gippsland structure

Nominations - - Under the Mid Gippsland constitution


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Constitution - - Mid Gippsland

By-Laws - - Mid Gippsland

History & Legacy

Life members

- - Preserve Alberton life members and link to the life members of the Mid Gippsland league

Records - - Alberton Records to be maintained and recognised alongside the Mid Gippsland records

Table 7-7 Key considerations for Mid Gippsland/ Alberton Solution



7.3.4.2 Implementation of Divisional Football

Under this model, Ellinbank & District Football Netball and the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition join to create two divisions while operating as two leagues. Allowing a rebalance of clubs into two more competitively balanced competitions and allow time for the specific divisional guidelines and rules to be drafted, consulted and approved by the region.

Develop the final model for divisional football once the region has stabilised from COVID, before 2025. Once the region is ready to shift to divisional football, the final mechanisms behind the model should be developed in collaboration between the EDFL and WGFNC.

The model to evaluate the performance of the leagues should be based on a two-year weighted average would be most likely be the most appropriate model. The table below sets out how you would calculate the average for the club and would be a factor of all teams within the club. The approach considers all grades across both football and Netball.

Table 7-8 Key considerations for Mid Gippsland/ Alberton Solution

The club performance score is used to look across the leagues to determine the underperforming clubs and be used to manage the divisions.


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7.3.5 Equalisation Policies

As mentioned throughout this document, competitive balance is at the heart of a sustainable future for community football not only in Gippsland but across all regions. Policies that serve to drive on-field competitive balance, such as the club salary cap and player point system, should be maintained and improved over time in the region.

A continued focus on reducing salary caps will help to ensure the sustainability of community clubs in the Gippsland region (Recommendation P.3.). It will help promote greater on-field competition and the entire community football environment. However, as seen in Figure 7-3, Gippsland salary caps cannot be reduced in isolation as they are currently at levels that support an inflow of out-of-region players used to supplement Gippsland playing lists.

A review of the salary cap across all of Victoria should be conducted annually by AFL Victoria. The review will ensure there is no senior participation shock in the region and aim to reduce caps to a point they are deemed financially sustainable for community clubs.

Figure 7-3 captures the 2019 salary caps for the Gippsland leagues and neighbouring metropolitan leagues. The WGFNC at $110K is equal to, or slightly lower than, its neighbouring metropolitan leagues such as the Outer East Division 1 competition ($110K), SFNL Division 2 competition ($110K) and MPNFL Division 1 and 2 ($140K).

Figure 7-3 2019 Salary Caps for Gippsland and surrounding Leagues Source: AFL Victoria

Player point schemes should also be revised to increasingly incentivise junior retention and development by senior clubs (i.e. year-on-year reduction of the total points per senior team) (Recommendation P.4.). Conduct a review and potentially update the player points model alongside the annual salary cap review.


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8 Playing the game – Underage Competitions

Review of the competitions in Gippsland to determine the right competition structure for underaged competitions in the region and how to create a sustainable future.

8.1 2019 JUNIOR COMPETITION STRUCTURES

As shown in Table 8-1, most of the areas in the region provide a 2-year age bracket for football participants to play in. East Gippsland FNL is different from the other senior competitions, in so far that it does not have an U18s grade and instead has an U17s grade, which is the next level from the corresponding U14s junior competition.

League U8

s

U1

0s

U1

2s

U1

4s

U1

6s

U1

7s

U1

8s

East Gippsland JFL

N/A 7 8


N/A 12 9

Sale & District JFA

N/A 11 11


N/A 9 8

Traralgon & District JFL N/A 9 8 8 9


15 15 15

Alberton FNL

5

East Gippsland FNL

8


9

9

Gippsland League

10

9

Mid Gippsland FNL

7

4

North Gippsland FNL

10

Omeo & District FNL

6

West Gippsland FNC

9

11

Table 8-1 2019 Number of Teams by Age Group by League (sorted by Junior, Senior) Source: SportsTG, 2019, Ladders. Cells are coloured based on the number of teams in the age bracket/league.


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8.2 KEY CHALLENGES IMPACTING THE JUNIOR COMPETITION STRUCTURES

8.2.1 Gippsland’s Aging Population

While the region’s population has been growing, growth has been predominantly due to increases in the older age group population – specifically the 60+ age group.

This growth in the younger demographic over the last ten years has meant that the potential number of junior and youth footballers in the region has stagnated or been in decline.

The Baw Baw SA3 is the only region to experience significant growth within an age category outside the 60+-year-old demographic, 4% per year for the 20 – 29 population and 3% per year for its 0 – 9 population (Table 8-2Error! Reference source not found.). Pressure attracting junior footballers should not be as prominent in the western-based clubs.

SA3 name 0-9 10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80+

Baw Baw 3% 0% 4% 2% 1% 2% 5% 6% 4%

Gippsland - East 1% -1% 2% 0% -1% 0% 3% 4% 3%

Gippsland - South West

2% 0% 2% 0% 0% 1% 4% 3% 3%

Latrobe Valley 0% -2% 1% 0% -1% 1% 4% 2% 3%

Wellington 1% -1% 1% 1% -1% 0% 4% 3% 2%

Table 8-2 Population Growth Rate (2006 to 2016) by Gippsland SA3 by Age Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Between 2016 and 2026, the total number of junior/youth aged people (10 years to 19 years) will increase across all regions, especially in the western SA3s of Gippsland (Baw Baw and Gippsland – South West). If the current participation rates of football in the areas remain at a constant percentage, there will be more junior/youth participants in community football in 2026. See Table 8-4

SA3 name 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80+

Baw Baw 1,176 2,390 540 1,936 1,229 728 1,808 2,372 1,248

Gippsland - East 247 648 42 912 175 -428 657 2,155 1,281

Gippsland - South West 106 1,751 506 686 167 610 2,159 3,373 1,597

Latrobe Valley -769 413 -1,414 1,246 32 -848 1,583 2,622 1,382

Wellington -307 379 -448 348 405 -386 344 1,809 555

Table 8-3 Difference in 2016 and 2026 Population Size by SA3 and Age Category Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning


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Table 8-3

SA3 name 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80+

Baw Baw 2% 3% 1% 3% 2% 1% 3% 5% 5%

Gippsland - East 0% 1% 0% 2% 0% -1% 1% 3% 4%

Gippsland - South West 0% 2% 1% 1% 0% 1% 2% 4% 4%

Latrobe Valley -1% 0% -2% 1% 0% -1% 2% 4% 3%

Wellington -1% 1% -1% 1% 1% -1% 1% 4% 3%

Table 8-4 Annual Growth Rate between 2016 and 2026 Population Size by SA3 and Age Category Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

SA3 name 10-19-Year-Old Population Growth (2016 to 2026)

Baw Baw 2,390 / 3% p.a.

Gippsland - East 648 / 1% p.a.

Gippsland - South West 1,751 / 2% p.a.

Latrobe Valley 413 / 0% p.a.

