AFL Victoria has reviewed the independent report and provided a response to the recommendations into Gippsland Football as part of its commitment to community football and its objective to strengthen the game in regional areas.
AFL Victoria will consider recommendations by an independent report into Gippsland Football as part of its commitment to community football and its objective to strengthen the game in regional areas.
A focus on growing women’s football in the region and an alignment of junior/youth age bracket structure are among those recommendations considered.
The 98-page report, prepared by strategic consultants ColganBauer, also suggests amalgamating the Alberton Football Netball Competition into the Mid Gippsland Football Netball League competition to create a 15-club competition aimed at long-term league sustainability.
The report, prompted by AFL Victoria to focus on preserving football in Gippsland, contains 46 recommendations for AFL Victoria.
Download the full ColganBauer report here
Of those recommendations, all 46 have been identified by AFL Victoria as either worthy of implementation or already contained within an existing analysis that can be further examined in order to incorporate suggestions put forward by the report’s independent authors, ColganBauer.
AFL Victoria is committed to a vibrant and sustainable network of inclusive clubs and leagues across Victoria. For more than a century, Gippsland has been one of Australian Football’s strongest advocates and greatest supporters. Over many years, the region has bred, nurtured and developed some of the game’s champion coaches, players and officials.
Like many regional areas, Gippsland football faces immense challenges in maintaining its presence, its participation rate, its facilities, its leagues and its community engagement with local clubs. As a strong advocate of football’s important role in community life, AFL Victoria welcomes the report and its findings.
“The health and safety of the community, together with club and league sustainability has been the priority of all clubs and leagues in the Gippsland region,’’ AFL Victoria Head of Community Football Steve O’Donohue said today.
“We are committed to making football better and stronger for all participants in Gippsland and we thank everyone who has provided feedback through the consultation process of this report to ColganBauer.”
All 46 recommendations and AFL Victoria’s responses here
O’Donohue said the priority for AFL Victoria is to preserve community football in the Gippsland region.
“Part of this process is to get a clear understanding of what structural changes should be implemented, where investment should go, and the measures required to ensure the local football community is supported in achieving those objectives. This report is an important step to continue to move football forward in Gippsland. We’ll continue to work with, and listen to players, coaches, leagues, administrators and volunteers, to ensure we all shape the future of football in the region.”
