November Update from the Subiaco Board of Directors

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 - 3:15 PM
It has been a busy time around the Subiaco Football Club since the conclusion of the 2017 WAFL season.
 
With the football department working on retention and recruitment of players, talent department transitioning to a new operating model, business development focusing on new strategies to improve the club’s off field operations, finance finalising the end of our financial year at October 31, member services focusing on the 2018 membership and marketing needs of the football club and facilities team completing required maintenance around the club.
 
For the board of the Subiaco Football Club this has been an equally busy time, notably being proactive in regards to the AFL alignment and rules of WAFL football which has been the major priority of the Board of Directors of the Subiaco Football Club.
 
At the end of the 2017 WAFL season, the WAFC requested feedback from WAFL Clubs on what changes they think should be made to the AFL Alignment partnership rules for 2018 season and beyond.
 
The Subiaco Football Club provided the submission below and that submission and those of other clubs has now been widely circulated in the WA football industry.  We would like to share the club’s feedback to our members and supporters.
 
PARTNER MODEL
Getting this model right is vital to club competitiveness and equalisation.  The Subiaco Football Club are striving to be competitive with the alignment clubs that play 15 AFL players in finals. We want to be competitive during the year, during finals and on Grand final day. In the past two years, unfortunately we believe that this competitive balance has been compromised.
 
We must get to the purpose of the alignment. For the WA AFL clubs to be able to manage players, have their players train and play together and be able to coach them the AFL way. For the WAFL using the alignment to be able to improve long term strength and sustainability of the completion. For the WAFL Aligned Clubs using financial support of the alignment model (EP & Peel were under severe financial strain at the time they were awarded partner club status), helping them be competitive by having 10 to 12 AFL “recruits” every game and allowing them to develop their own local players – no recruitment!
 
Therefore the suggestions made by the Subiaco Football Club to ensure that the ongoing alignment model meets the needs of all stakeholders, the following amendments are proposed.
 
Subiaco Feedback -  Rule Changes for 2018
 
WAFL Finals Qualification
·      5 WAFL games qualification to play finals, plus
·      3 WAFL games in the last half of the season, plus
·      More WAFL games than AFL games in the last half of the season, plus
·      Total number of AFL players in any final (includes when AFL teams are in finals that week) is their average number per game in the last 2 or 3 H&A seasons.
 
WAFL Partner Clubs 
·      No recruiting at all – the AFL players are their recruits, aligned clubs must develop and play 10 to 12 local players every game including finals. 
 
Additional Feedback
·      40 list to be reduced to 30
·      Finals TPP distribution overhaul (Peel got $8990 for every finals game, in two cases from the revenue raised by the Subiaco Football Club hosting a final, yet they only had to pay 7 players! We would estimate their actual TTP costs were probably a maximum $4,500 and they got that 3 times, twice from other WAFL Clubs gate revenue.  
 
The WAFC have now met and discussed with the WAFL Club’s all the club feedback and they are now assessing what they will support for implementation in 2018.  We are uncertain what changes the WA AFL Clubs would support bearing in mind that their partner clubs feedback was for no change.
 
Finally, the Board of the Subiaco Football Club would like to take this opportunity to encourage all members, past players and supporters to attend “The Final Siren” event and AGM on Sunday December 3rd.
 
Should any member have any questions regarding this update, please contact the administration office on 9208 9999.
 
Warm regards,

Board of the Subiaco Football Club