Wellington 379 / 1% p.a.

Table 8-5 Difference in 2016 and 2026 Population Size by SA3 and Age Category Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

As seen in Table 8-5, all regions are forecast to grow in the 10 – 19-year-old age demographic; however, some parts will grow faster than others. The critical concern identified occurs in the central and eastern areas of Gippsland – Latrobe Valley, Wellington and Gippsland – East. Excluding EGFNL, which already operates an U17s/Reserve/Seniors competition structure, Mid Gippsland FNL and North Gippsland Football league are in these regions and produce two different competition structures:

• Mid Gippsland: U16s/U18s/Reserves/Seniors; however, it could not fill all its U16s

or U18s reserves sides in 2019.

• North Gippsland: U18s, Reserves, Seniors. All clubs could field a team in the three

competitions.

8.2.2 Participant Attrition

A primary concern expressed by the Gippsland community was the decline in junior and youth participation in the region. The number of male junior and youth players has dropped in the Gippsland area since 2017. If this continues, it will challenge the sustainability for leagues in the long term.

As seen in Figure 9-2, the junior participation drop-off occurs most aggressively at 14 years old. However, there is a significantly larger drop-off rate for 18-year-old players.

This steady attrition of junior and youth participants is a challenge for maintaining the sustainability of Gippsland leagues in the long term. However, this is not a Gippsland-


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specific problem. Figure 9-3 compares the participation attrition rates of the Gippsland leagues by age against all country Victoria leagues. In most age groups, the attrition rate is within +/- 1% point; however, three age groups have variations:

• 14-year-old: Gippsland has a 3% higher attrition rate compared to Country Victoria.

• 17-year-old: Gippsland has a 7% lower attrition rate compared to Country Victoria.


Figure 8-1 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) Gippsland Leagues only Source: AFL FanView database

Figure 8-2 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) – Gippsland Leagues compared to all Country Victoria Leagues Source: AFL FanView database, ColganBauer analysis


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8.2.3 Required participants for current League Structures

As can be seen in Table 8-6 Current Junior and Youth Registration numbers by club against the number of players required to fill all teams Source: AFL FanView Database to fill all sides across all junior and youth age brackets in Gippsland would require 7.308 players (assumes a squad size required of 25 players). In 2019 there were 6,466 players registered across the competitions would have played at least five games in youth competitions.

Table 8-6 Current Junior and Youth Registration numbers by club against the number of players required to fill all teams Source: AFL FanView Database

At this stage, the most significant challenges in fielding all sides where the grade structure is U16’s and U18’s competitions. Where leagues only have one youth age group, the game is not as extreme. The number of players and clubs indicates that the current number of sides in the region is not sustainable. Meaning there are too many clubs to support all the grades, or there are too many grades.

With regards to leagues that operate in the Wellington LGA, Latrobe Valley LGA and East Gippsland LGA the current population growth rates indicate that there is unlikely to be growth in the football playing age groups. Leagues in the Western corridor of the will benefit from the forecast population growth within this age bracket.

8.3 IMPACT OF THE CURRENT MODEL

Based on the current competition structures, not all teams can field sides; this results in players having to sit out fixtures where the opposition cannot field a team. There are also several examples of forfeits.

Continuity of matches supports retention with players, therefore creating a situation where players are missing games places downward pressure on participation.

Correcting the number of sides coupled with enhancements in attracting/ retaining players will be valuable in addressing the challenges with the underage competitions.


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8.4 RECOMMENDATION UNDERAGE STRUCTURE

8.4.1 Considerations

In determining our recommendations for underage competition structures, we considered several critical areas to determine the right model for underage competitions in Gippsland.

Player attraction and retention – consideration of how any change to age group structures

would impact on the ability for clubs to attract and retain players. There will need to be a

balance between filling sides and ensuring there isn’t a drop off in participation

Geographic location – the scale of the Gippsland region results in two primary outcomes:

• A single solution may not fit the whole region with different dynamics impacting different areas

• The ability players to play across leagues will be impacted with the ability for players to travel vast distances impacted

Changing demographics – The population growth rate and density of the population are going to be different across the region. We know based on the statistics from the ABS that central and eastern Gippsland is going to have shallow growth in underage football age groups over the next ten years.

Club alignment and sustainability – One of the focuses of this strategy to support club sustainability. Healthy underage competitions provide strength to senior competitions in the future. Alignment between underage sides and senior sides will help to support this process

Surrounding Leagues/ regions – Leagues located in the west of Gippsland are close to the Outer East competition and South East competitions, where they must compete with these regions for players. Changes to age brackets may see leakage of players out of the region

Pathway competitions – the current structure for pathways programs are built based on even year groups (U16’s and U18’s). When players are endeavouring to push to play in these teams a structure that supports development will be important

8.4.2 Recommendation

Based on the above considerations we recommend, we recommend a U10s/U12s /U14s/U16s/U18s/Seniors competition structure for leagues with clubs located in western Gippsland. Leagues in the Latrobe Valley/Wellington/Gippsland – East areas currently struggle to field all sides and with these areas unlikely to see population growth in age groups aligned to underage competitions.

The recommendation is these areas should shift to a U10s/U12s/U14s/U17s/Reserves/ Seniors competition structure from 2021 (Recommendation P.2.). The change will align central and eastern-located senior competitions with the East Gippsland FNL’s current competition structure.

Based on the recommendation, the resulting impacts for competitions will be:

• Traralgon & District JFC: The removal of the U16s competition

• Mid Gippsland FNL: Removal of the U16s and U18s competition, and an addition of

an U17s competition

• North Gippsland FNL: Removal of the U18s competition and the addition of an

U17s competition

• East Gippsland FNL: Continue with current U17’s age structure

• All other Jnr leagues: Retain the existing age group structure


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• The Gippsland League, West Gippsland Football Netball Competition and

Ellinbank & District Football League: No changes to the current competition

structures

The removal of the U16s competition in Traralgon & District JFC will align the junior competitions regarding age groups (competitions up to U14s). The change provides the opportunity for those players to flow into the surrounding Mid Gippsland FNL and North Gippsland FNL’s new U17s competition and allow more clubs to field sides across more age groups.

The consolidation of Mid Gippsland FNL’s U16s and U18s competitions into one U17 s competition will allow for more clubs to field all grades post-2021. In 2019 the competition only had seven clubs’ field under 16 teams compared to the ten senior clubs, and the U18s was only a four-team competition.

North Gippsland FNL had all clubs fielding a side in the U18s, Reserves and Seniors side. By swapping a U18s competition for an U17s competition, we expect that the NGFNL participant base will still be able to support a fully fielded competition in the future.

The removal of an age bracket will also provide greater sustainability for smaller town football clubs as population centralisation trends will result in a lower local population in non-regional hubs.

8.4.3 Implementation

There are going to be several influencing factors for competitions in 2021, including a potential drop in participation numbers from 2019. To offset this potential, drop this change should be put in place for the 2021 season.

