VFL SECOND TIER REVIEW - Article in VFL Football Record
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:37 pmThis 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.
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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.
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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.
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