VFL SECOND TIER REVIEW - Article in VFL Football Record

[PhilH]

This article appeared in this weekends edition of the VFL Football Records, some interesting point where the VFL maybe headed. Not sure on impact on SANFL but its interesting they looked at the WA model and not ours.

...............................................

REVIEWS VISION FOR VICTORIAN FOOTBALL

Last year the AFL finalised its second-tier review, which focused largely on the Victorian football talent pathway. Many recommendations flowed from that season-long review, most notably the AFL’s endorsement of the existing VFL competition.

The review also said AFL/VFL alignments should continue to be an important part of the secondtier structure of football in Victoria, but argued the VFL could play a more substantial role in the Victorian talent development stream.

One recommendation was that there should be focused investment into Victorian football’s resources and infrastructure. Another was that VFL and TAC Cup clubs should be integrated to form one regionally based talent development entity.

The task of implementing the review’s recommendations was entrusted to Grant Williams, the project manager for the secondtier review.Williams, a former structural engineer, has a wealth of knowledge and experience as a project manager. He worked in the gas and oil industry before moving to football, where he has worked with AFL SportsReady and the AFL Players Association to implement the Next Goal Program, and as the Carlton Football Club’s football operations general manager.

Over recent months, Williams has visited each VFL and TAC Cup club, speaking to officials and inspecting all existing club facilities. As part of his review, Williams has also collected information on each club’s finances and organisational structure, together with what is needed to make their facilities state-of-the-art.

But one of William’s first objectives has been to establish talent boundaries.

“These are talent regions, not to be confused with regions that include different leagues,” Williams said.

“It’s primarily to do with talent boundaries. We have been looking at the current talent regions to establish whether or not they need modification. “We’re trying to optimise those regions so everyone has an equitable slice of the pie in so far as talent is concerned and look at the demographics of those regions.

“In conjunction with that, we are looking at how those regions overlay with our current facilities, our current TAC Cup club locations and the current VFL club locations.

“Within each region we need to determine and identify and locate the best location for each VFL/ TAC Cup club.” Williams said as part of that process the projected growth in these regions by the year 2030 had to be taken into account to establish if the clubs there would be sustainable.

“Facilities are a key component to where we establish the regions,” he said. “If we are going to go with a region model then they need to be serviced by state-of-the-art facilities. Over recent years the AFL through AFL Victoria has invested significant amounts of money into facilities.

“We want to maintain and where possible enhance those investments to ensure the investments within those regions
review’s vision for Victorian football

Williams said the aim of the second-tier review was simple – to collectively achieve the best outcome for football within each
region, and the best outcome for football in Victoria.

He said to achieve this it was important to engage with local communities and local councils so they, too, could embrace
the big picture for football in Victoria.

“It’s hoped the impact of the second-tier review would certainly extend down to community football and club level so
throughout the region there is an identified talent pathway,” Williams said. “And, that would go from a kid starting out at Auskick and continue all the way through to the AFL. can provide the best environment for the state to produce talent.”

Williams and AFL Victoria CEO Peter Schwab have also travelled to Western Australia, where they held discussions with West
Australian Football Commission officials about that state’s ‘district model’, which has operated there for the past five years.

“That information on how they operate, their objectives and their districts can help us see how that might apply or not apply in Victoria,” Williams said.

Part of the blueprint for Victorian football is to establish regional hubs that will embrace all football in that region, including
its VFL club, TAC Cup club and local clubs.

“We will need to establish a suitable governance structure for each region and identify the overall football responsibilities
that each region will take on in the short term and into the future,” Williams said.

“We understand that because of the idiosyncrasies of the Victorian football set-up over a long period of time and the
participation numbers in Victoria there is not going to be a one-size fits all solution to a regional structure.

“So we are going to be looking at a governance structure that could manage and administer football within a region.

“Then we will look at each individual case to see how that proposal would be best adapted for the betterment of football in
that region.”

“Included in the regional hub is what the AFL calls centres of excellence and that extends beyond football. It would include
coaches, medical staff, physios, trainers and administrators and volunteers.

“It would be a development centre for people involved in all aspects of football, not just footballers. It is hoped that given
time and appropriate investment in people and facilities it would be a centre of excellence in the true sense of the word.”

The implementation process has included regular consultation with the AFL and other stakeholders to ensure everyone can have input.

It is expected that a final report will be presented to the AFL in September or October this year.

.............................

[Sojourner]

The WA Model is related to districts which resulted in the creation of team Peel Thunder. As the article states the VFL are looking at where the best locations are for their clubs, so the WA model is clearly a tried and true model of that system.

The SANFL on the other hand does not have the scope to be able to make those changes as the traditions of the SANFL cut deeply. Areas will bloom in population in S.A in the next 30 years and be largely ignored by the SANFL as is the case in Golden Grove - Modbury at present.

Will be interesting to see how the VFL go with this type of model, clearly their goal is to be the second best competition behind the AFL instead of the SANFL, which could well be a reality if we cannot embrace change.....

[spell_check]

The WA Model is related to districts which resulted in the creation of team Peel Thunder. As the article states the VFL are looking at where the best locations are for their clubs, so the WA model is clearly a tried and true model of that system.