At this stage, we have suggested the Ellinbank and District Football League should retain a U16’s and U18’s structure due to the pressure from the surrounding leagues and the demographic patterns in the area. However, AFL Gippsland and the Ellinbank and District Football league should monitor the participant number to ensure they are growing. If there is no growth, then consideration should be made to shift to the same structure as the Mid Gippsland, North Gippsland and East Gippsland Leagues.


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9 Growing the game This section of the document identifies the factors impacting the growth of football in Gippsland, including the impact on football from population trends over the next ten years.

9.1 CHALLENGES TO GROWING THE GAME

9.1.1 Varying Population Growth across Gippsland

Over the last ten years, the population in Gippsland has been growing; however, it has not been uniform across the region. This variation in population growth means a ‘one size fits all solution’ for league structures is not appropriate, with different models required.

Statistical Area 3s (SA3) 2006 Population 2016 Population Growth Rate (%)

Latrobe Valley 70,392 74,170 0.5%

Gippsland – South West 53,212 62,409 1.6%

Baw Baw 37,917 49,157 2.6%

Gippsland – East 40,701 45,537 1.1%

Wellington 40,525 43,354 0.7%

Total 242,747 274,627 1.2%

Table 9-1 Population by Gippsland SA3 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Latrobe Valley currently has the largest population; however, it is growing at the slowest rate compared to the region’s other SA3s. There is a similar growth value in Wellington, which is east of Latrobe Valley, as shown in Table 9-1.

Baw Baw Shire, Gippsland’s most westerly region, has been growing faster compared to other areas. The growth is predominantly due to the expansion of Melbourne’s urban fringe. The population growth has been rapid across various towns with Drouin, Trafalgar and Warragul growing at 4.3%, 2.5% and 2.2% per year, respectively.

Looking forward, as shown in Table 9-2, population forecasts indicate that a similar growth rate across each of the SA3 regions between 2016 – 2026. Latrobe Valley and Wellington will continue to experience lower than average population growth, while Gippsland – South West and Baw Baw region continue to grow at a faster rate.


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Statistical Area 3s (SA3) 2006 Pop.

2016 Pop.

2026 Pop.

CAGR (06-16)

CAGR (16-26)

Latrobe Valley 70,392 74,170 78,416 0.5% 0.6%

Gippsland – South West 53,212 62,409 72,819 1.6% 1.6%

Baw Baw 37,917 49,157 62,585 2.6% 2.4%

Gippsland – East 40,701 45,537 50,877 1.1% 1.1%

Wellington 40,525 43,354 46,053 0.7% 0.6%

Total 242,747 274,627 310,751 1.2% 1.2%

Table 9-2 Population Growth Rate (2006 to 2026) by Gippsland SA3 by Age Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

This variation in population growth will directly impact the sustainability of football across the region. Areas of higher growth can expect more stability in participation, while areas of low growth, such as Latrobe Valley and Wellington, may face participation challenges in the coming years.

9.1.2 Gippsland’s Aging Population

As discussed above in Playing the Game – Underaged competitions Gippsland population is ageing with most areas experience low to no growth in the football playing age groups. Only Western SA3’s in the region is forecast to have any significant increase in football playing age groups through to 2026.

This lack of growth will mean that the challenge for the region is maintaining/ growing football participation rates within the Gippsland community, with programs, focused on both retention and acquisition of players to play community football.

9.1.3 Increasing Population Centralisation

Population forecasts indicate increasing centralisation to larger towns such as Drouin, Warragul, Wonthaggi – Inverloch and Traralgon. The shift will impact on the ability to source both junior and senior players in the future for more isolated towns and community clubs.

Larger towns are more likely to experience population growth, while the smaller towns are more likely to grow slowly or decline. See Figure 9-1.


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Figure 9-1 Gippsland SA2 Population Size (2016) compared against the Forecast Growth Rate (2016 – 2026). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

9.1.4 Junior/Youth Participant Attrition

A primary concern expressed by the Gippsland community was the decline in junior and youth participation in the region. The number of male junior and youth players has dropped since 2017. If this continues, it will challenge the sustainability for leagues in the long term.

As seen in Figure 9-2, the junior participation drop-off occurs most aggressively at 14 years old. However, there is a significantly larger drop-off rate for 18-year-old players.

This steady attrition of junior and youth participants is a challenge for maintaining the sustainability of Gippsland leagues in the long term. However, this is not a Gippsland-specific problem. Figure 9-3 compares the participation attrition rates of the Gippsland leagues by age against all country Victoria leagues. In most age groups, the attrition rate is within +/- 1% point; however, three age groups have variations:


• 17-year-old: Gippsland has a 7% lower attrition rate compared to Country Victoria.



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Figure 9-2 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) Gippsland Leagues only Source: AFL FanView database

Figure 9-3 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) – Gippsland Leagues compared to all Country Victoria Leagues Source: AFL FanView database, ColganBauer analysis


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9.1.5 Football development programs

9.1.5.1 The structure for FDM’s creates conflict

The operating model for the Regional Commissions was not suitable with the FDMs in the region reporting directly through to the AFL Gippsland Regional General Manager while under the employment of AFL Victoria. The model has resulted in the FDM’s performing activities outside the scope of their roles and not having the capacity to fulfil their core responsibilities at all times.

9.1.5.2 Focus is directed to elite pathways without enough attention on grassroots

Additional feedback received through consultation is that there is a lack of development of football in the region. There is an acknowledgement there is a substantial investment in the elite pathways in Gippsland, but clubs would like to see a greater focus on grassroots football development. Feedback included the expansion of school programs to attract more participants.

A country FDM’s role includes management of an under 15 youth program which is a potential feeder into Gippsland Power. Control of this process will require FDMs to identify talent in the region while working to grow and develop football across Auskick, school and broad participation.

9.1.5.3 Club improvement program structure requires FDMs to have an extensive capability set

AFL Victoria FDMs role includes the Club Improvement Program as part of their core responsibilities. The scope of these services is comprehensive, covering finance training, committee management, football operations courses, strategic planning, etc. The current model requires the FDM to deliver all these services. The hybrid-nature of these offerings make it challenging to identify a candidate who has capabilities across all these areas.


The Gippsland region is experiencing challenges with population shifts. The 10-year population growth trends (2006-2016) are forecast to continue through to 2026, in the western parts of Gippsland. The Baw Baw SA3 is forecast to experience significantly higher population growth than the rest of the region. This impacts on the financial strength and level of competition from clubs in this area as they will have an increased pool of talent to draw from and greater access to industry/businesses that flow into the region. The population trends will result in changes to the competitive balance of the western leagues if not addressed.

Conversely, the slow growth in the central and eastern half of Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, Wellington and Gippsland – East, will increase pressure on clubs that are already experiencing challenges in attracting a viable number of participants to field all their sides. Population centralisation will increasingly hurt smaller towns and their community football clubs as population growth continues to occur in larger towns across the region.

