WAFL

[Dutchy]

My wife's godbrother has recently been appointed the CEO of Swan Districts in the WAFL, a SA boy he has been here for Christmas and I caught up with him on the weekend. Some interesting reasons why WAFL footy will NEVER be on par with the SANFL -

- Salary Cap $100k, just cant compete with SANFL
- WCE and Freo pay dividends to the WAFC, like the SA teams do, BUT this money does not get directed to the WAFL clubs, it is put back into junior development and grass roots footy
- WAFL clubs rely heavily on volunteers, only 3-4 full time staff at each club (how does this compare to SANFL?)
- No pokies in WA therefore harder to build up external revenues

At least for the next decade they will be miles behind us...

[Sojourner]

It is interesting to note that WA dont have the Poker Machines as yet. What could happen there is what should have happened here in that the government could pass a law stating that only the WAFL Clubs can have Pokies. If that was the rule here that only SANFL clubs could have pokies, we would be on a par with some of the AFL clubs for revenue.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Whatever happened to 'Westar Rules' the new look WAFL?
They dropped that name pretty quick!

[mighty_tiger_79]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aerie]

What's a godbrother?

[Dutchy]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I asked him what the area was like, he paused, then said.....something like Elizabeth!!!!

[Dutchy]

What's a godbrother?

Your taking the piss arent you?

In case you arent, in many ethnic based cultures God parents are a very important part of a persons development in this world...some God parents also have there own kids (am I saying this slowly enough?) hence God Brother...

fair dinkum

[mighty_tiger_79]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I asked him what the area was like, he paused, then said.....something like Elizabeth!!!!

YEAH thats about right, but probably being generous.

Bayswater which is only up the road has some interesting tenants............the ones that Rann is trying to outlaw here

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

What's a godbrother?

Marlon Brando aka Vito Corleone's sibling!
...He'll give you an offer you can't refuse!

[Dogsbody]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I asked him what the area was like, he paused, then said.....something like Elizabeth!!!!

YEAH thats about right, but probably being generous.

Bayswater which is only up the road has some interesting tenants............the ones that Rann is trying to outlaw here

But then Swan Districts are black and white...

[mighty_tiger_79]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I asked him what the area was like, he paused, then said.....something like Elizabeth!!!!

YEAH thats about right, but probably being generous.

Bayswater which is only up the road has some interesting tenants............the ones that Rann is trying to outlaw here

But then Swan Districts are black and white...

and that explains everything..............................................................

[SimonH]

Generally good points, but the salary cap is actually $160,000.

It's a little oversimplistic to say that WAFC money "does not get directed to the WAFL clubs". The WAFC 'service grant' to the clubs is $320,000 annually (see the full report linked from the above page). I'm open to correction, but I think the SANFL gives the clubs in the low $400,000s each. The SANFL hands out more, obviously; as a proportion of the salary cap, though, the WAFC is generous compared with the SANFL.

The review recommended the salary cap stay at $160,000 until the end of 2009 (which considering inflation, means in real terms a small cut each year) "in order to focus on improving club finances in the short term". That is to say, most clubs can't afford even $160,000 each. Beyond the WAFC grants, they seem not to have the revenue streams. (Although the clubs rejected that recommendation and the salary cap amount remains up in the air at the moment.)

The review notes that interstate transfer fees for each player have just been increased from $4,000 to $10,000 (and recommends that the WAFC ask the AFL to increase them to $20,000). Which is really attacking the problem from the wrong angle. It keeps depth in the local comp by preventing a mass exodus (you're not going to pay that kind of money for a speculative or fringe player); but will provide no disincentive to SANFL clubs looking to pick up better players. The WAFC seems to think that the answer is to become more insular, both maintaining a maximum 6-interstate-player-per-club limit for WAFL teams, and trying to stop WA players from going interstate by recommending large hikes in transfer fees. Even more bizarrely, they're recommending that a bonus above the base $320,000 be given to clubs who have 70% local players (i.e. from their own district) in their league side. You can imagine the financial controller at a struggling club calling the coach and selection committee: 'It's worth 10,000 bucks to us to play two more locals for the next few rounds. Aw c'mon, we're probably going to miss the finals anyway.' Not the greatest way of improving the standard of the comp. At the same time, they're happily taking and dividing up the AFL draft fees-- money which only comes because they're participating in a national market. Guys, building the Berlin Wall just made the East Germans want to get out even more badly; it didn't stop too many West Germans from breaking in.