The SANFL on the other hand does not have the scope to be able to make those changes as the traditions of the SANFL cut deeply. Areas will bloom in population in S.A in the next 30 years and be largely ignored by the SANFL as is the case in Golden Grove - Modbury at present.

Will be interesting to see how the VFL go with this type of model, clearly their goal is to be the second best competition behind the AFL instead of the SANFL, which could well be a reality if we cannot embrace change.....

Would you say that Peel Thunder has done the WAFL competition any good?

[Sojourner]

Would you say that Peel Thunder has done the WAFL competition any good?

Unsure to be honest, the idea was to take footy to the people, yet the club has not won a premiership as yet. No doubt when they do though is when they will begin generating supporters and membership as is the case here when sides have a measure of success for a change!

[spell_check]

Would you say that Peel Thunder has done the WAFL competition any good?

Unsure to be honest, the idea was to take footy to the people, yet the club has not won a premiership as yet. No doubt when they do though is when they will begin generating supporters and membership as is the case here when sides have a measure of success for a change!

I don't think they've even made the finals in the 11 seasons they've been in.

[blues2002]

I don't think they've even made the finals in the 11 seasons they've been in.

Just a touch less successful than approx 1/2 the SANFL teams have been in winning flags in the past 11 years in a <10 team comp: North, Glenelg, South and West that's you (Norwood to join this elite club next year).

Things don't look too bad at Peel, given they have a lot less experience and hence expectation than the aforementioned SANFL clubs.

[therisingblues]

Will be interesting to see how the VFL go with this type of model, clearly their goal is to be the second best competition behind the AFL instead of the SANFL, which could well be a reality if we cannot embrace change.....

And the WAFL, the system on which it is based, is where exactly in the league rankings around Australia?
The SANFL's bread and butter are the links between the current teams and the people that still follow them. It is this link that causes people like myself to still prefer the SANFL over any other comp' including the AFL.
I am not sure exactly what you intend as an appropriate action, (relocation or entering new teams) but it is the stubborness of the South Australians that has kept the SANFL the second healthiest league in Australia.
My guess is this situation will change as us old bastards start dropping off. The generation that follows will be AFL oriented, unless something dramatic happens.
Following a system which the AFL approves as an "appropriate" model to create their own second strongest league in Victoria would naturally mean that we would be inferior to that second league. There can be only one second placed league right?

[spell_check]

I don't think they've even made the finals in the 11 seasons they've been in.

Just a touch less successful than approx 1/2 the SANFL teams have been in winning flags in the past 11 years in a <10 team comp: North, Glenelg, South and West that's you (Norwood to join this elite club next year).

Things don't look too bad at Peel, given they have a lot less experience and hence expectation than the aforementioned SANFL clubs.

Ah yes, the argument about "success" - premierships, finals or combination of both. But good luck to Peel though, I notice they are currently 4th. I do find it interesting that Peel was added to create the bye.

[Pseudo]

I don't think they've even made the finals in the 11 seasons they've been in.

Just a touch less successful than approx 1/2 the SANFL teams have been in winning flags in the past 11 years in a <10 team comp: North, Glenelg, South and West that's you (Norwood to join this elite club next year).

Things don't look too bad at Peel, given they have a lot less experience and hence expectation than the aforementioned SANFL clubs.

Ah yes, the argument about "success" - premierships, finals or combination of both. But good luck to Peel though, I notice they are currently 4th. I do find it interesting that Peel was added to create the bye.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that Peel drew a decent crowd to its home matches, well above the average for a WAFL game. I'm sure some of the more "successful" clubs would be envious. Well and good to win the occasional flag (or better), but if you don't get enough punters through the turnstiles then have you really been successful?

[doggies4eva]

Personally I think any team that has managed to stay in business in an environment where 16 elete teams draw the vast majority of the media attention and funds available for football is a success story.

I do worry about the point that TRB makes - that us old bastards are goind to start dropping off - hence a drop in dedicated and pashionate followers. I have advocated an innovative approach and like the idea that the comp be expanded to inlcude regional teams. The current set-up where 7 of the nine ovals are ideally located for an Adelaide 80-100 years ago (exluding the Dogs and South) is a joke and an insult to places like Modbury and the Hills.

Innovate or die applies to sporting competitions as much as other walks of life!!

[spell_check]

I don't think they've even made the finals in the 11 seasons they've been in.

Just a touch less successful than approx 1/2 the SANFL teams have been in winning flags in the past 11 years in a <10 team comp: North, Glenelg, South and West that's you (Norwood to join this elite club next year).

Things don't look too bad at Peel, given they have a lot less experience and hence expectation than the aforementioned SANFL clubs.

Ah yes, the argument about "success" - premierships, finals or combination of both. But good luck to Peel though, I notice they are currently 4th. I do find it interesting that Peel was added to create the bye.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that Peel drew a decent crowd to its home matches, well above the average for a WAFL game. I'm sure some of the more "successful" clubs would be envious. Well and good to win the occasional flag (or better), but if you don't get enough punters through the turnstiles then have you really been successful?

I know what you're trying to get at, but what you have heard is wrong:

http://www.footygoss.com/forums/viewthread/9215/

[Benchwarmer]

It looks like the official figures include freebies/passes. Some of those clubs are not getting that many in (especially one or two in the top five - Swans excluded because of their ANZAC Day crowd).