60 minute read
FOOTBALL NSW ASSOCIATIONS
BANKSTOWN DAFA
THE 2021 SEASON STARTED WITH EXCITEMENT, AND WE QUICKLY BUILT MOMENTUM FOR THE 2021 SEASON.
Advertisement
Our clubs had a short turnaround time between seasons however, this did not stop the motivation of many clubs, which continued to grow in size and numbers. Most of our clubs experienced a growth in registration numbers, and overall, BDAFA registrations grew by approximately 11%.
We continued to see significant growth in Women’s Football of around 19%. Overall ladies’ numbers grew by an additional 169 players, with Girls Small Sided well and truly becoming its own format in 2021. With competitions now catering from Grade 6/7s to All Age Ladies, there was plenty of opportunity for all females to join our game. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming to Australia in 2023, BDAFA looks forward to continued growth in Ladies Football over the coming years.
In a case of déjà vu, the season came to a screeching halt, although not completely unexpected. We were able to deal with an even greater challenge in 2021 with respect to COVID-19 and lockdowns. Despite all intentions in salvaging the season, it inevitably became impossible to complete. This meant that BDAFA had to make the hard decision and for the first time in Bankstown Football history our season was abandoned.
BDAFA want to acknowledge the resilience of all our clubs and their fantastic volunteers. Lockdown showed the selfless nature of the people in our Clubs that make our association so great. Many faced personal challenges throughout the lockdown, whether it was work stress, financial stress or mental health challenges, however many of our Clubs’ volunteers, despite facing similar challenges ,would make sure they were still looking out for each other and their communities.
With 2021 not finishing in the fashion that we would have liked it to be, there are still many positives that we take out of this year including the establishment of BDAFA’s Strategic Plan that will help shape our future, the continued implementation of Dribl as our competition management system and we are also proud to have announced a $100,000 player levy discount fund to help support participants in 2022 as we look forward to get back to a football-normal.
BLACKTOWN DSFA
THE SEASON OF 2021 BY MANY ACCOUNTS HAS HAD A FAR GREATER IMPACT ON THE FOOTBALL COMMUNITY THAN THE INITIAL PREVALENCE OF COVID-19 IN MARCH 2020.
We ended the 2020 season with reduced registration numbers and an incredibly high workload on our wonderful Club volunteers.
At all times as a collective, we focused on growing our community base and building trust and confidence within the football community to re-join community football in the Blacktown LGA.
From the opening of registrations in January 2021, there was a marked increase in member registration and a renewed vigour and excitement in returning to what we all hoped would be a normal football landscape. Our numbers returned to pre-pandemic levels, and all clubs approached this challenge positively and collectively to build club numbers and to provide confidence to the membership and wider community that we were open for business and ready to put a challenging 2020 season behind us. To help manage and engage with all our 24 Community Clubs and our Referees Branch, the Board and Executive undertook regular Presidents & Secretaries meetings with a view to stay aligned and engaged. This ensured all club committees were kept abreast of a constantly changing environment brought about by the divisive nature of the Delta strain creeping into multiple corners of the football landscape and the wider community, both nationally and on a global scale. Throughout 2021, the BDSFA Board and Executive met regularly and often late into the night working and formulating options and detailing management processes with a view to provide every opportunity for a full season to advance and move forward, albeit in a modified capacity. The environment was constantly changing, which eventually led to community lockdowns and the introduction of limitations on our liberties drawn from the Sydney basin being closed and restricted in some of the harshest conditions experienced by local communities in living memory. Throughout this period, the strength, character, and value of our community leaders within our Clubs came to the forefront as numerous members were confronted with restrictions and limitations which included movement, work, family, home life, denying the gathering of family, friends and the football fraternity for a period lasting in excess of 100 days. The Referees Branch continued to strive to provide class, leading Referees across all levels of our football canvas, and the Referees Board is adopting a governance model of open transparent leadership to grow and unite the Branch.
Amongst the chaos of the pandemic, our elite pathway, led by the Blacktown Spartans FC forged closer ties with the membership and we had no less than 5 Olympians in the Matildas squad at the Tokyo Olympics, who have plied their craft in our football program. This is a fantastic promotion of what the BDSFA has to offer to aspiring footballers. The BDSFA is mindful of the work that Club Committees do to ensure that each week some 10,000 plus Players are provided the opportunity to participate in community football on multiple levels. The friendship and support provided by our Clubs is to second to none. They are dynamic and proactive on multiple levels and, without their vision and leadership, we would be lesser as an organisation moving forward.
Finally, thank you to the Players, Coaches, Managers, Parents and Supporters, who have been through two seasons of disrupted football. We hope to deliver you the best Competition experience possible in 2022.
2021 Operating Highlights • Over 10,000 registered members across our Association
• Introduction of a new Competition
Management System • Coach Developers were upskilled from several different Clubs to present the
MiniRoos Training Certificate • Initiation of partnerships with Coates Hire,
LJ Hooker Blacktown, mate. & iSponsor • Continued partnerships with Deploy
Football, Kingsgrove Sports Centre and
Omnia Business Solutions
• Increased game day and social media experience at Blacktown Football Park • Deploy Premier League Competition continued growth in Teams and attraction of players from outside of the BDSFA • Introduction of Deploy Premier League
Coates Hire Match of the Round livestreaming • Deploy Premier League Workshop • Review of the Grievance & Disciplinary
Regulations • Summer Football participation increased at
Blacktown Football Park by 43%.
CANTERBURY DSFA
WHEN FOOTBALL EMERGED FROM THE COVID-19 LOCK DOWN IN JUNE OF 2020 WE ALL THOUGHT THE WORST WAS BEHIND US AND COMMUNITY FOOTBALL WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL FOR SEASON 2021. HOW WRONG WE WERE.
The Association had pushed into our 12th week of football when life again changed. On Friday 25th June 2021, football fell silent. COVID-19 had broken out again. Community football would not return for the Autumn/ Winter season in 2021.
We could dwell on the abandonment of 2021 and pick apart the individual issues that impacted each of our members but that does little for looking at life moving forward. Many things resulting from COVID-19 were simply out of the Association’s control of football, our clubs, our parent bodies, or ourselves. We felt it was best to look on the bright side and look ahead to the future.
The CDSFA in 2021 did something it has been aiming for in recent years – it cracked the 17,000 registered player mark for participating in Autumn/Winter football. For four seasons, 2016 to 2019, we moved in the lower to mid-range of the 16,000. The Association maintained a 16,000 mark despite players opting out of the COVID-19 delayed 2020 season. With 2021 commencing with such expectation of greater enjoyment and engagement in the community, it was hoped we would give that 17,000 mark a nudge. It wasn’t just a nudge but a breakthrough! An increase of over 7%.
Once again there has been significant investment in our grounds. Thanks to the help of Burwood Council, Henley Park is moving into yet another phase of the whole of park revamp which sees the attention turning to the playing surfaces. We have been able to schedule more games with the commencement of night fixtures at Bennett Park.
