Update From The President
Dear Fellow Warriors,
I hope you're all staying safe and looking after your friends and family.
The committee met recently and wanted to give you an update on some key areas.
Fixtures & Season Structure
As you no doubt would have seen, the AFL have announced a return to contact training and games effective July 1st, with Round One for Community Football is scheduled for the weekend of July 18th & 19th.
Given that we have a shortened season the fixture structure will be slightly different this year. Currently there are nine (9) home and away fixtures planned for each division, with a finals series to follow. With finals taking place between late September and middle of October, it is expected that Premier Division (Men’s and Women’s) will follow a four week finals series.
For Divisional clubs (again on both Men’s and Women’s side) there will be a two week final series. Given the unprecedented circumstances that we have seen and experienced over the last few months, the AFL, in conjunction with feedback from the clubs, felt it was important for everyone to get as much footy into the calendar as possible, which in some cases has resulted in a slightly shorter finals series than normal. Whilst not the ideal situation, it gives as many people as possible the ability to play footy this year, which is ultimately as members of community assets that we are is the foundation of why we play this great game.
Fees
In my previous update, I said that I would give you an update about rego fees for the upcoming season. The AFL have now given us some clarity with regards to the fees that they will be charging clubs this season, which I have shared below:
Affiliation fees to reduce by c.35-40% from proposed 2020 affiliation fees
Umpiring fees per game to reduce by c.30% from proposed 2020 umpire fees
Zero insurance costs will be passed on to clubs by the AFL
Reduction of other costs usually incurred (lower cost Phelan Mostyn Medal presentation evening, lower costs for Sportscast presentations)
I wanted to give you this information as the Committee and I wanted to be absolutely clear and transparent with regards to what has happened with the costs side of the club, as it ultimately affects the fees you as players end up paying. With the above in mind, the committee have agreed that the following reduced fees will apply for this season:
Community Member - $250
Student Member - $210
Member introduction discount of $50 still stands
The decision was made to reduce fees broadly in line with the reduction in costs passed on by the AFL. Whilst we were keen to reduce these fees as much as possible, it was important to find the right balance between the club being able to meet its cost obligations, and continuing the journey to put the club on a firm financial footing for this year and beyond. This is about continuous investment and improvement.
We understand that there are, and there will be, some financial hardship. Please don't hesitate to contact me or any of the committee members if you want to discuss. We don’t want anyone to miss out on footy this season for short term cost reasons, so we will help wherever we can around payment plans, timing of payments etc.
Team Nominations
As part of the return to play process, all clubs have been required to confirm their team nominations for the forthcoming season. The committee have done a lot of work with playing groups on both the men’s and women’s side of the club to assess how our playing numbers have been affected since lockdown, and the feasibility of fielding all of our five sides for the forthcoming season. Based on the feedback received it has become clearer that whilst we will be able to field both our women’s teams and the Platinum and Platinum Reserves teams on the men’s side, unfortunately the numbers will not allow us to field a Division Three men’s team this season.
This is a really disappointing outcome, as the key for all community clubs’ is to have a number of thriving teams all out on the park, but unfortunately we are not alone in experiencing a dip in numbers as a result of the pandemic. With the hope of a more ‘normal’ season next season, it will be an absolute priority for the club this year and in the off-season to attract returning and new players to our club across all of our programs. A club is nothing without its members and its volunteers, and the Committee and I will continue to work incredibly hard to provide an environment for as many people as possible to enjoy their footy.
General
Amongst the uncertainty that we are all facing, our community is more important than ever. We encourage you to stay connected with each other and get around your friends and teammates. Take the time out to check in with anyone you haven't heard from in a while, and encourage them to come back to training! Also, keep following us on the socials and keep up to date.
Good for Footy Raffle
Regardless of football restarting this season, all clubs, ours included, will suffer a financial impact this year. Everyone is doing it tough and we understand that not everyone is in the position to support us, however if you're able, a great way to support us while staying at home is to buy tickets for the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle. It's a chance to win some great prizes and the Club gets 100% of the ticket proceeds - a win-win! To buy tickets and enter your chance to win, please visit: https://toyotagoodforfooty.raffletix.com.au/muafc - please share this with friends, family, co-workers. We all like winning prizes don’t we?
Tackling Violence Partnership
Prior to the pandemic, the club was able to agree a partnership with NSW Health to promote their ‘Tackling Violence’ program. The program uses sports clubs as a platform to address family and domestic violence and alcohol related harm in the community. We as a club are committed to taking a stand against family and domestic violence, and we are proud to be the first AFL club to sign up to this partnership. There will be ongoing activities throughout the rest of the season, as well as a ‘Tackling Violence’ round for one of our home games. Keep an eye out for further updates.
Social Events
Obviously this has been pretty difficult to plan for under the current restrictions, but as these continue to be eased across Sydney the social committee are busy planning for a slate of events. This includes a (very belated) season launch sometime in August – when it is expected that more of us are allowed in a venue – as well a number of other events, including hopefully a repeat of Ladies’ Day for one of our home fixtures. Once restrictions continue to lift, I encourage you all to support the Epping Hotel. The Ping has been a long time loyal supporter of the club and anything we can do to support them through what has been a difficult year for them the better.
Sponsorship
Player Sponsorships
This year the club are welcoming player sponsors on board to help support our players. Player sponsors are a great way for small business owners to get more exposure for their business. It's great for those smaller businesses who may not wish to pay higher fees to become a club sponsor, but who still want to show their support for community football. If you have friends or family that you think might be interested, please contact myself or anyone on the committee for more details.
New Sponsor - EFEX
If you had not seen the announcement made on social media, the Club was proud and excited to announce a new partnership agreement with EFEX for the 2020 season.
This is a major new deal that enables the club to help the club further build firmer financial foundations to allow all of our players to enjoy being part of the club.
EFEX is one of the fastest growing technology companies in Australia. They provide excellent service and technology solutions, removing the hassle of managing your business technology operations (print, IT, network, cloud and voice and data services.
Additionally, MUAFC will reward any registered players and members with a $250 referral bonus upon any successful signing of a print or services agreement with EFEX. Whether it's your business, a business you work for, or someone you know that is looking to improve their business office technology, get in contact with EFEX today!
Finally, I understand that there has been a lot of uncertainty with regards to football this year, and I wanted to personally thank you for the patience and flexibility you have shown whilst we navigate what has been a crazy year so far. We are so close to getting back to full training and games, so I would encourage everyone to continue to stay safe, follow all the guidance provided and look after each other.
As always, any feedback you provide will help us make this a club you are proud of, so please continue to reach out to me or any of the committee.
All the best,
Kristian
President - Macquarie University Australian Football Club
kristian.purdie@gmail.com