Happy to accept fwiw
VAFA General Discussion
- Thread starter Max Leader
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FWIW and you will come back to the Vafa board to tell everyone every time it happens
- Nov 2, 2006
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No, not really. I just didnt agree that the alcohol ruling was a key factor - it wasn't in ours. It's other factors and they can either be addressed or some teams will need leave the VAFA - and that would be an unfortunate outcome for all parties.FWIW and you will come back to the Vafa board to tell everyone every time it happens
The VAFA is a great competition and I absolutely loved my 40+ years in it, so I think it's a shame that long associated clubs like ours are having to make the change when there could be other options available to discuss. Nothing more.
Money in local football!!! Don't get me wrong I'm not against it. Back in my day you had to be a very good player to command good money.
Not anymore. Now days all it is doing is paying average players to play on a weekend.
- Nov 2, 2006
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I would have fit that criteria ..... average player
Initially how does leaving the VAFA keep the club afloat?
What pressures does the club face by remaining in the VAFA that they won't experience outside of the VAFA?
Keen to understand this, Ivanhoe and Parade left last year with Geography and player retention being key reasons.
Thirds Div 2 South GF - De La v Mentone at La Trobe.
Couldn't find anything south of the Yarra?
Not sure how they charge to get in at La Trobe either, only positive is the best playing surface in the VAFA.
Couldn't find anything south of the Yarra?
Not sure how they charge to get in at La Trobe either, only positive is the best playing surface in the VAFA.
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Player retention and recruitment the key - you are spot on. When you are in lower grades and in the area we are we lost players/juniors to:
a) Higher placed VAFA clubs than the 4th or 5th tier we had been in for 25 years - especially to clubs with multiple Thirds and under 19's.
b) To NFNL and EDFL clubs who could offer money.
Local games also a key factor for players, supporters and sponsors.
Revenue from food & beverage a factor, but very low priority compared to the above.
Thanks for that C or C.
Does every player get paid? or only those that play a senior game?
Really trying to understand the model as when I played (15+ years ago), only the very good players were handed the brown paper bag, the others may have got a pineapple or grey nurse if they played a senior game and were named in the best.
Games should be swapped around.
- Nov 2, 2006
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We went with a very limited outlay in year 1, especially coming from VAFA. But every senior player received a small base payment, a few with a little more than the base and some incentives for best players each week.
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Disappointing that Bulleen Templestowe are leaving the VAFA for the Eastern League, another loss for the VAFA.
Just got this from a mate….. Hard to argue with this. Good luck to them. Some very good footballers have contributed to the VAFA over 50 plus years from this club.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you there is significant momentum heading towards a change of direction for our club, which is leaving the VAFA and playing in the EFNL.
Personally, it was a long process for myself to see the Bullants anywhere else but the VAFA. But once I did I discovered that by doing so it would create new opportunities for a sustainable and viable future for the Bullants.
For many of years it’s been talked about, and for many a years I’ve flown the flag and preached we’re a proud VAFA club and we’re on our way to make our way up the grades, and it’s going to be awesome. And to be fair there was always a sense of promise and hope that we could do it, and we will do it. But when these conversations started circulating this season it was different, it was different because we’re battling, big time!
This season will be the second consecutive year that we financially run at a loss.
Our Reserves side has experienced two 300 point loses which no footballer should ever experience.
There is no meaningful connection between our under 19’s and the rest of the club.
Our few game day resources (volunteers) have been stretched to the point of being involved feels like a burden.
So because it’s been so hard, and with the fact that our young stars are being approached and offered money, and tie this in with the fulfilling footy days of allot of people being at the game are few and far between, it compelled us to investigate.
It’s important you know we’ve tried, we’ve tried so many things to invigorate our club, and to an extent we have succeeded because our young list that came from the Junior club are proud Senior Bullants, but to attract new players, volunteers and past players as regular spectators back to the club we have not.
One example, I loved your initiative of having the bar open until half time of the seniors, and I’ve promoted it to the hilt for 3 years but there I am, on the non function days in the club rooms all alone twiddling my thumbs, and it’s shattering.
I am now driving the move, and only because I’ve done the hard yards, I’ve put in the time, for the last 3 years of my life every waking spare minute of thought has been on the Bullants, and what needs to be done so we can thrive. I’ve coached the club, I’ve captain the club, I’ve wore the Big V, I love the club and I love the VAFA and with all of that I feel it in my gut, that we gotta go because we’re barely surviving and if we stay in the VAFA and a couple of our young star players go it will decimate the infrastructure of bonds within our young group and then things will get even tougher.
The timing, and how fast things have moved is far from ideal, and not keeping you up to date is rude of us, and I sincerely apologize for this. At the seminars and through your emails there’s been many offers, and many ‘we’re here to help.’ I felt that, and I’ve felt the care for us from all of your staff, and we should have capitalized on those offerings of assistance.