A key major project was completed during the COVID-19 lockdown with work completed on the installation of a synthetic field as well as complete renovation of natural grass fields (and realignment) at Belmore Eagles’ home of Rudd Park. The newly renovated ground will be the location for our Centenary Media Launch which is set to take place in January 2022.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, with plenty more of the Associations’ facilities being upgraded over the last year thanks to the relationship that CDSFA shares with local council and State/Federal Government.
In terms of coaching, the Association conducted a record 31 coach education sessions. Turning our attention to the female football space, we had a record number of 4,496 girls/women register for the 2021 campaign. That is in no doubt thanks to the efforts of our Female Football Development Officer, Trudy Burke, who has been continuing to grow the Kick-On for Women program as well organise a highly-successful Female Football Week in May that culminated in over 200 girls coming together for a night of fun activities and skill sessions.
2022 is going to be one of the best years yet for the Association with a dedicated Centenary committee in place to ensure that we celebrate and commemorate what has been an outstanding 100 years in operation. The aforementioned Media Launch will kick off proceedings on January 24 before we come together at Le Montage at the back end of May for a Gala Dinner to celebrate the CDSFA.
EASTERN SUBURBS FA
SEASON 2021 STARTED WITH GREAT OPTIMISM, ONLY TO END PREMATURELY.
With the season coming to an early end, the ESFA Board signed off on fee refunds to players, which on their part showed they had a great sympathy and empathy for the player. Some Local Councils also came to the party by not charging Clubs for ground hire when the lockdowns came into place. Throughout this whole period, the ESFA staff had been very professional and understanding of the situation. They have been great and were always looking to help out our Clubs, volunteers, players, coaches and parents during this difficult period. Season 2021 did see many positives. Our registered player participation numbers grew to 9,165. And this is without our ex-pat market. This proves that there is a healthy appetite and demand for organised and competitive football in the Eastern Suburbs. The hardworking Club committees and volunteers are truly appreciated by all, for ultimately providing a greater experience for the player and coach. In 2021 we introduced an ESFA Club SAP program as part of our player pathways, with seven teams involved in an U10, U11 and U12 competitions. This proved invaluable to the players and was extremely well overseen by Club Coaching Directors and coaches. We hope to build on this in the seasons to come. In 2021 Walking Football was introduced with the assistance of Maroubra United. This was a highly successful program and we look to grow this in strength in other areas of the Eastern Suburbs.
2021 also saw Randwick City Purple Hearts enter the AAM9 competition. We thank our AAM9 players for embracing this as inclusivity in sport is paramount now and in the future. Inclusion Grants were introduced by the ESFA Board to our Clubs to encourage community groups and projects supporting vulnerable and or disadvantaged individuals. An incredibly successful Female Football Week was held again this season. Members came together and met at the Gunyama facility to celebrate women in our game, football.
In May, National Volunteer Week was celebrated and Clubs across our Association were keen to recognise and acknowledge our greatest assets, dedicated volunteers. Stories and pictures were shared in abundance. Supporting our local member Clubs through coach education saw many coaches/ volunteers participate in workshops or community coaching courses during the first part of the season. Game Leader courses were also offered this year at our local Clubs, with many young aspiring referees attending, allowing them to support their local Clubs on weekends and ensuring consistency in approach. With assistance from Football NSW and Football Australia, ESFA coaches were treated to a workshop from goalkeeper coach David Plowright. Furthermore, ESFA once again ran a centralised C-Licence for our local coaches. The C-Licence candidates had representation from our local member Clubs along with local NPL Clubs.
The relationship between the John Moriarty Foundation and ESFA continued, assisting their regional coaches through mentoring sessions during the NSW lockdown period. ESFA looks forward to continuing the relationship and building on some exciting initiatives with the program.
One of the most exciting initiatives that ESFA has been involved with this year was the Female Coaching Mentoring Group. The FCMG is open to all female coaches in the Eastern Suburbs and serves to promote, retain, and support coaches on their journey. The group consists of many first-time coaches, NPL Coaches and A-League Women’s Coaches. Through face-to-face workshops and social and online engagement, ESFA is looking to expand this program into 2022 and beyond, leading the way in NSW for female coaches.
Record numbers saw young footballers participate in the Sydney FC/ESFA Skill Training Programs, Holiday Camps and School Programs. The Schools Cup is scheduled for 2022 and we look forward to welcoming local primary schools and promoting the game in the Eastern Suburbs.
The sponsors once again have been fantastic to ESFA. Our Corporate sponsor, Bank of Sydney, our princial sponsor, JazzRight Production Services, Deploy – our football sponsor, and Ultra Football, ESFA’s apparel sponsor – their support is much appreciated.
Facilities are always going to be a bit of an issue. There is a lack of space in the Eastern Suburbs and facilities in number and quality are an important component to growth. This is obviously a short to mid to long-term initiative, but with government support at all three levels and strong relationships we are confident we will get there.
We always talk about the numbers that play football, but as a sport we need to be more savvy and smarter with this aspect.
FOOTBALL SOUTH COAST
WITH A SEASON THAT ENDED SO LATE IN THE YEAR DUE TO COVID-19, CLUBS BACKED UP AND WERE READY TO TAKE ON 2021.
The season kicked off strongly with pre- season competitions and the commencement of rounds. We experienced an increase of 1200 player registrations from 2020 and a big part of this was the fantastic effort by football to ensure the 2020 season was managed well with many of our competitions delivering 14 to 18 rounds. In June, the football season came to a halt. Lockdowns were enforced and the impacts on the whole community, including the football family, were hard felt and devastating. It meant a time of working from home, home schooling and, for community sport and all impacted associations and clubs, very much a ‘wait and see’ time. Throughout this time, Football South Coast (FSC) were planning contingencies, however in early August, despite the many plans in place and that were developed over this time, it became clear that winter competitions could not resume. However, the easing of restrictions towards the end of the year allowed us to resume many of our other programs such as development programs, our Skills Training Program with Sydney FC and of course Summer Football for juniors. Competitions and Player Development • Our Pre-season Men’s Premiership
Competition took place with Bulli FC crowned Champions after a convincing win against District League Club Shell Cove FC. • In the Women’s pre-season tournament,
University of Wollongong FC beat Albion Park SC to defend their Bonnie Lassie
Cup Title in a tightly contested and competitive game. • The continuation of development programs across all ages and our partnership with
Sydney FC for the Skills Training Program and School Holiday Clinics. • Our Summer Football Competition kicked off in November with a 5-A-Side competition and will lead into January 2022 with our 7-A-Side competition. Community • During lockdown FSC worked with the Cancer Council to raise funds and awareness for men’s cancer. As a result, we had six fantastic participants take part in the ‘Ballsy Head Shave’. Collectively, over $11,000 was raised and we look forward to working with the Cancer council in the future on other initiatives. • During the early part of the season, our women’s competitions undertook a fundraising round to raise money for
Headspace. Headspace is a National Youth
Mental Health Foundation that began in 2006 and provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds.