Junior and youth participation attrition is slightly higher in Gippsland on a percentage basis compared to country Victoria for 10 – 14-year-old participants. This attrition places pressure on clubs and makes it more difficult to field senior sides. If junior and youth retention is not improved, especially at the 14-year-old age, senior leagues will continue to struggle to field sides. The decline may lead to clubs folding due to a lack of participants and associated revenue to maintain the cost of running their club.


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9.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

ID Initiative Challenge Addressed Benefit

G.1. Conduct a study to understand the significant factors for participation drop-off in junior and youth participation

Junior/Youth Participation Attrition

Understanding of which potential levers to help improve participation retention

G.2. AFL Gippsland to launch a ‘junior/youth acquisition and retention program’ based on the findings from Recommendation G.1

Junior/Youth Participation Attrition/ Changing Demographics

Increased junior/ youth retention

G.3. AFL Gippsland and AFL Victoria to devise a women’s football strategy for the Gippsland region

Junior/Youth Participation

Increased football participation in Gippsland

G.4. AFL Victoria to take greater accountability for the development of grassroots football within the region in working with the FDM’s

FDM Improved consistency across the state for grassroots game development.

G.5. An annual plan to be developed by FDMs for programs that will run during the year. With a quarterly review of progress against the plan between the FDMs/ AFL Victoria/RGM.

FDM Support FDMs to establish their responsibilities for the year. Ongoing monitoring provides for adjustments where required.

G.6. Club Improvement Program (CIP) requires greater investment by AFL Victoria. Develop a ‘champion model’ between FDMs to educate and train other FDMs/additional resources provided.

FDM Greater specialisation means the delivery of different modules within the CIP program should be more focused and offer more benefit to the clubs


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ID Initiative Challenge Addressed Benefit

G.7. Complete more targeted schools’ programs across primary and secondary schools – to transition more children into community football

FDM Enhancements of school programs (primary and secondary) should support higher retention and recruitment of football plays.

G.8. Clearly define the roles between league administrators and FDMs. Communicate the roles back to the leagues and clubs.

FDM Removes ambiguity in who should be delivering each process and provides a clear understanding of the region.

G.9 Create a Club Development/ Sustainability role in the RAC.

FDM Separates game development activity and club sustainability activity for the region


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10 Running the game To play community football in Gippsland, multiple groups of stakeholders need to work together to manage the administration elements of the game. This section captures the main issues and recommendations related to all off-field administrative aspects of community football.

Running that game is made up of two critical areas for football

1. Managing the strategic direction for football in the Gippsland region, where is the growth, risks and challenges going to come and answering what will football look like into the future, and

2. The administrative elements of running the game and ensure that all competitions successfully executed and run efficiently and effectively

10.1 CHALLENGES IMPACTING THE RUNNING OF THE GAME

10.1.1 Governance

Governance has broken down in Gippsland, created by a disconnection between the stakeholders from AFL Victoria, AFL Gippsland the leagues and clubs. The breakdown has led to a decline in trust and with stakeholders looking to take back greater management control. There have been several causes of this breakdown in relationships as follows:

• Multiple reviews with limited/no action resulting.

• Communication failure between the stakeholders with changes not explained or understood.

• The lack of regional representatives on the AFL Gippsland Commission

• Unclear responsibilities in the region.

10.1.2 AFL Victoria

10.1.2.1 AFL Victoria became too removed from the operations of football in Gippsland following the shift to the regional model

The role of AFL Victoria is to oversee football in Victoria and provide stewardship of the game on behalf of the AFL.

Under the previous model, the VCFL had a direct relationship with the country leagues. With the creation of the new structure, responsibility for the governance of the regions shifted to the Regional Commissions, and AFL Vic integrated with VCFL. See Figure 10-1.


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Figure 10-1 Victorian Country Football Model Source: Team Analysis

The model was to “establish an independent Commission in all regions, representing all stakeholders in the region” and to “make independent local decisions”. The model reflected the challenges for country football and that a one size fits all model does not fit all regions.

During the implementation of the model, AFL Victoria appears to have reduced the level of support of country football; they also provide limited oversight of what was occurring at a regional level and have limited control of the Commissions.

In Gippsland, this led to a situation where the Commission did not have the appropriate support to deliver the services.

10.1.2.2 Deterioration of the relationship with AFL Victoria and Gippsland

The relationship between AFL Victoria and participants in the region is hostile. There have been several changes implemented by AFL Victoria in Gippsland that have not been viewed positively by the participants.

The rationale for decisions has been poorly communicated to participants, and there is limited contact by AFL Victoria with some clubs and leagues.

10.1.2.3 Lack of faith in the independent appeals board

The current process for league appeals is for the clubs/leagues to appeal to an independent panel nominated by AFL Victoria. The panel members, while independent, may not necessarily understand the dynamics of the region and are removed from the impact of the decisions. There have been several decisions by this independent panel that has created tension in the area.

10.1.3 AFL Gippsland

10.1.3.1 Roles of the AFL Gippsland Commission are extremely burdensome

The Gippsland Commission included only volunteer representatives from Gippsland. The purpose of the Commission was to provide strategic direction for football in Gippsland. Due to their capacity as volunteers, the level of responsibility allocated was unreasonable without additional support.


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10.1.3.2 AFL Gippsland was at risk of trading insolvently During the period from 2015 – 2019, AFL Gippsland experienced financial pressure. The financial position ultimately resulted in the auditors of the financial statements refusing to sign-off the 2018 accounts until AFL Victoria worked to secure the financial situation. At the end of FY2018, the current ratio for AFL Gippsland was 0.7, which indicated an inability to meet their short-term obligations.

This situation occurred because of a lack of financial controls of spending incurred by AFL Gippsland, or the appropriate financial oversight by the previous commission.

10.1.3.3 Erosion of support in AFL Gippsland in the Region

There is a lack of support for the current AFL Gippsland model. Leagues and clubs are not satisfied with the decisions that have been previously made by the previous Commission, including the outcomes/changes from previous reviews into league and competition structures.

Feedback from the community indicated that some decisions had a detrimental effect on football in the region.

10.1.3.4 There is not any Gippsland representation in the current commission

Three AFL/AFL Victoria currently act as the AFL Gippsland commission. The current commissioners were inserted following the resignation of the previous AFL Gippsland Commission, resulting in the existing structure does not include local representation on the Commission. The community views local knowledge as necessary to govern football in the region.

10.1.4 Regional Administrative Council (RAC)

10.1.4.1 The implementation approach did not set the RAC up for success

On the establishment of the RAC, there was a strong focus on recruiting as many leagues, as fast as possible. The focus on growth led to the rapid expansion in the workload and responsibilities of the RAC, before being able to implement appropriate processes and controls.

10.1.4.2 Limited support from AFL Victoria to provide guidance and processes

At the creation of the RAC, AFL Victoria was also establishing how they would work. The establishment of the Regional Commissions shifted responsibility, and AFL Victoria stepped too far back from supporting the regions. The consolidation of activity at a local level could have been extended further with AFL Victoria providing more support at a state level.