Things have moved so fast because of our findings in the case studies. Our sub committee has reached out and spoken to at length Eltham, Parade and Ivanhoe.
To sum up the message from all three, it was the best thing they had ever done.
I found Eltham to be the closest fit to where they were and where we are. They were broke like us and now have a healthy bank account. They did a whole seasons bar takings in one home game. Our findings prompted us and inspired us to see our club in a new way. To see our ground as a social hub on game day, to see people drinking cans and socializing around the fence of that very ground.
I went to two Divy 4 Eastern games and that’s what I got, I got great atmosphere and felt community with people interacting and having a gasbag.
The fact is having the freedom to drink a can with your mates on the fence close to the action where you can smell the liniment and feel the bumps makes a huge difference. It draws people in, it becomes an option for a low key get together with who ever it might be on a Saturday afternoon.
And all of this creates not only atmosphere for a more enjoyable playing experience, but it creates revenue in so many ways.
Through this process I’ve often thought back to my playing days and yeah, I did often wish whilst out there that I’d love it if there was more people watching. But what I told myself was it’s not about the crowd, it’s about the mateship, it even had it in the name A-mate-U-R, and it was, but I still had to convince myself of that.
With all this I’m very mindful of the Parkside case study. And the words from the President, he said after telling me of their journey on leaving and coming back, ‘we were probably lucky to get back into the VAFA.’
But the amount of interest and passion and people coming in from out of the woodwork, the excitement in the playing group about the new course, the vibe around the place has shifted dramatically, so to be fair we’re probably past the point of no return.
The Parkside President also said ‘we needed to leave to survive, it was good for a few years and then we needed to come back to survive.’
Those words somehow took me back to when I was Captain and what I said to a talented yet conflicted premiership team mate that could get cash to play, he wanted to go but felt bad about leaving, but by staying he wasn’t happy, he felt there was more out there, and he became a negative influence around the group. So I told him ‘you gotta go to know.’ He left, and couple of years later with similar curiosities so did I, I went and played in the country for cash. We both came back. If we didn’t go then we’d still harbor whatever it was that made us leave.
What I’m saying VAFA, is we love you, but we gotta go to know, your ethos and what you’re about and what you’re doing, and what you’ve done for us for 50 years, and what you stand for, we admire and respect, but these conversations about leaving the VAFA have been a topic of conversation around the Bullant camp fire since the early 2000’s.
I’ve attached the notice of the Special General Meeting which will be put out to the relevant Bullant people in the coming days.
It’ll be taken to a vote, and from what we’ve gathered the majority of the qualified voters will vote EFNL.
I hope you appreciate our laid out honesty here, and I hope you don’t think we’re giving up, the fact is we’ve been stagnant for a long time, and we need a circuit breaker.
Warm Regards
Greg Chivers
BTAFC President.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you there is significant momentum heading towards a change of direction for our club, which is leaving the VAFA and playing in the EFNL.
Personally, it was a long process for myself to see the Bullants anywhere else but the VAFA. But once I did I discovered that by doing so it would create new opportunities for a sustainable and viable future for the Bullants.
For many of years it’s been talked about, and for many a years I’ve flown the flag and preached we’re a proud VAFA club and we’re on our way to make our way up the grades, and it’s going to be awesome. And to be fair there was always a sense of promise and hope that we could do it, and we will do it. But when these conversations started circulating this season it was different, it was different because we’re battling, big time!
This season will be the second consecutive year that we financially run at a loss.
Our Reserves side has experienced two 300 point loses which no footballer should ever experience.
There is no meaningful connection between our under 19’s and the rest of the club.
Our few game day resources (volunteers) have been stretched to the point of being involved feels like a burden.
So because it’s been so hard, and with the fact that our young stars are being approached and offered money, and tie this in with the fulfilling footy days of allot of people being at the game are few and far between, it compelled us to investigate.
It’s important you know we’ve tried, we’ve tried so many things to invigorate our club, and to an extent we have succeeded because our young list that came from the Junior club are proud Senior Bullants, but to attract new players, volunteers and past players as regular spectators back to the club we have not.
One example, I loved your initiative of having the bar open until half time of the seniors, and I’ve promoted it to the hilt for 3 years but there I am, on the non function days in the club rooms all alone twiddling my thumbs, and it’s shattering.
I am now driving the move, and only because I’ve done the hard yards, I’ve put in the time, for the last 3 years of my life every waking spare minute of thought has been on the Bullants, and what needs to be done so we can thrive. I’ve coached the club, I’ve captain the club, I’ve wore the Big V, I love the club and I love the VAFA and with all of that I feel it in my gut, that we gotta go because we’re barely surviving and if we stay in the VAFA and a couple of our young star players go it will decimate the infrastructure of bonds within our young group and then things will get even tougher.
The timing, and how fast things have moved is far from ideal, and not keeping you up to date is rude of us, and I sincerely apologize for this. At the seminars and through your emails there’s been many offers, and many ‘we’re here to help.’ I felt that, and I’ve felt the care for us from all of your staff, and we should have capitalized on those offerings of assistance.