In addition to this fundraising round, FSC celebrated 100 Years of Women’s Football with a function. It was a terrific opportunity to shine the light on Female Football and also used as an opportunity to raise further funds for Headspace. • The FSC Knights is a program for junior players with a special need. This program
continued in 2020 with the assistance of the Disability Trust. It commenced in 2013 and is a fantastic way to promote inclusiveness in football. Although the competition was cut short for the Knights, they were in full swing training once more in preparation for the 2022 season. • Our Refugee Football Program continues to grow and is now part of the FNSW
Community FSC Program. The program is run with the support of MCCI (Multicultural
Communities Council Illawarra) and a key objective of the program is for these players to transition to local clubs. • Despite the challenges of 2021, it was great to have A-League games in the
Illawarra with Wollongong hosting the
Wellington Phoenix. With opportunities for community engagement and game day activations, this was a great way for our region to connect with the APL and watch some great football. The region is currently hosting the Women’s team and we look forward to some more great football over the festive period.
Sponsorship The support of our sponsors has been paramount over the last two years especially with the local business impacts of the pandemic. FSC has been truly fortunate to not only retain most of our sponsors, but also engage some new organisations who see the value of supporting community football. We thank all our sponsors for their continued support.
FOOTBALL ST GEORGE
FOOTBALL ST GEORGE CRACKS THE 10K MILESTONE.
2021 saw Football St George achieve over 10,000 players registered for the first time in its history. The 2021 season held a lot of promise, with participants excited to get back to Football after a shortened season in 2020. However, COVID-19 again impacted the winter football season. Despite the shortened season, Football St George delivered improvements to the programs and services offered to the football community.
2021 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED
Competitions • Total player registrations in 2021 increased by 9% on 2020 registrations. • Female players represented 24% of total players registered. • The introduction of an O/30 women’s social competition. • Digital match sheets implemented across all competition and noncompetition teams. • A junior only summer football program, with over 60 teams competing. • Our representative teams competed in the AYL & G-SAP Football
NSW seasons.
• Continued success of the St George Warriors, which has celebrated its seventh year. • Delivered a second financial rebate back to our Member Clubs.
Community Engagement • Continued delivery of joint skills training and holiday clinic programs with Sydney FC. • Appointed a new Community Football Technical Director. • Community coaching courses were made available for Grassroots,
Skill Acquisition and Game Training certificates with healthy numbers of coaches attending. • Increased social media engagement and continued livestream broadcast of Women’s and Men’s Premier League matches. Facilities
• Three new synthetic facilities opened at J Graham, Gardiner Park and
Brighton Memorial playing fields. St George Football Referee Association • Referee Courses were well attended prior to the season, and we saw a rise in both Cadet and Junior referee numbers. We recognise the support of our patrons, the contributions made by both George’s River and Bayside Councils and express our sincere thanks to our sub-committee members, coaches, parents, players, referees and all volunteers, whose continued support is the backbone of football in our region. We also extend our thanks to outgoing CEO, Craig Kiely, for his hard work, considerable and valued contributions made in building and growing Football St George over the last six years. Lastly, thank you to the Football St George Chair & Board who have helped guide and support our Member Clubs through the last two seasons.
all-access pass to experience the online learning platform and they believe it is a great piece of the puzzle to assist our volunteers in delivering quality training sessions. The FIFA 2023 Womens World Cup is a hot topic that everyone is focusing on, and GDSFA are no different. At the back end of 2020 the GDSFA Management Team put in an application for Melita Stadium to be considered as a Team Base or Training Venue for one of the World Cup Teams. Multiple visits have been conducted with FIFA, Football NSW and Cumberland City Council looking at how we can approve the amenities. Most recently GDSFA and Cumberland City Council have worked in partnership to apply for a $1m grant to demolish the old changing rooms and toilet block and replace with modular units that will hold, 2 x Unisex Match Officials/Coach Changing Rooms, 4 x Unisex Changing Rooms, Storage, Public Male and Female Toilets, Unisex/Accessible Toilet/Changing Room and Multi Faith Room. We are hopeful this project will get across the line especially having recently injected $75k worth of investment into improving the safety of the grandstands, new pergola, fencing, demolishing the old dugs outs, and replacing it with new shelters giving Melita Stadium a fresh and vibrant look.
Lastly GDSFA have been working with Bonobo Creative to help work on its brand & marketing to give it a professional yet personal feel. We have had a great start with our “WE ARE” campaign with many commenting on our local players being the face of the campaign and our new look website is due to launch for the 1st January 2022, ready for the new season and opening of registration.
GRANVILLE DSFA
The Granville District Soccer Football Association got off to a great start with preseason friendlies being played, ten rounds of football and Cottam Cup reaching the semi-final stages. We were on a roll, with each club doing their part to ensure they were COVID safe, however the pandemic started to raise its head once again and, on Friday 25th June 2021 we saw our season being suspended and, on the 12th August, we had no other choice but to bring the season to an early ending.
Working with local councils and Summer Sporting Associations to try and play at least some sort of finals was on the cards but, with over 100 days in lockdown and limited physical activity, it was deemed unwise and so our focus turned to preparing for the 2022 season.
Our focus on governance saw us having a full bench in our committees, appointing three Chairpersons for Judiciary, Disciplinary and Appeals. An updated set of Judiciary by-laws were being prepared by Director Phil Gilbert and Sydney Sports Lawyer ready for the 2022 season. Introduction of the Demerit Point System will also be included to help clubs and their coaches manage their players’ behaviour.
For the 2022 season, GDSFA will move away from a First and Reserve Grades squad format and form a single team competition with a promotion and relegation system, providing opportunities to those clubs who have thought about the idea of entering a top tier team had been held back due to the daunting task of having to recruit a squad of 40 players and all the costs that come with it. The X League has been created to give the next generation of players a premium experience by offering live streamed games, match of the round held at Melita Stadium, access to top class match officials, and many more benefits for both players and spectators.
Our MiniRoos growth and development is paramount to the future success of GDSFA. The vision is to invest time and money into a coaching program that supports our front-line volunteers who have regular contact with these age groups. We were due to go to market for a Club Coaching Development Manager in June, however COVID-19 put this initiative on hold. This role is critical to the success of the Coaching Program as they will oversee the Club Coach Coordinators Program (CCC). We have also enlisted support and guidance from Northern Suburbs Football Association, who are running a very successful CCC program. They have also built their own learning and development platform called Inspire FC. GDSFA Director Mel Rennie & Football Operations Manager Rosanna Lentini were given an all-access pass to experience the online learning platform and they believe it is a great piece of the puzzle to assist our volunteers in delivering quality training sessions.