10.1.4.3 The services the RAC would provide were not clearly defined

The RAC had a focus on recruiting as many leagues as they could. To get to market as fast as possible and support the leagues, they did not specify a clear scope of services that they could deliver. A clearly defined service catalogue led to a failure to determine the costs to provide the services, which has led to services failures with work not performed by the RAC when required by the leagues.

10.1.4.4 The operating model was not appropriate

The design of the operating model caused several critical issues:

1. The AFL Gippsland Commission was the direct reporting line for the Regional General Manager (RGM). Under this model, the RGM is acting as CEO of the region without the appropriate support or oversight.


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2. AFL Victoria employed FDMs, but they reported to the RGM and by extension the regional commission. Under this structure, the reporting lines become confused and cause conflicts and a misalignment.

3. There were examples of the RAC threatening to withhold certain services (e.g. football development) to leagues who would not agree to their decisions. These were services due to the leagues as affiliates of the AFL.

4. Due to the scope of the league administrator role, the capabilities required by the staff are comprehensive. Where people are required to perform multiple specialist tasks, breakdowns are likely to occur in areas where people do not have enough capability. For one league, incorrect BAS submissions were made, which resulted in the league engaging a bookkeeper to manage their finances.

5. League and club volunteers are responsible for most of the effort in putting on community football. These volunteers are often not available to work on football matters during standard business hours and the current working hours for AFL Gippsland are Monday to Friday. By structuring the working week in this manner either AFL, Gippsland staff must work outside hours or volunteers can struggle to get the support they require.

10.1.4.5 The funding model was insufficient to meet the cost base

The funding model broke down in several ways that led to AFL Gippsland experiencing a significant loss as follows:

1. The cost to deliver the services was not understood when the RAC made agreements with the leagues. Therefore, pricing structures were not sufficient to cover the RAC administrative costs.

2. Inadequate controls were in place to manage expenditure, and the commission provided limited financial oversight. A review of the RAC expenses indicates some expenses incurred that were not necessary, e.g. purchasing expensive vehicles for use by office staff.

3. The auditors would not approve the financial statements due to going concern issues.

10.1.4.6 There has been instability among AFL Gippsland staff

• There has been a high turnover of staff within AFL Gippsland staff, including AFL Victoria FDM personnel.

• The stewardship of the RACs by the Commission meant that the RAC had to operate as a small business with limited training and development of staff.

10.1.4.7 There has been limited performance management to evaluate services delivered

The role of the RAC is to be an administrative service provider to the clubs. There are no mechanisms in place to track and report on service quality.

10.1.5 Clubs and Leagues

10.1.5.1 Clubs need support in managing their volunteer workforce

Feedback received from clubs is that is it becoming more challenging to attract and retain club volunteers due to:

• A lower number of people willing to support the clubs.


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• Volunteer burnout is driven by increased workloads, especially in the treasurer and secretary roles.

10.1.5.2 Management of club finances is of continuing concern

Clubs are being financially squeezed. Cost pressures have increased, and revenue streams are declining/becoming increasing challenging to grow, e.g. sponsorship. Clubs/leagues do not feel that there is adequate support in these areas.

Note – See 9 Growing the game for commentary on participation and retention.


The relationship with AFL Victoria and the region has deteriorated to the point where leagues have discussed disaffiliating from the AFL structure. If this occurs, then all the efficiencies of having a central governing body are lost. The outcome would be detrimental for leagues and clubs as they would lose the benefits provided by being an AFL Victoria affiliate.

While the current issues with AFL Gippsland exist, there is little confidence in the Gippsland Leagues. The lack of confidence is leading to unrest and unproductive discussion and a drain on time on already strained volunteers. There is also a view there is not sufficient local representation to make decisions for football in Gippsland. A lack of resolution will likely lead to a loss of people from the system.

Under the current model, the RAC serves less than 25% of the leagues/umpires. At the end of 2019, they required to invest additional effort to retain several current members. Without resolution of the RAC, leagues/associations will continue to leave, which will result in the RAC becoming unsustainable. If this occurs, Gippsland will lose the benefits from central coordination. It also removes any possibility of using the scale of the region to deliver benefit for Gippsland football.

The strain on volunteers is significant as they are required to complete more activities with declining the numbers. Without interventions to attract more volunteers, or measures put in place to reduce the workload, there is going to a reduction in the volunteer base. Without volunteers, clubs cannot run with an impact on club sustainability.

While leagues/clubs have indicated that cost increases (facilities, equipment, players) are an issue, they have generated sufficient revenue to cover costs. However, there will be a tipping point where clubs are no longer financially viable and will need to fold/merge with other clubs in the region.

10.3 RECOMMENDATIONS – RUNNING THE GAME

10.3.1 Evaluation framework for recommendations

Recommendations address challenges/issues or to help achieve opportunities for football in the region.

10.3.2 Recommendations

There are five programs of work related to addressing current challenges associated with running community football in Gippsland:

1. Increase coordination in the management of football in Gippsland.

2. Update the Gippsland RAC operating model.


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3. RAC financial management.

4. Deliver a volunteer support program.

5. Improve club finances.

Each of these programs includes several initiatives designed to address the root causes of the issues with football in Gippsland.

10.3.2.1 Increase coordination in the management of football in Gippsland

Scope: This program of work addresses the current challenges with governance and coordination across the stakeholders of football in Gippsland.

The objective is to improve the relationships between stakeholder across the region and deliver greater transparency and support to all industry participants.

No. Initiative Challenge Addressed

Benefit

R.A1.1. AFL Victoria to review and respond to the report within six weeks of the receipt of the final report., this should include a timeline for recommendations that are not impacted by COVID

Multiple reviews without action/ feedback.

Clear communication with the region will help to improve relationships between the various stakeholders.

R.A1.2. Develop a working group made up of a mix of AFL Victoria, AFL Gippsland, leagues and clubs to be responsible for the review and implementation of the recommendations.

Multiple reviews without action/ feedback.

The working group will deliver the recommendations with all stakeholder groups participating.

R.A1.3. Move to structured communications and forums with a clearly defined calendar for meetings in the region.

Breakdown in communication.

Clear communication with the region will help improve relationships between the various stakeholders.

R.A1.4. Redefine the role of the AFL Gippsland Commission to act as an advisory board setting the strategic direction for football in the region. This advisory board should consist of people from the Gippsland region

Lack of Gippsland representative onboard.

People with an understanding of local issues will make decisions that impact football in Gippsland.

R.A1.5. Develop a responsibilities matrix for community football in Gippsland defining the roles and responsibilities for all processes.

Accountabilities not clearly defined.

Removes ambiguity in who should be delivering each process and provides transparency to all groups.


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Benefit

R.A1.6. AFL Victoria to support Gippsland to implement this strategic plan.