Things have moved so fast because of our findings in the case studies. Our sub committee has reached out and spoken to at length Eltham, Parade and Ivanhoe.
To sum up the message from all three, it was the best thing they had ever done.
I found Eltham to be the closest fit to where they were and where we are. They were broke like us and now have a healthy bank account. They did a whole seasons bar takings in one home game. Our findings prompted us and inspired us to see our club in a new way. To see our ground as a social hub on game day, to see people drinking cans and socializing around the fence of that very ground.
I went to two Divy 4 Eastern games and that’s what I got, I got great atmosphere and felt community with people interacting and having a gasbag.
The fact is having the freedom to drink a can with your mates on the fence close to the action where you can smell the liniment and feel the bumps makes a huge difference. It draws people in, it becomes an option for a low key get together with who ever it might be on a Saturday afternoon.
And all of this creates not only atmosphere for a more enjoyable playing experience, but it creates revenue in so many ways.
Through this process I’ve often thought back to my playing days and yeah, I did often wish whilst out there that I’d love it if there was more people watching. But what I told myself was it’s not about the crowd, it’s about the mateship, it even had it in the name A-mate-U-R, and it was, but I still had to convince myself of that.
With all this I’m very mindful of the Parkside case study. And the words from the President, he said after telling me of their journey on leaving and coming back, ‘we were probably lucky to get back into the VAFA.’
But the amount of interest and passion and people coming in from out of the woodwork, the excitement in the playing group about the new course, the vibe around the place has shifted dramatically, so to be fair we’re probably past the point of no return.
The Parkside President also said ‘we needed to leave to survive, it was good for a few years and then we needed to come back to survive.’
Those words somehow took me back to when I was Captain and what I said to a talented yet conflicted premiership team mate that could get cash to play, he wanted to go but felt bad about leaving, but by staying he wasn’t happy, he felt there was more out there, and he became a negative influence around the group. So I told him ‘you gotta go to know.’ He left, and couple of years later with similar curiosities so did I, I went and played in the country for cash. We both came back. If we didn’t go then we’d still harbor whatever it was that made us leave.
What I’m saying VAFA, is we love you, but we gotta go to know, your ethos and what you’re about and what you’re doing, and what you’ve done for us for 50 years, and what you stand for, we admire and respect, but these conversations about leaving the VAFA have been a topic of conversation around the Bullant camp fire since the early 2000’s.
I’ve attached the notice of the Special General Meeting which will be put out to the relevant Bullant people in the coming days.
It’ll be taken to a vote, and from what we’ve gathered the majority of the qualified voters will vote EFNL.
I hope you appreciate our laid out honesty here, and I hope you don’t think we’re giving up, the fact is we’ve been stagnant for a long time, and we need a circuit breaker.
Warm Regards
Greg Chivers
BTAFC President.
Last edited:
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A shame. Greg is an absolute legend and always good for a chat, very sad to see them go.
How many clubs in the last 10 years who have left have not been successful - all have left for a variety of reasons. All have flourished not being part of VAFA
Bentleigh
Banyule
Werribee
Point Cook
Rupertswood
Ivanhoe
Old Parade
Old Eltham
Local competition, more supporters, bigger player retention, more sponsorship
VAFA is a southern competition, very few northern sides anymore compared to 20 years ago.
outside_off
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- Nov 19, 2023
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VAFA house has more leaks than the titanic! If true, why would they share this email?
From reading this.
- Volunteers are going to appear out of thin air
- The 19's will magically have a connection to the senior club because they may get paid
- By selling a few beers on a Saturday large a crowd will attend for the atmosphere and create a social hub???
Greg states it will create "new opportunities for a sustainable and viable future", I hope it does for his club. The club sounds like it's on the verge of folding (I don't want to see any club fold), and if a change in scenery is what gets it done then more power to BT, I just can't see it.
The connection point is a good one, it’s very hard on clubs and volunteers having your teams playing at 3 different venues at the same time.
How the VAFA could fix this is the unknown with no consistency between clubs having thirds and u/19s.
In the EFL their u/19s will be at the same ground as the reserves and seniors every week
How the VAFA could fix this is the unknown with no consistency between clubs having thirds and u/19s.
In the EFL their u/19s will be at the same ground as the reserves and seniors every week
VAFA is a school and Uni comp now and how have Bentleigh been successful
You tell me who's been successful? What measures success?
Were any of the clubs you have listed in the dire straights that BT (based on the e-mail) seem to be?
1. You don’t need as many volunteer’s being pretend umpires
2. Absolutely the connection will be better because kids won’t be poached by rival paying clubs and actually be excited by playing in the EFNL
3. Absolutely. VAFA attendance is poor compared to other leagues where you are allowed a beer. People attend to catch up with mates have a beer and a yarn.
BT could be a great club with their strong junior club. It’s a no brainer