The FIFA 2023 Womens’ World Cup is a hot topic that everyone is focusing on, and GDSFA is no different. At the back end of 2020, the GDSFA Management Team put in an application for Melita Stadium to be considered as a Team Base or Training Venue for one of the World Cup Teams. Multiple visits have been conducted, with FIFA, Football NSW and Cumberland City Council looking at how we can improve the amenities. Most recently, GDSFA and Cumberland City Council have worked in partnership to apply for a $1m grant to demolish the old change rooms and toilet block and replace them with modular units that will hold 2 x unisex match officials/coach changing rooms, 4 x unisex changing rooms, storage, public male and female toilets, unisex/ accessible toilet/changing room and multi faith room. We are hopeful this project will get across the line especially having recently injected $75k worth of investment into improving the safety of the grandstands, new pergola, fencing, demolishing the old dug outs, and replacing them with new shelters giving Melita Stadium a fresh and vibrant look. Lastly, GDSFA has been working with Bonobo Creative on its Brand & Marketing to give it a professional yet personal feel. We have had a great start with our “WE ARE” campaign, with many commenting on our local players being the face of the campaign, and our new look website is due to launch on the 1st January 2022, ready for the new season and opening of registration. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Club Committees, Volunteers, Coaches, Referees, Players, Parents, and all those who together made football possible this year. We are very much looking forward to the 2022 season and making lots more progress throughout the year, hopefully uninterrupted!
We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our Club Committees, Volunteers, Coaches, Referees, Players and Parents and all those who together made football possible this year.
We are very much looking forward to the 2022 season and making lots mo throughout the year, hopefully uninterrupted!
2021
We got off to a great start with preseason Cottam Cup reaching the semi-final stages they were COVID safe however the pandemic started to raise its ugly head once again 25th June 2021 we saw our season being suspended and but to bring the season to an early ending. Working with local Councils and Summer Sporting Associations to finals was on the cards but with over 100 days in lockdown and limited deemed unwise and so our focuses turned to Our focus on Governance saw us having a full bench in our committees, appointing three Chairpersons for Judiciary, Disciplinary and Appeals. An updated set Director Phil Gilbert and Sydney Sports Lawyer ready for the 2022 season. Introduction of the Demerit Point System will also be included to help Clubs and their Coaches manage their players behaviour For the 2022 season we move away from a First and Reserve Grades squad format and form a single team competition with promotion and relegation system, providing opportunities to those clubs who have thought about the idea about entering a top tier team but be task of having to recruit a squad of 40 players and all the costs that come with it. been created to give the next generation of players a premium games, match of the round held at Melita benefits for both players and spectators. Our Mini Roos growth and development is paramount to the future success of GDSFA. invest time and money into a coaching program that supports our regular contact with these age groups. Manager in June however COVID-19 put this initiative on ho Coaching Program as they will oversee the
HILLS FA
HILLS FOOTBALL COMMITTING TO ‘FOOTBALL FOR ALL’ AS PARTICIPATION SURGES
It’s Friday 25th June, preparations are well underway for Round 12 of the competition. Just 3 points separate 1st and 5th in the Men’s Premier League, whilst a congested table between 3rd and 8th battle to stay in Semi Final contention with the two pacesetters, Kellyville Kolts and Winston Hills, in the inaugural Women’s Premier League. They are amongst the over 800 teams and a record-breaking 12,800 players participating in the largest ever Hills Football season. Unfortunately, round 12 was never to be played and we were presented with another COVID-19 lockdown, resulting in the suspension of football. Participation Growth 2021 represented a landmark year for Hills; the Associations’ fifth year and its largest on record with just shy of 13,000 participants representing approximately 12% growth. Female Football teams doubled in the Association between 2020 and 2021 with an increase of 20% female participation. Continuing the trend, the Summer Football model continued to be popular amongst residents with over 5,000 participants across the four venues (HFI and Kellyville Kolts centres).
Coach Education and Pathways 2021 was a historic year for representative football in the Hills with the ‘Deed of Agreement’ between the HFI Association and NPL NSW entity Hills United FC to continue to foster, collaborate and provide the best possible pathway experience and opportunities for players within the Hills District. Further successes followed; with the HUFC PowerChair team clinching the NSW PowerChair Championships at VSP and the acceptance of Hills United in the Football NSW Women’s Competitions from 2022. On the field, over 20 Coach Education courses were delivered by the HFI Head of Football in partnership, with our Member Clubs, with the Associations first Advanced Coach Education courses scheduled for December 2021. This represented a renewed focus to provide coach support, resources and education opportunities to the area. Community Engagement During the ever-extending lockdown the opportunity presented itself to engage via different means and platforms within the community. Over the course of this five month period, HFI coordinated over 14 Coach and Referee webinar series, featuring a wide range of special guests and topics to further engage our community during this time. Hundreds participated in the HFI Coach Education Webinars over the three Series. Special guests included the likes of Warren Grieve and Nadine Shiels (Football NSW), Lachlan Wales (Western United FC and Olyroos), Jake Goodship (Brisbane Roar A-League Women), Kai Lammert (Pararoos), Pete Nowakowski (Australian Blind Football) and Peter Turnbull (NSW/Australian/Hills United Powerchair Football), to name a few. The Referees Q&A series that were facilitated cover a variety of both development and educational courses delivered by HFI Referees Administration Officer, Chris Codling, but also featured special key speaker sessions with Football NSW’s Rob Nieuwenhuis, Emma Kocbek, A-League Assistant, Referee Bradley, Wright, and A-League Referee, Kurt Ams. Whilst no doubt they would have preferred to be on the pitch, the junior players were kept engaged by the HFI Development team and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Keanu Baccus encouraged our juniors to stay active and develop some new and old skills. Including these activities and our Coach Development and Referee webinar series, HFI saw the highest ever engagement rates across all platforms. A Future Focus With the support of Member Clubs of HFI, Football NSW and Football Australia, the Association successfully advocated for a ‘Home of Football’ at the Caddies Creek Stage 2 precinct in North Kellyville. The proposed Home of Football will provide the Association a dedicated HQ for finals, pathways and development programs. This continues the Association’s strategic priority and advocacy for playing fields in the LGA, given the participant/playing field ratio sits significantly above the Sydney average, and its focus on catering for expansive population growth in the north west corridor. Several new community programming initiatives kicked off in 2021 with a view to best catering for the future trends and demands of participation. Walking Football continued to be a success across both Winter and Summer seasons, with HFI launching the first Club vs Club Walking Football League in 2022. Kick-On for Women, All Abilities and Indigenous Programs are all earmarked for launch in early 2022. HFI wishes to extend our sincere thanks for your collective efforts in what was another challenging season. Despite the positives during the season until lockdown, it was the community spirit and support during these trying times that truly showed the strength and unity of our sport and its members within the Hills community.
MACARTHUR FA
IT WAS A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR FOOTBALL IN MACARTHUR, WITH 10,801 PLAYERS ACROSS 917 TEAMS TAKING THE FIELD IN 2021 – THE MOST IN THE HISTORY OF THE MACARTHUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.