I can't believe that the amateur-hour level of finances at WAFL clubs compared with SANFL is caused by pokies and only pokies. The review notes declining attendances (which I understand are well below SANFL's); however, it doesn't actually discuss what might stabilise or increase them beyond talking generally of 'branding', marketing and promotion. 'Assessing the value of the WAFL brand and its current perception in WA' (one of the recommendations) isn't the same thing as developing a plan to get more people to actually go to the footy. The level of support for the Weagles and Freo (not to mention the huge number of West Australians taken in the draft) doesn't give much support to the theory that there's generally less interest in Aussie rules over in the West.

Interesting proposals in the review for reforming the 'incoming AFL draftees' mini-draft to increase evenness of the comp, too. Priority picks for teams who win 4 games or less (similar to what the AFL has just curtailed), and finalists don't participate at all. The clubs approved those changes in an 8:1 vote, surprisingly.

[mighty_tiger_79]

on attendances do you think that the fact that some WAFL games are played head to head with AFL games are affecting attendances hugely?

secondly on the same point is that AFL games start around 5:40pm to fit in with tv and WAFL games finish at around 5ish, so it does make it hard to get to both. at least here you can go to the SANFL and then venture to west lakes to watch the AFL because there is generally a 2 hour gap.

[Dutchy]

well I got it from the CEO that it is $100k (maybe that is all they pay) and they only get a drip feed from the WAFC

[mighty_tiger_79]

DUTCHY

if possible during next footy season can you keep us updated on the fortunes of the SWANNIES?

im also curious as to how the new ceo will go at trying to attract locals to watch Swannies.
i think it will be a very hard task, but the club has potential.

[Dutchy]

I can't believe that the amateur-hour level of finances at WAFL clubs compared with SANFL is caused by pokies and only pokies.

The majority of the revenue for clubs is from pokies, when you have the revenue you can then spend to improve revenue streams in other areas (marketing, facilities etc)

Case studies - Norwood & Sturt, the only real financial basket cases, guess which 2 didnt have good pokie set ups?

[SimonH]

I can't believe that the amateur-hour level of finances at WAFL clubs compared with SANFL is caused by pokies and only pokies.

The majority of the revenue for clubs is from pokies, when you have the revenue you can then spend to improve revenue streams in other areas (marketing, facilities etc)

Case studies - Norwood & Sturt, the only real financial basket cases, guess which 2 didnt have good pokie set ups?

No doubt that in the present-day, they provide a huge boost. As a business, they provide a predictable and fairly sizeable revenue stream, with a downside risk of virtually zero.

But there's also no doubt that there have over the years been enormous financial powerhouses in the SANFL (the usual suspects) before pokies were heard of. There are plenty of ways that a club can create a revenue stream. The most obvious is that, in the right environment (e.g. in the 1970s, Sam's Disco!) liquor licenses by themselves can be licenses to print money. Without being bothered going back into whatever historical data there is, wouldn't it be true to say that SANFL clubs were financially stronger than WAFL clubs in the days before any SANFL club held a pokie license?

[Barto]

SWAN DISTRICTS

well it certainly is an interesting neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I asked him what the area was like, he paused, then said.....something like Elizabeth!!!!

It's slightly more upmarket than Elizabeth.. more like Salisbury.

[westozfalcon]

Whatever happened to 'Westar Rules' the new look WAFL?
They dropped that name pretty quick!

Yes the Westar Rules name came in for season 1997 and only lasted a couple of years. It was really just a cosmetic change and most of the footy public here didn't like it.

The only lasting legacy of Westar is the use of yellow footies for all games (instead of just for night games).

[FlyingHigh]

Aren't the Swans one of the highest drawing teams in the comp, even though they've only been moderately successful over the last few years? Possibly because it is a cheaper form of entertainment than the AFL?