TOPIC:

Anyone able to attend the Members' Forum last night ? I had a prior commitment.
I would be interested in any feedback.
I believe that Gavin Taylor CEO WAFC attended along with Bob Shields President, Dale Ballantyne Football Operations Manager, John Dorazio Finance Director.
No doubt all questions that members and supporters would want answers would have been raised.
Good move by the club to provide the opportunity. I hope that there was a good response.

Smokey here's what I heard.

The $4 million we are getting from the federal government is guaranteed np matter who is in charge of the country.

The club was very pleased with the crowd from Saturday's game and said that the bigger crowd wasn't budgeted for so it would give the coffers a little boost.

12 players nominated themselves to be part of the leadership group. 7 were voted on by the playing group and then the captain was voted on from that group of 7.

There is around 60 players available for selection this week. Touch wood the club stays this healthy or close to it during the season.

Membership is up compared to this time last year and I think the club signed an other 100-150 members from Saturday's game.

The club has received permission to re draw some concept plans for the redevelopment of our premises. The last drawings was done in 2015.

Bob said that while he liked aspects of what Claremont, West Perth and Peel have done with their facilities there were lessons to be learned from what they did and how they did it.

He reckons that the new facilities will cost around $12 million, maybe pushing $15 million.

It's important for the new facilities to be commercially viable from the start with most new facilities losing money in it's first couple of years of operating. Gavin Taylor apparently made mention of this as well and said that this was something West Perth struggled with, with their facility.

Gavin spoke about zones and how Marty Atkins was always onto him about changing Perth's zones or how they are allocated. Gavin said that in the old days the zones would get equally divided up and if a certain approach worked in one zone that they would often apply the same approach in another. Said this can't work into the future as each zones different. He also said that rather than having each zone of equal proportion that maybe some zones needed extra funds and assistance into the future to make them fruitful enough for clubs and that this was being looked at as a way of equalisation. Made mention of the fact that throughout the country but particularly in WA there is a big drop off of players playing the game between 15-18 years of age.

Thanks Mr AFL

Mr AFL wrote: The club has received permission to re draw some concept plans for the redevelopment of our premises. The last drawings was done in 2015.

Bob said that while he liked aspects of what Claremont, West Perth and Peel have done with their facilities there were lessons to be learned from what they did and how they did it.

He reckons that the new facilities will cost around $12 million, maybe pushing $15 million.

It's important for the new facilities to be commercially viable from the start with most new facilities losing money in it's first couple of years of operating. Gavin Taylor apparently made mention of this as well and said that this was something West Perth struggled with, with their facility.

Sounds like our new Prez is right across this and is talking to the right people and has an extensive background in property development himself. I heard on 91.3 fm earlier this week they were talking about Claremont Oval have already encountered problems both last year and already this year (coming off Summer and Autumn) with their playing surface due to the apartments being so close to the perimeter of the ground and shielding the playing surface from sunlight.

Hopefully if apartments are planned for the Lathlain precinct or maybe an office tower, that they will do their homework and perhaps avoid these types of problems. Right now we've got the best playing surface in the state, probably even better than Optus Stadium so lets keep it that way. I don't think Claremont ripped up their old playing surface which just seems crazy given everything else was bulldozed and ripped up and rebuilt.

He has only been in the job a few weeks but it seems that the President is already right across all the issues facing the club.. the facilities redevelopment, issues with the WAFC, on field matters, in-house issues, finances etc.
With a promising start to the season by Duke and the team, membership going well, sponsors' money coming in it all looks good.
What we need now is a consistent flow of 4 points to boost our finals prospects.

..

Did anyone ask Taylor about the debacle that is the mid season draft, and what the WAFL clubs can do about this insidious disruption. Is the WAFC doing anything to offer any protection or are they just the yes men for the AFL.
I know the answer by the way.

Cesspit wrote: Did anyone ask Taylor about the debacle that is the mid season draft, and what the WAFL clubs can do about this insidious disruption. Is the WAFC doing anything to offer any protection or are they just the yes men for the AFL.
I know the answer by the way.

I think the AFL should have made this a trade period not a draft period. Yes trade from other clubs but not draft players. I don't think this will be an issue for us anyway. I can only see clubs drafting key position players and Ruckmen. If AFL clubs don't already have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best available then their whole football department needs to be shot.