Despite facing the challenges of a global health pandemic over the past two seasons, Football in Macarthur is in great shape. Much of this should be credited to the member clubs and the thousands of volunteers that serve the football community. Macarthur is lucky to be home to more quality clubs than any other region across NSW, with twelve clubs scoring three or more stars after completing the National Club Development Program. We cannot thank the driving force behind our clubs enough for the countless hours they give to our game and our community. The game is lucky to have you and is nothing without you. Whilst the 2021 season was interrupted, there was still plenty to celebrate in the region. 1. The Girls Game continues its trajectory A record 2,264 female players across 119 teams enjoyed the World Game in 2021. Pleasingly, much of the growth in female participation is coming in the MiniRoos, with 50 Girls-only teams competing this season, an increase of almost 50% on 2020. The acquisition of respected football administrator Hayley Todd to the Board of the MFA this year should not be underestimated. We welcome Hayley’s appointment and are excited to have her ‘onside’ as the MFA strives to improve the game for women and girls and grow the game. 2. Launch of the Macarthur ‘SAP’ League Born out of the 2020 review into Representative Football and Coach Development, the simple goal of the new Macarthur SAP League is to improve development opportunities for more players and coaches within the local clubs of Macarthur. This initiative aligns to the following MFA Strategic Objectives: • Enhance the Participation Experience • Raise Standards of Youth Football • Provide a quality youth development environment Ten clubs took part in the inaugural development League in 2021, which commenced as a pilot for the U8 and will expand to the U9 in 2022. The ‘M-SAP League’ acts as the top tier of local football for the key development age groups and aims to give the region’s most promising young players the best opportunity to transition into the NPL environment and enhance their chances of a potential professional career. 3. Macarthur FC join the A-League 2021 saw new A-League franchise Macarthur FC not only join the professional competition but fall just one win short of a Grand Final debut. Community engagement is an important value for the Bulls and the MFA enjoys a fantastic working relationship with the club as together we aim to add value to the Football Family and build a passionate supporter base for Macarthur FC. Highlights of our first season together include: • Players attending MFA events, including inaugural Captain and former Socceroo
Mark Milligan. ‘Millsy’ was kind enough to find time in the middle of the A-League season to attend the 2021 M-League
Season launch and speak about his playing career. • Collaboration in the planning and delivery of School Holiday Programs. • Coach development sessions delivered by
Bulls coaching staff. • School programs delivered by Macarthur
FC through the Bulls in School Program. • Access to a corporate box for all thirteen home games, which was enjoyed by volunteers and sponsors from all member clubs. • Match day opportunities for local players and coaches, including participation in the half-time hero’s program and a marchpast initiative which saw over 1,000 players and coaches from MFA member clubs welcomed onto Campbelltown Stadium during halftime of the round 23 fixture. The MFA extends our congratulations to the Bulls on a successful first season in the A-League and looks forward to a strong relationship with the professional club in the future. The MFA is in the beginning of a five-year plan with some ambitious targets on the agenda and, whilst we have experienced a couple of interrupted community football seasons, we continue to make strides towards improving our game. People and partnerships are the keys to our future success as a code, and to that end, we would like to extend our appreciation to the following: • The local Councils of Wollondilly, Camden, and Campbelltown. Thank you for recognising the love your communities
have for our game and continuing the investment in our local facilities. • The Association and local club sponsors. In what has been a very challenging period for businesses, we cannot thank you enough for your continued support of our game. • To the Macarthur District Football Referees
Association and all the referees that service the game. Thank you for always giving your best with the whistle in hand. • To the staff at the MFA. You’re a great group of people to work with. Your commitment to the game and those that serve it shouldn’t be underestimated. Thank you for delivering such exceptional customer service. • To the many volunteers that support the running of the MFA on various committees.
There are no words that can really express the gratitude and respect we have for you.
Thank you for giving so much of yourselves to the game. • Lastly, to all the Directors of the MFA Board.
No one can ever question your passion for the game and for the Football Family. Every decision is always with what is best for the Football Community at the forefront.
Simply a great group of people and an honour to serve with. On a personal note, I genuinely feel for the Football Family following the premature end to the 2021 season. We witnessed some breathtaking football early on and it is such a shame we could not conclude the year. More importantly though, we must acknowledge the seriousness of the pandemic, which brought NSW to a standstill and saw many lives lost. The MFA extends its best wishes to the Football Family and hope that everyone continues to keep safe during these unprecedented times. We look forward to 2022 with optimism.
MANLY WARRINGAH FA
2021 IS A YEAR THAT WILL LIVE LONG IN THE HISTORY OF THE MANLY WARRINGAH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.
The Club has been re-branded, “The Far Post” and will offer the Northern Beaches Football community, clubs and players a true “Home of Football” – a place to relax, gather and enjoy a meal or a drink where football will always be king on the TV and the chatter. The Club has been designed to offer a modern, comfortable “football-central” home with a focus on food and beverage. It has indoor and outdoor seating with a 200sqm covered deck with lights, sound system and heaters looking out over the Cromer Park No. 1 field.
The facility also boasts a modern physiotherapy practice, which is open seven days a week for all members of the MWFA Football Community, as well as a gym and rehabilitation facility. Unfortunately, 2021 will also be remembered as a challenge, not just for community football, but life in general, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected our lives for a second straight year. There is no doubt it disrupted our football competitions and caused great frustration as we were forced to abandon the competitions after having to stop playing at the end of June. But, as with last year, it did highlight once again how important grassroots football is to our community – not just from a sporting perspective but because grassroots football is the glue that keeps our local community together.
The year started with amazing success and optimism with the MWFA recording a record jump in player numbers – up by 1440 players and 103 teams.
Our official records will see the MWFA 2021 winter competitions having 19,826 players and 1474 teams, with growth across all clubs and age groups.
The consistent growth across all areas of our playing base illustrates how much people missed playing during COVID and is a testament to the entire Northern Beaches football community.
Congratulations to all Clubs, their committees, volunteers, players, coaches, and managers for what we collectively achieved in 2021.
Special mention and thanks go to the Club presidents and volunteers, the MWFA Board and the MWFA staff for the extra work involved in dealing with the COVID disruption.
For the second year running, we also worked to return a significant amount of money back to the grassroots with savings made due to the COVID lockdowns.
While in 2020 we returned $553,000 to the 17 Clubs and the MWFRA, in 2021 we took the decision to give back surplus funds from 2021 direct to the players with around $750,000 allocated to discounts on player fees for the 2022 season.
We continue to be a beacon of success across Football in NSW with the pathway from the grassroots never so evident as it was in 2021 when the MWFA and Manly had three players selected in squads for our Senior National Football teams.
Callum Elder (Mosman and Manly United) and Remy Siemsen (BTH and Manly United) fulfilled childhood dreams in 2021 by making their debuts for the Socceroos and Matildas. Late in the year former CC Strikers, Pittwater and Manly United junior Gianni Stensness, also, made the Socceroos squad.
This was a stunning result for football in our area and that number could well grow in coming years with many locally produced players selected in junior National Teams. Former CC Strikers and Manly United player, Patrick Wood, was a standout, scoring two goals to qualify the Olyroos for the 2022 AFC Asian Cup.
We also have several local players in the A-League and W-League with Sydney FC, Central Coast Mariners, Western United, Newcastle Jets and Macarthur FC.
Football is thriving on the Northern Beaches and is well placed to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic bigger and stronger than ever.
We look forward to a return to normal in 2022 and 12 months where we can start talking football and matches instead of COVID Plans and disruptions.