AFL Victoria stepped back too far from administering football in Gippsland.

Will ensure that Gippsland has the right support and AFL Victoria can use this experience to benefit other regions.

R.A1.7. AFL Victoria to include KPIs in their performance measures related to AFL Gippsland meeting their compliance obligations.

AFL Victoria stepped back too far from administering football in Gippsland.

Greater focus for AFL Victoria to support AFL Gippsland in meeting their compliance obligations, e.g. the non-production of financial statements for two year.

R.A1.8. AFL Gippsland and Victoria representatives to periodically attend formal league meetings and participate in a regional working group. Invest in developing more significant ties with the region.

AFL Victoria’s deterioration in its relationship with the region.

AFL Victoria to get a better understanding of regional issues and enhance relationships.

R.A1.9. Ensure that the appeals board members are communicated to the region, with the rationale for findings widely shared

Lack of Gippsland representatives on appeals board.

A better understanding of decisions and how they were determined

10.3.2.2 Refresh of the Gippsland RAC operating model program

Scope: Address the issues with how the RAC has operated.

Objective Stabilise the RAC and provide a platform for expansion in the future.


Benefit

R.A2.1. Implement a continuous improvement model to refine the business processes and identify points of failure.

Flawed implementation approach.

Focus on process improvement to develop improved processes.

R.A2.2. AFL Victoria to provide support to the RAC through additional resources and training until the centre can stabilise their service offerings.

Limited assistance from AFL Victoria.

Supports RAC to stabilise. Training provided in Gippsland to be made available for other regions.


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R.A2.3. Perform an activity analysis of RAC staff.

Services were not defined.

Identify processes being delivered by the RAC. Identify services that can be stopped/ refined

R.A2.4. Develop a service catalogue for RAC services with a clearly defined pricing matrix based on a clearly defined cost driver (e.g. number of teams, number of players, time and materials, etc.)

Use this to develop a tiered service model to provide greater flexibility to leagues (e.g. low, moderate, high service).

Services were not defined.

Provides a fit-for-purpose approach for leagues and ensures transparency in the cost for each service.

R.A2.5. The RAC to report through AFL Victoria (not the Commission).

Reporting through the commission.

Provides greater accountability for the RAC as well as using the AFL Victoria scale when delivering services.

R.A2.6. FDMs to report through a Development Area Manager, with greater alignment to AFL Victoria.

FDMs reporting through the RGM.

Delineates the two areas between administration and football development, and ensures the focus is on development and not administration support.

R.A2.7. Create greater specialisation in RAC roles, e.g. financial management to remove hybrid roles.

Hybrid roles. Better ability to recruit specialised resources and improve efficiency.

10.3.2.3 Improve AFL Gippsland financial management

Scope: Address the financial challenges at AFL Gippsland.

Objective: AFL Gippsland to have healthy financial controls and be financially viable in the future.


Benefit

R.A3.1. For each element of the service catalogue, determine the cost to deliver and pricing model (also refer Recommendation R.A2.4.)

Funding model Understanding the cost of services allows the RAC to determine the appropriate charge out rate to the leagues and cost transparency.


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Benefit

R.A3.2. Work performed by the RAC not related to a league administrative service arrangement requires a different funding model (e.g. AFL Vic if they need the job).

Funding model Leagues in the RAC subsidise these services today. Removing this burden should address costs.

R.A3.3. Update financial controls, purchasing policies and delegations of authority

Cost controls Reduces unnecessary spending

R.A3.4. Implement a strict annual planning process to enter the new financial year with clearly defined budgets.

Cost controls Greater focus on business performance.

R.A3.5. Establish a meeting calendar, capture critical meetings, including when the AGM.

Governance Ensures AFL Gippsland has accountability to the region for communication and reporting on performance.

R.A3.6. Continue to work to align the Gippsland umpire associations and drive scale

Governance / cost controls

Increases efficiency of umpire scheduling and cost management

10.3.2.4 Deliver a volunteer support program

Scope: Provide more support to industry volunteers to deliver the sport in their communities.

Objective: Growth in the number of volunteers involved in football and a reduction in the amount of effort required.


Benefit

R.A4.1. Develop a community volunteer marketing campaign to encourage more people to be involved in their local sporting organisation. (Investigate the potential to enter a partnership with other organisations.)

Volunteers Higher acquisition of volunteers into community support will reduce the workload for existing volunteers.


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R.A4.2. Review the role of the club secretary to reduce the workload.

Volunteers Reduction in the workload would reduce the effort required by volunteers to support higher retention and attraction of volunteers.

R.A4.3. Review and update salary cap management process (Aligned to the recommendation in playing the game)

Volunteers Reduction in volunteer time.

R.A4.4. Review and update the player points process.

Volunteers Reduction in volunteer time.

R.A4.5. Leagues to review by-laws to simplify and standardise across the region

Volunteers Reduction in the by-laws of the leagues will streamline administration. Greater alignment across leagues should ensure that support/ advice provided by AFL Gippsland or AFL Victoria relates to the leagues.

R.A4.6. Increase training and support for volunteers through a volunteer program.

Volunteers Helps to support volunteer retention and reduction in the workload.

R.A4.7. Hold formal sessions for committee members at the commencement of each season to understand responsibilities.

Volunteers Improved education will support volunteers in executing their role.

R.A4.8. Review the roles required by leagues and clubs to develop an example best in class operating model for clubs and leagues.

Volunteers Support clubs and leagues in setting up their governance functions.


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10.3.2.5 Improve club finances

Scope: All club cost and revenue streams.

Objective: Drive down costs and improve the financial position of clubs.


Benefit

R.A5.1. Continued focus on salary cap reduction (also refer to Recommendation in playing the game.)

Club finances

Reduction in salary caps reduces the cost base for clubs.

R.A5.2. RAC to develop a centralised procurement offering (opt-in model) for clubs and leagues with a focus on leveraging buying power across the region, e.g. tape, food and beverage contracts, equipment.

Club finances

Group buying should provide a reduction in the cost per unit for the clubs. An opt-in model offers flexibility for clubs/leagues to participate.

10.4 IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

These recommendations result in a changing in the operating model for Gippsland Football. Table 6.1 defines the critical responsibility of each stakeholder group. While Figure 10-3 illustrates the proposed future operating model

Stakeholder Group Responsibility

AFL Custodians of the gaming providing funding and support for community

football across Australia

AFL Victoria Provision of funding and support for community football in Victoria.

Delivery of business services to the RAC and RAC member leagues.

Management and delivery of football development programs in

Gippsland

AFL Gippsland

Commission

The regional advisory panel, supporting the RAC to manage football at a

local level. Focus on the strategy for football and the growth of the game

across the whole region

Regional

Administration

Centre

Delivery of competition management services for RAC member leagues.

