AFL New Zealand Forum 2011
Sunday March 27th 2011, Sports House, Stadium Drive, Albany 12.00pm
Attendance
Geoff Dickson (AFLNZ Chairman), Tim Stevens (AFLNZ), Ian Francis (AFLNZ), Justin Davies (AFLNZ), Damon Crowe (AFLNZ), Ben Davies (AFLNZ), Vivienne Sucu (North Shore Tigers), Margaret Lavery (WAFL Secretary, Hutt Valley Eagles), Rob Malone (Guest of the Chairman), Ken McKay (Manurewa), Ricky Van Olphen (Mid Canterbury Eagles), Jarrod Darlington (Waitakere Magpies), Peter Shepherdson (Otago), Brent Frewen (Eastern Blues), Saula Sucu (North Shore Tigers), Aaron Webb (University Blues), Andrew Crighton (AFLNZ), Will McKenzie (Self), Robert Vanstam (CEO), Cory Williams (AFLNZ), Tom O’Keeffe (AFLNZ).
The forum topics were to be reviewed with attendees giving consideration to their clubs and leagues needs, coupled with the overall development of the sport in New Zealand and the AFLNZ's mission of increasing participation, excellence and engagement in Australian Football.
Each of the topics was headed by an AFL New Zealand Board member and centred around the five pillars of the AFLNZ Strategic Plan.
The points discussed are highlighted below and an action list has been provided for AFL New Zealand and a suggested action list for its members.
1. Funding – The funding committed to the delivery of AFL to KiwiKick in 2011 is significantly greater than 2010. Given this start what suggestions does your club have for leveraging such funding to advance the interest of your club/league?
- The engagement of parents at AFL KiwiKick and club level and asking for involvement. Increased communication from club members to potential volunteers on the sideline. Ask them to be involved with the club. They will say yes.
- Majority of the clubs are looking for a quick fix with getting more players. Generally problems that come up are addressed on game day in a reactive manner. There needs to be a more proactive approach, looking 5 years ahead and putting good structures in place now, so when the junior participants transition into the clubs they will have an enjoyable and fun experience and will want to stay.
- Clubs should look to improve relationships with local businesses for sponsorship and have a community feel around the club. We currently have teams not clubs.
- Capture a younger audience at club level by introducing a junior competition so you can involve the parents and capture them as volunteers.
- AFL NZ assistance in linking clubs and schools together.
- More clubs would like the opportunity to get more involved with AFLNZ work in schools.
2. Organisation – Organisation is about helping members increase their capabilities and employ best practice principals in the delivery of AFL to their constituents. What practical steps would assist in ensuring the sustainability of your organisation?
- Better facilities and making the AFL experience fun and enjoyable.
- Linking in with other sports e.g. Soccer and partnering with them to have better facilities and building relationships which could increase player numbers
- All under 17 players are likely to be school based and not club based. Once they leave school, clubs need to be ready to handle them.
- Increase in experienced coaches could teach new players the finer techniques of the game so they understand it better
- Sharing of best practice to other clubs which will increase capabilities
- AFLNZ to improve in providing support to clubs
- Board and other members are more than happy to take questions from clubs to help out.
3. People – One of the areas of focus is to create a sense of community for all people involved in AFL. What practical steps can AFL NZ implement to assist your organisation in delivering a club environment that is welcoming for all as opposed to a team environment that is only focused on match day results?
- Safe, capable environments with quality capable people
- Does AFL NZ need to start a U/15 competition to get parents involved?
- Club reps attending school games to make links between school and club
- Increased communication to volunteers and club members and making the clubs more welcoming to come along and help out
- Don’t feel guilty to ask parents to come down and help out with volunteering all sports need volunteers
- Designating a person to welcome people to the club
- Email all U/18 aged Rep Players and parents
4. Participation – AFL NZ has had tremendous success in increasing participation levels in NZ. What practical steps would assist your organisation in achieving sustained participation from volunteers that underpin the requirements of your organisation?
- Better Structure around coaching and umpiring
- Developing umpires from other codes
- Reunion for past players and inviting them to umpire or volunteer
- Direct contact with past players and ASK to umpire
- Incentives for umpires. Club games → NPC → Internationals → AFL
- Weekend product not good enough to keep players
- Asking new participants what they want out of getting involved with AFL
- Participant and spectator behaviour should be good
5. High Performance – HP is viewed as an essential step in the AFL NZ pathway that assists in attracting athletes to play AFL in New Zealand. What practical assistance does your club require to keep HP athletes involved in the sport outside of the HP calendar? How can we ensure that the HP and non-elite calendars compliment each other? Is finance an issue?
- Mt Roskill Saints put money aside for HP players
- HP and non-elite can exist if calendar is well planned in advance
- HP Players would love to play every year but finances would make it hard to commit
- User pays is the best model
Information to clubs re particpation
Community forums and face to face contact
Welfare managers
Equally good experience at clubs as HP
Job descriptions
Links to community webs sites
Aust Consulate Trans Tasman business relationships
ACTION LIST
Club Development Programme
AFL New Zealand to roll out a new Club Development Programme in May 2011 focusing on three main areas of coaching, umpiring and game day management.
$16,000 is currently budgeted towards the programme.
HANZ UP! CUP
AFL New Zealand will hold an Under 17 competition called the HANZ UP! Cup in three venues in the Auckland region. ( Most likely Onepoto, Parrs, Colin Maiden) targeting 300 participants.
Commences November 2011, with a HP element carrying on after Christmas leading in to the U18/U20 NPC.
The competition will look to roll out in Canterbury and Wellington in 2012.
AFL KiwiKick Programme
On average most children involved with the AFL KiwiKick Programme ( 5 to 12 years of age) have two parents. AFL New Zealand will provide opportunities for member clubs to associate with the programme to;
provide a profile within the local community
volunteer recruitment opportunities
up skill coaches and accreditation
up skill umpiring and accreditation
up skill game day management practices
Rolled out May 2011 as part of the Club Development Programme
Hawks Cup Programme
AFL New Zealand will provide opportunities for member clubs to associate with the programme to;
provide a profile within the local community
volunteer recruitment opportunities
up skill coaches and accreditation
up skill umpiring and accreditation
up skill game day management practices
Rolled out May 2011 as part of the Club Development Programme
Datebase acquisition
The AFL has developed on line resources to assist clubs with all aspects of football development.
AFL New Zealand will utilise a database of club members and distribute information pertaining to best practices.
Rolled out May 2011 as part of the Club Development Programme
Action lists from clubs
AFL New Zealand would like action lists from those who attended the forum and what they plan to do with the ideas and thoughts coming from the forum.
May 2011 Thank you.