NEPEAN FA
When the world gives Nepean FA lemons, we make lemonade, or pie. Whichever our choice, we, like everyone else, had plenty of time on our hands to develop and perfect our recipes during our shortened season. March 2021 saw the launch of our new senior competitions, Men’s Waratah League (the old Premier League) and Women’s Ruby League (the new female equivalent). Some of us didn’t make it to the launch event, being stranded by a flood and flowing Hawkesbury and Nepean River system. However, the floodwaters didn’t wash out the excitement of our clubs in the advent of our new leagues. Little did we know that we’d only get ten rounds into our competitions before we, like every other district, would be brought to a grinding halt for the remainder of the season. Three of our clubs were adversely affected by the flood waters, with two clubs, Colo SFC & Lowland Wanderers SC losing all fields, lights and amenities buildings to the flood waters. Not surprisingly though, our community rallied, and the clubs were able to come back to hosting games at the start of our season, albeit at a somewhat reduced capacity to start with.
Following on from a COVID affected 2020 season, our registration and team numbers both enjoyed an increase this year, and we sincerely hope that this will be replicated in 2022 when we’ll have another crack at finishing a full season, hopefully with finals too.
Our Summer Football season was a success; as players flocked to the summer 6-a-side format, which we were excited to deliver on our first synthetic pitch venue at Jamison Park. Summer Football has now become a mainstay of our football landscape and we’re happy to provide an alternative summer sport to so many avid footballers. Strategically, our board has continued to work at future-proofing our organisation and our sport, working hard in the areas of venue and facilities development, governance support for clubs, retention and attraction of new members, securing a strong future for female football and member and community wellness projects. We’d also like to acknowledge the staff at Football NSW, who have supported our Association in the areas of strategic development, meeting with our directors regularly to review our planned path, as we continue to align our strategic goals with those of our governing bodies in Football wherever possible. The Nepean Referees Group provide amazing support and training for our local referees and continued to work online to do so during much of this year’s lockdown period. We are excited to welcome some new members into their leadership team for 2022 and look forward to working with NRG in 2022 to increase their numbers.
We also have a new Community Football Development Manager starting in 2022,and we are looking forward to relaunching many of our player and coach skill development initiatives.
Once again, we look forward to an exciting year ahead in football.
NORTH WEST SYDNEY FOOTBALL
IF THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS DEMONSTRATED SOMETHING, IT’S THE VALUABLE ROLE THAT SPORT PLAYS IN BUILDING AND MAINTAINING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
This is something that is not always fully appreciated but was highlighted when both years were severely disrupted. Our North West Sydney Football (NWSF) club volunteers have shown remarkable resilience in maintaining a positive environment and going to great lengths to get players on the park. ‘Connecting Our Community Through Football’ is the purpose of our Association. Our Board finalised the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan through consultation with members and presented it in May to Club Presidents at our only social event this year. Supported by our six SPIRIT values (Safety, Passion, Inclusion, Respect, Integrity and Togetherness) we will focus on five pillars of growth. Competitions, Facilities, Governance, Community and Representative – delivering ‘Football 365’. NWSF, despite 2020 challenges, increased registrations from 14,800 to nearly 16,700 in 2021. To support our strategy of ‘Football 365’, we are actively seeking interest in alternative formats and investigating flexible scheduling to grow the game within our region. Football activities, apart from our shortened regular season, included our preseason Gilmour Cup, Friday night Masters Football, Walk Football, PINK Programme, Inclusivity Cup along with our Academy Programme. NWSF Referees Association contributed to this success with their referees covering over 3800 games and Sunday senior women’s games enjoying 99% coverage. Coach Education was again a focus, albeit modified. We moved to Compulsory Coach Education for MiniRoos (U6 to U8) and Super League/ Premier League and plan to extend that to U9-U12 (Skill Training) and U13-U16 Div 1 & 2 (Game Training) in 2022. In 2021, the following number of coaches completed courses: • MiniRoos Certificate - 249 • Skill Training Certificate - 33 • Goalkeeper Certificate - 16 • C Licence - 19 • Senior Coaching Certificate - 2 • Senior Performance - 16 We continued our NWSF As One Female Football initiative with a record 220 female players attending our NSWF As One Academy, implementing a female coach mentoring programme and WhatsApp group, conducting female only in-service and zoom coaching sessions, resulting in our percentage of certified female coaches to male coaches increasing from 8% to 16%. Directors Jodie Camden and Tracey Williams have drawn together a wonderful mix of enthusiastic members to form a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and Beyond Working Group. They have produced some exciting initiatives that will endure as a sustainable legacy to build and improve female participation opportunities and implementation continues in 2022. Our operations team underwent change in 2021 with our Competitions Co-ordinator Nikki Riddle moving to Ryde City Council to advance her sports administration career and the retirement of Mark Lockie, our CEO for the past 6 years. Mark’s calm, pragmatic and practical application of sports administration principles has seen two successful mergers undertaken. The first being the two associations (GHFA & NWSWF) joining and then in the latter half of this year a merger between our female and male representative clubs of Koalas and Spirit. Our ongoing success delivering competitions and modernising our governance is a testament to Mark’s experience, leadership and direction. Mark handed over the mantle of an Association that is in a strong financial shape and a positive customer focussed team to new CEO Jeremy Toivonen who joined in October 2021. Our representative pathways of Academy, Association Youth League and Koalas and Spirit continue to intersect with our grassroots players, coaches and clubs to ensure the participation experience at all levels delivers enjoyment, challenge and connection to community. This will be strengthened with the merged North West Sydney Spirit representative club from 2022.
NORTHERN SUBURBS FA
IN WHAT HAS BEEN ANOTHER EXCITING, CHALLENGING AND AT TIMES SADDENING SEASON, WE HAVE COME OUT THE OTHER END IN A STRONG POSITION THANKS TO THE UNWAVERING DEDICATION OF OUR CLUBS VOLUNTEER BASE, THE NORTHERN SUBURBS FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (NSFA) BOARD AND THAT FROM THE STAFF.
Our Club volunteers from the Presidents to the team managers are the life of our sport and have proven invaluable in another testing year. On behalf of the football community, thank you for your time, effort, and enthusiasm. Your resilience is admired, and I hope to welcome you all back to support our sport in 2022.
Our season kicked off with a remarkable increase in player numbers, taking our total to 18,153 members, with outstanding growth in Senior Men and Senior Womens competitions. The unprecedented growth has also seen our female representation climb ever higher, hitting the 26% mark. In our second year of the Future Football Strategy, further progress has been made throughout the football community as retention rates improved across the board and key developments came to life. Our competitions exhibited the most competitive Women’s Premier League competition in our history, which we hope will continue in 2022 as we secure a full season and crown a winner. The excitement in the female game was also felt with the establishment of a new female-based Club, Northern Galaxy, created out of collaboration between Berowra FC & Mount Colah FC, boasting 322 players in its inaugural season. We had started the season well with Clubs and the Competitions Department making progress towards eight-team youth and ten-team senior competitions to improve competition integrity, competitiveness, and season experience. Unfortunately, the elation of the season was cut short on 25th June with most having only played 11 rounds. Our ‘mid-season break’ of two weeks continued with NSFA making the decision alongside other stakeholders in the community sport landscape to conclude the 2021 season without division winners.