Deliver administrative functions in conjunction with AFL Victoria and the

RAC member leagues

Leagues/ Panels

(RAC)

Oversight over the league and supporting the RAC to deliver the

competition


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Leagues/ Panels End to end management of the league, including governance and

competition management

Clubs Management and delivery of football at a club level

Table 10-2 Future State Key Responsibilities

Figure 10-3 Proposed Future Operating Structure


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11 Risks

ID Risk Category Actions to Mitigate

1 Clubs may not view initiatives as a priority and, therefore, not buy into the process.

ColganBauer has undertaken broad consultation across community football participants (clubs, leagues, RACs) to understand their view of priorities. Target high priority initiatives to gain momentum and buy-in from stakeholders.

2 Community football may view some of the initiatives as the AFL trying to gain and exert more control.

Extensive consultation has been conducted to capture the views of the community

3 The risk that recommendations will not provide tangible benefits, leading to a further decline of AFL and community relationship.

The recommendations have detailed both the quick win and longer-term recommendations. Adopting this approach will help build momentum and provide immediate benefits to the region.

4 AFL cannot guarantee successful implementation due to lack of influence.

AFL to work alongside community members in Gippsland and leagues regarding the broader sustainability agenda.

5 AFL Victoria may not approve select recommendations, which will not aid in the long-term sustainability of the Gippsland region.

AFL Victoria to provide detailed justification to the region for any recommendations that they do not adopt.

6 Leagues/clubs that impacted by for structural change may oppose the recommendation and potentially disaffiliate.

Leagues/clubs that impacted in their structure through the adoption of the G25 recommendations should adopt the usual process of appeal to AFL Victoria.


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12 Appendix 12.1 GLOSSARY

AP/AR – Annual Planning/Annual Review Process.

BAS – Business activity statements to be reported to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

CIP – Club Improvement Program launched by AFL Victoria.

Current Ratio – Value of short-term assets to short-term liabilities. Indicates the ability of an entity to meet its short-term financial obligations.

Football Development Managers (FDMs) – AFL Victoria roles that drive and provide support for game development activities across the state

FootyWeb – Technology platform used by the AFL to manage registered participation data

Labour Participation Rate – Ratio of the number of employed persons to the total adult population in each area

Local Government Area (LGA) – Administrative division of an area that a local government is responsible. Local governments manage LGAs and are considered the third tier of government in Australia below the States and Territories and Federal.

Participant – A member of the community who participates in a football activity and is registered within a technology database by the AFL (e.g. SportsTG, FootyWeb).

Statistical Areas (SA1, SA2, SA3, SA4) – Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) areas used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the publication of statistics that are comparable and spatially integrated. SA4 is the largest region below States and Territories with SA3, SA2 and SA1 decreasing in size.

SportsTG – Competition management technology platform used by AFL to help administer community football across the nation.

12.2 RATIONALE FOR LEAGUE STRUCTURE RANKINGS

12.2.1 Southern Gippsland Solution

12.2.1.1 Providing sustainability for football in Southern Gippsland by adding clubs

Long-term Sustainability: Shifting two teams into the Alberton League will create an eight-team competition. Some of the clubs are already under financial pressure, and if you were to lose a club the league would become seven clubs and uncompetitive

Competitive Balance: By moving two of the weaker WGFNC Clubs into Alberton FNL, the competitive balance of the WGFNC will improve, while making Alberton FNL more competitively balanced into the future.

Alignment of Football and Netball Competitions: Under this option, there is no material impact to the alignment of football and netball teams/clubs, if the appropriate clubs are selected to move from WGFNC to Alberton FNL.

Alignment of Senior and Junior Competitions: By maintaining and strengthening Gippsland’s only senior southern competition, there will be marginally greater alignment between the senior competitions in the region (WGFNC and Alberton FNL) and the Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition.


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12.2.1.2 Provide sustainability for football in the Southern Gippsland by separating current Alberton FNL Clubs into existing league structures

Long-term Sustainability: This solution reduces the number of leagues in the region by one. It also ensures that the Mid Gippsland FNL will be secure, it has been indicated through consultation that there may be clubs that might look to leave. Having the larger league size will enable this to occur without putting the league at risk

Competitive Balance: The Alberton league has several clubs that are stronger than the others, playing in a more substantial competition will enable all teams to grow and improve competitive performance. Through consultation, I have received feedback that the alignment in the standard should not cause concern.

Alignment of Football and Netball Competitions: The netball grades currently do not align, however, there is the opportunity for the Alberton clubs to add another senior grade. There is also a junior competition in the region that the 11 & Under team can compete.

Alignment of Senior and Junior Competitions: Senior clubs in the southern region of Gippsland are playing in the western and mid-located senior competitions. There would be marginally worse alignment with, the Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition.

12.2.1.3 Strengthen football in Mid Gippsland and Southern Gippsland with the Alberton FNL clubs joining the Mid Gippsland competition

Long-term Sustainability: By effectively removing one league in the region and separating its clubs into the surrounding, existing leagues, the region will have greater long-term sustainability given population centralisation and growth trends. This is especially true for the more eastern located leagues such as the Mid Gippsland FNL and North Gippsland FNL.

Competitive Balance: By separating the Alberton FNL clubs into the WGFNC and MGFNL, and then rebalancing some of the clubs from WGFNC to Ellinbank DFL, and from MGFNL into NGFNL, there is an opportunity to marginally improve competitive balance across these four leagues into the future.

Alignment of Football and Netball Competitions: Under this option, there is no material impact to the alignment of football and netball teams/clubs, if the appropriate clubs are selected to move between the various leagues.

Alignment of Senior and Junior Competitions: As the senior clubs in the southern region of Gippsland are playing in the western and mid-located senior competitions, there is marginally worse alignment between their supply of juniors. The Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition, and the senior sides they would compete against in this league structure option.

12.2.2 Supporting Competitive Balance

Long-term Sustainability: The ability to provide more flexible options for clubs ensures that they can be competitive in the league in which they compete. If they are currently in a league where they are competing against larger clubs, this is going to put financial pressure on clubs. Two divisions will ensure that clubs do not need to spend outside their capacity to remain competitive

Competitive Balance: The competitive balance of the competitions under this structure will be significantly better as the existing Ellinbank DFL and WGFNC competition can be rebalanced through a two-divisional structure.

Alignment of Football and Netball Competitions: As a promotion-relegation process must account for the whole club including all football and netball sides. The difference in competitive standard between football and Netball will make the alignment of football and netball priorities difficult for clubs.


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Alignment of Senior and Junior Competitions: By maintaining and strengthening Gippsland’s only senior southern competition, as well as merging the western leagues (WGFNC and Ellinbank DFL), the alignment of junior competitions in the region will significantly improve. Warragul DJFL and Southern Gippsland JFC will both provide a pathway into the broader combined WGFNC/Ellinbank DFL two-divisional structure.