As numbers skyrocketed at the beginning of the season, our biggest challenge at that time was finding space to play. This challenge has ultimately led to the creation and publication of the NSFA’s Facility Strategy as we aim to increase sports field capacity to meet the growing demand of our community. The Strategy was released in September, creating a roadmap to enable sustainable growth of our sport through consultation with Club representatives and our five local councils. In this space we have had many stories of success with grass fields returfed, the announcement of the development of Bob Campbell Oval in Greenwich into a synthetic field and the submission of our development application of the NSFAs Home of Football at North Turramurra Recreation Area. Our Facilities Strategy was brought to life due to the Facilities Levy which all NSFA players contributed towards within their registration fee each year. We welcomed an expanded sponsorship portfolio this year, providing greater offers to NSFA members and becoming key partners in many community initiatives. Our competitions, programs and offerings were celebrated once again with extremely high engagement across all platforms, as members were treated to unique historic, female football and spotlight articles. As events during the year unfolded, our communications were tested once again, however pleasingly have been rated highly by NSFA members in our end of season survey. This is a testament to Nick Amies and his innovative approach in displaying our competitions and community. On the park, it was a whirlwind of a season with Coach Education struggling to get going due to poor weather and the XLR8 Player Development programs developing 3,000 players per week. Development is a key focus within this pillar, building the capabilities of players, volunteers, and coaches to improve their community football experience. Jake Stephenson and Eilidh Mackay led community sport and their network of 60+ coaches fantastically, including the unexpected pivot to online learning. The coach is the biggest influencer of a player (despite parents for our young ones) and it is in this pillar our progress towards higher retention and greater focus occurs. The enthusiasm for Clubs in this space is reflective on the engagement levels on the field and the retention figures off the field.
The NSFA development Leagues are firmly established now, with competition, strength and investment noticed during the season as more players are given access to improved development experiences and environments. The maturation of the pathways pillar was also evident in Northern Tigers with the Women finishing in second place, Men in third place and Boys-Youth in the top tier of state football, as their seasons were respectively cancelled due to COVID-19.
Our season was not without its heartaches though as we farewelled four staff members. Damian Miles left NSFA after 14 years involved as an employee and 40 years + within local football administration and coordination. Damian has been the foundation of growth for football locally in NSFA and he will always be a part of what football has become. Please see the Football NSW dedication to Damian to understand his lifelong impact to our sport.
As a player myself I am eager for a full, competitive season and I hope our 18,153 players will join us once again to enjoy the physical, mental, and social enjoyment our sport brings.
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SFA
ONCE AGAIN, WE’VE HAD A VERY CHALLENGING SEASON.
We applaud all our clubs for the way that they have adapted and complied with the COVID Protocols and procedures that once again were bestowed upon us by NSW Health, Office of Sport and Football NSW to keep us all safe and the sport continuing. We are proud of the way these protocols were executed by all our clubs in a concerted effort to keep our members safe.
While, ultimately, we were unable to complete our full season, the landscape was changing regularly due to lockdowns and outbreaks but we continued with many contingencies to finish the season until it was decided that all winter sports would be shut down.
In line with the ever-changing Public Health Orders, we did however manage to run a slightly shortened Summer Football competition for our junior ranks, fitting a 12-round competition into the eight weeks we had from the recommencement of sport until Christmas. This gave our members an opportunity to play the game that they love and got them out of the house, off their X-Box and PlayStations and gave them some much needed exercise, personal interactions, and stimulation (not to mention time away from Mum & Dad).
We were fortunate that Cirillo Reserve, our dedicated Women’s only facility, was completed at the start of the year and it had its Public Opening by Liverpool council in March. We are excited for the opportunities that this facility will enable for the development of Women’s Football in our area.
We are looking forward to a new season in 2022 and our players and members being able to get back involved in the sport we all love.
SUTHERLAND SHIRE FA
AFTER 2020, THE ANTICIPATION OF A FULL SUTHERLAND SHIRE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (SSFA) SEASON IN 2021 WAS FRONT OF MIND BEFORE THE SECOND WAVE HIT ALL OUR LIVES (FROM THE PRESIDENT)
This year we lost our good friend, Peter Burgess, President Bonnet Bay FC. Several Club Presidents were also vacating their positions allowing fresh ideas into their committees. I thank them for the large sacrifice they have made throughout their tenure. The SSFA continues to assist with the financial viability of its 26 member Clubs and we have committed discounts totalling $460,000 for next season. The SSFA announced that it was discounting players registration fees for season 2022 by 97%. The registration fee for returning players charged by the SSFA will be $1. Whilst this places a large hole in our financial accounts, we feel the pain of our community and will carry the financial burden. The Executive Committee was very proud of its 26 Member Clubs and the tireless work the Executives and volunteers carried out week in and week out. Whilst the playing year was shortened due to COVID-19, the Clubs were still actively engaged with their members. I thank them for their continued support of Football in the Shire. Whilst we don’t always agree on certain matters, we all work collaboratively and for the common good. Thanks to our sponsors, who, in fairness, received little benefit this year. We hope that you continue to support our sport and, through our partnerships, will find a solution that works for all. Whilst the majority of the SSFA staff were on forced leave or stood down, I wish to thank them for their understanding during these trying times. The season cannot run efficiently without the efforts of the SSFA General Manager and staff. Much thanks to all for the additional hours they have committed to manage the many nuances of our football season. My personal thanks to SSFA General Manager, Jeff Stewart, who has steered the operations and negotiations with governing bodies so effectively. Having spent numerous hours at the office this year has really opened my eyes to the huge workload our staff endure. The Executive Committee have worked as a tight unit and with more demands than a usual season. Their efforts are greatly appreciated, and the enormous time given in 2020 and 2021 can never be repaid. Finally, to all players within our Association, I thank you for your understanding in such a difficult year. We cross our fingers that herd vaccination is the answer for a return to the new normal. I hope that 2022 brings us 18 rounds (no wash outs) and a final series. Let’s look forward to a handshake, hug, and a drink face to face. We all need it, as it is long overdue.
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Unfortunately, Season 2021 was left unfinished due to the intermittent border restrictions that heavily impacted our community. Despite these challenges, AWFA and our clubs still managed to achieve some significant improvements for Football in our region. 2021 saw the start of the Albury-Wodonga FA Cup, sponsored by our partners All In Sports. This knockout-style competition that ran throughout our normal winter season allowed our Senior teams to participate in more games that provided a different spectacle.
All In Sports also worked with us to provide live coverage of all FA Cup matches and a ‘Match of the Round’ for both Division One Men and Women. This coverage consisted of live video with commentary, which was made available post-match, allowing anyone to watch at any time. This was a great opportunity to showcase our game to viewers at home anywhere in the world. We are looking to expand this partnership in 2022, as it will expand the reach of our competition.
These matches were played on Wednesday nights, utilising the new lighting upgrades that some of our clubs have completed over the last two years. With the increasing grant funding available, it may be soon that all six Football NSW-affiliated clubs have appropriate lighting to host night matches, which will be exciting in the future for our players.