12.3 2019 GIPPSLAND LEAGUES STRUCTURE

Section 1: Junior League Summary

East Gippsland Junior Football League

Number of Clubs: 7

- Bairnsdale

- Lakes Entrance

- Lindenow

- Lucknow

- Orbost Snowy Rovers

- Paynesville

- Wy Yung

Age Groups and Number of Fielded Teams:

Category U8s U10s U12s U14s U16s U17s U18s Res. Snrs. Yth.

Girls

# of Teams

N/A 7 8

Central Gippsland Junior Football League

Number of Clubs: 10

- Hill End/Grove Rovers

- Leongatha

- Moe

- Morwell Eagles

- Newborough

- Trafalgar

- Yinnar

- Yallourn-Yallourn North

- Mirboo North

- Boolarra



Girls


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# of Teams

N/A 12 9 7

Sale & District Junior Football Association

Number of Clubs: 10

- Boisdale-Briagolong

- College

- Heyfield

- Maffra

- Nambrok-Newry

- Sale

- Sale City

- Southern Suns

- Stratford

- Woodside



Girls

# of Teams

N/A 11 11

Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competition

Number of Clubs: 8

- Corner Inlet

- Dalyston

- Inverloch-Kongwak

- Korumburra-Bena

- Kilcunda-Bass

- Philip Island

- Tarwin

- Wonthaggi



Girls

# of Teams

N/A 9 8 6


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Traralgon & District Junior Football League

Number of Clubs: 9

- Churchill

- Combined Saints

- Cumberland Park

- Glengarry

- Pax Hill

- Police Boys

- Southside

- TEDAS

- West End



Girls

# of Teams

N/A 9 8 8 9

Warragul & District Junior Football League

Number of Clubs: 14

- Buln

- Bunyip

- Caldermeade

- Drouin

- Ellinbank

- Garfield

- Hallora

- Longwarry

- Neerim-Neerim South

- Poowong-Loch

- Warragul Blues

- Warragul Colts

- Warranor

- Yarragon


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Girls

# of Teams

15 15 15

Section 2: Senior League Summary

Alberton Football Netball League

Number of Clubs: 6

- Fish Creek

- Foster

- Meeniyan-Dumbalk United

- Stony Creek

- Tarwin

- Toora



Girls

# of Teams

5 6 6

Figure A-1: Location of registered players in the league as of September 2019. Source: AFL Carto Mapping System.


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East Gippsland Football Netball League

Number of Clubs: 9

- Boisdale-Briagolong

- Lakes Entrance

- Lindenow

- Lucknow

- Orbost-Snowy Rovers

- Paynesville

- Stratford

- Wy Yung



Girls

# of Teams

8 8 8



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Ellinbank & District Football League

Number of Clubs: 10

- Buln Buln

- Catani

- Ellinbank

- Lang

- Longwarry

- Neerim-Neerim South

- Nilma-Darnum

- Nyora

- Poowong

- Yarragon



Girls

# of Teams

9 9 10 10



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Gippsland League

Number of Clubs: 10

- Bairnsdale

- Drouin

- Leongatha

- Maffra

- Moe

- Morwell

- Sale

- Traralgon

- Warragul

- Wonthaggi



Girls

# of Teams

10 9 10 10



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Mid Gippsland Football Netball League

Number of Clubs: 9

- Boolarra

- Hill End

- Mirboo North

- Morwell East

- Newborough

- Thorpdale

- Trafalgar

- Yallourn-Yallourn North

- Yinnar



Girls

# of Teams

7 4 9 9



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North Gippsland Football Netball League

Number of Clubs: 10

- Churchill

- Cowwarr

- Glengarry

- Gormandale

- Heyfield

- Rosedale

- Sale City

- Traralgon-Tyers United

- Woodside and District

- Yarram



Girls

# of Teams

10 10 10



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Omeo & District Football Netball League

Number of Clubs: 6

- Bruthen

- Buchan

- Lindenow South

- Omeo-Benambra

- Swan Reach

- Swifts Creek



Girls

# of Teams

6 6



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West Gippsland Football Netball Competition

Number of Clubs: 12

- Bunyip

- Cora Lynn

- Dalyston

- Garfield

- Inverloch-Kongwak

- Kilcunda-Bass

- Korumburra-Bena

- Koo Wee Rup

- Nar Goon

- Phillip Island

- Tooradin Dalmore

- Warragul Industrials



Girls

# of Teams

9 11 12 12



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12.4 CALCULATION METHODOLOGIES

Figure 6-1 Registered Players in Gippsland compared to Victoria Country Average Source: FootyWeb extract

Methodology: Input - registered participant data from FootyWeb, identifies participants by leagues/associations. Mapped the leagues/associations to AFL Country Regions and calculated the compound annual growth rate between 2017 and 2019 for both Gippsland-only data and broader AFL country participation data.

Figure 6-2 Gippsland Registered Players by League compared against Participant Growth Rate by League. (1) includes both junior and senior leagues

Methodology: As per Figure 6-1. Compared Gippsland association size by its respective 3-year compound annual growth rate in participation.

Figure 7-1 Three-year Average Win Rate by Club by League Source: SportsTG end of season ladder results, 2017 – 2019, ColganBauer Analysis

Methodology: Sourced ladder results for all senior competitions from 2017 to 2019. The win rate is calculated on a year-by-year basis for all clubs within the leagues. Subsequently averaged the calculated club’s win rates across the three years. Note: for clubs that were not located in the league for three years (i.e. Warragul Industrials in the WGFNC), the data presented is only their performance in the WGFNC (2019 season win rate average).

Table 7-1 Percentage of Out-of-Region players in Junior Leagues Source: Footyweb Data Extract, ColganBauer Analysis

Methodology: Obtained participant-by-participant data extract from FootyWeb, which had geographic marker data (i.e. address, suburb, state, etc.). Completed a suburb by suburb classification of whether it is within the AFL Gippsland region. De-duplicated the participation data and totalled the players in each league who were located within AFL Gippsland’s border and who were not located within AFL Gippsland’s borders.

Table 7-2 Percentage of Out-of-Region Players in Senior Leagues Source: Footyweb Data Extract, ColganBauer Analysis Source: Footyweb Data Extract, ColganBauer Analysis

Methodology: As per Table 7-1.

Figure 9-1 Gippsland SA2 Population Size (2016) compared against the Forecast Growth Rate (2016 – 2026). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Methodology: Using forecasted 2026 population values by SA3/SA2, calculated the compound annual growth rate compared to 2016 Australian census data. It then compared the SA2 population size with its respective forecasted compound annual growth rate.

Figure 9-2 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) Gippsland Leagues only Source: AFL FanView database Source: AFL FanView database

Methodology: Obtained year-by-year attrition data for Gippsland participation from AFL FanView database on a by age basis and then averaged the drop-out rates across four years of data (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)

Figure 9-3 Participation Attrition/Drop-out Rate % by Age (Males only) – Gippsland Leagues compared to all Country Victoria Leagues


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Source: AFL FanView database, ColganBauer analysis Source: AFL FanView database, ColganBauer Analysis

Methodology: As per Figure 9-2.


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