Despite the clear challenges over 2020 and 2021, we have managed to essentially maintain our levels of participation, which is a major achievement. Our Female participation grew 20% compared to 2019 – a significant step in the right direction. Our MiniRoos programs continue to expand and improve, with some clubs being able to field all-girl teams – growing our female participation, especially in MiniRoos, is a focus area for ourselves and we hope this trend upward continues.
Over 230 players were a part of our Representative program in 2021. Our quality of coaching has continued to improve, with many of our coaches now being C Licence qualified. We had some success at the tournaments we attended throughout the year, with our U13 Boys reaching the final of the Bathurst Cup, the U14 Girls ‘Red’ squad reaching the final of the Proctor Cup, and multiple age group winners in the 2021 Riverina Branch Titles.
Originally due to start in 2020, GameDay was fully introduced in 2021, providing live score updates around the grounds and a team sheet system. We also worked with GameDay to incorporate our Player Points System that we introduced to provide greater parity amongst our Division One Men grade. This builds on the coverage and reach of our competitions as previously mentioned.
AWFA has also begun to transition towards more Saturday Football and night matches. We had terrific attendance at these matches, and the players also enjoyed the variety these fixtures provided. With our clubs’ facilities upgrading, this will provide an opportunity for us to expand this concept further and begin the transition over to Saturday Football for all grades.
We are focusing on providing our member clubs with support over the next few years as they push for upgraded facilities, especially change rooms for women with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup not far away. Furthermore, continuing to enhance our promotion and footprint in the community will attract more players to our game – this will be a focus for 2022. Also, providing more opportunities for women to be involved on committee level, coaching and playing will be a key focus for our association. This will all be a part of our Strategic Plan, which we hope to complete in early 2022.
The 2022 grassroots football season, as circumstances allow, looks to be a promising year for the development of Football in our region, and we look forward to seeing everyone back on the park next year.
The 2021 season saw an increase in player numbers for the Dubbo and District Football Association competition compared to the depleted COVID-19 year of 2020. Unfortunately, the season had to be shortened due to Health NSW requirements in early August, putting an end to finals football.
With that result, the 2021 Dubbo and District Football Association Club Championship was awarded to Macquarie United Football Club. Senior Competition Finalists 2021
AAM 1st Grade: Wellington Warriors (30) and Dubbo Newtown Soccer Club (28)
AAM 2nd Grade: Dubbo Bulls FC (36) and Dubbo Newtown Soccer Club (36)
AAM 3rd Grade: Dubbo Bulls FC (34) and East Dubbo United FC (32)
AAM 4th Grade: North West Falcons (42) and Macquarie United FC (25)
AAW 1st Grade: Macquarie United FC (39) and Dubbo Bulls FC (33)
AAW2 1st division: Macquarie United FC (25) and RSL 78’s (24)
AAW2 2nd division: South Dubbo Wanderers (22) and SASS (17)
Junior Competition Finalist 2021:
Under 17’s: Macquarie United FC (34) and Dubbo City Rangers (34)
Under 15’s: Macquarie United FC (36) and Dubbo City Rangers (33) Under 14’s: RSL 78’s (31) and Westside Panthers Football Club (31) Under 13’s d1: Macquarie United FC (36) and Westside Panthers FC (30) Under 13’s d2: RSL 78’s (14) and Westside Panthers FC (13) Under 12’s: Macquarie United FC (36) and Westside Panthers FC (30)
Junior Teams nominated for 2021
• Under 5 - 17 teams • Under 6 - 26 teams • Under 7 - 25 teams • Under 8 - 18 teams • Under 6 - 16 teams • Under 10 - 12 teams • Under 11 - 12 teams • Under 12 - 7 teams • Under 13 - 10 teams • Under 14 - 5 teams • Under 15 - 6 teams • Under 17 - 7 teams
Western Youth League 2021
2021 saw Dubbo Football Association nominate seven boys and three girls in the Western Youth League. Teams were selected early 2021 and training commenced. The first round was held on the 2nd May in Bathurst.
AGE GROUP TEAMS NOMINATED FINAL PLACE
10 boys 11 boys 12 boys 6 13 boys 5 14 boys 4 15 boys 4 16 boys 4 12 girls 4 14 girls 3 16 girls 2 non-competition non-competition 1st
2nd
2nd
1st
1st
2nd
1st
1st
Additional News
Further development of the vacant land opposite Lady Cutler South commenced this year with four new full size fields taking the total to eight and the new amenities block is now well underway and is scheduled for competition prior to the 2022 season. A very successful Gala Day was held on the 19th June. A huge thank you to all players, parent’s coaches and match officials for your efforts on the days. It was amazing to see the smiles on so many little faces.
To all of our clubs, their players, staff and our valued and important volunteers, we could not have survived the past two years without your invaluable support and hard work and we thank you.
The Lachlan Amateur Soccer Association Inc was once again hit by COVID-19 during season 2021, with the numbers down in all age groups across all towns within the Association.
The Senior Men’s Competition that is run by the Lachlan Association was not able to be completed with the competition coming to a halt on the cusp of finals. The Association had plans in place to deal with happenings throughout the season due to COVID-19, and the Competition went from stop to start on numerous occasions before calling the season off due to the pandemic. The final series was not played, with all teams giving the Executive Members their full backing in having to terminate the season prematurely.
The teams that were involved were Parkes Raptors (who finished Minor Premiers), Parkes Wanderers, Parkes Railway Renegades, Parkes Vipers (a mostly junior side with several senior players guiding them through their first season in the Senior Ranks), Forbes Bushrangers and Grenfell Stingers.
Most of the Junior Associations being Parkes, Forbes, Cowra, Young and Condobolin were also affected by COVID-19 with most of them either close to finishing or awarding teams the Premierships depending on where they were situated at the time of the season having to terminate prematurely.
There were representations from Junior Associations in Lachlan that participated in the Western Youth League which finished without any interruptions with sides performing admirably.
Parkes Cobras FC Senior Men’s side participated in the Western Premier League and, after finishing on the bottom of the table in 2020, they were on the verge of making the semi-finals in 2021 only to have this dream cut down with COVID-19 causing the Competition to finish without the semi-final series being played
This team was made up of players from within the Association, with the driving force being Adam Parker, who did an outstanding job in organising the side.
The team were also fortunate enough to have a quality coach in Meaghan Kempson, whose coaching techniques were of the highest quality. The players gave her the utmost respect, as she strived to get the side over the line but unfortunately this was not to be.
The Cobras retained her services for the upcoming 2022 season, with her goal set at getting the side through to the Grand Final.
The President of the Association, Wayne Pearce, forwarded a letter to all of the Clubs, Associations and sides within LASA Inc, thanking them for their efforts over the past two seasons and acknowledging the encouragement that they had given Executive Members for doing their best in trying circumstances. They were all full of praise for the way the Executive kept up to date with ongoing matters during the pandemic.
As Secretary of the Association, I would like to thank the Chairman and Board of Football NSW for their help throughout the season and their tireless effort in trying to keep Football running throughout the last two seasons. Here’s hoping that 2022 will see it all behind us as we strive to get a full winter season in with minimal or no interruptions at all.
