By: Troy Swainston – Chief Executive Officer – Eastern Football League
THIS season we introduce the new five-division men’s and four-division women’s competitions which should deliver competitive and exciting games each week.
With more clubs playing finals, more premiers and more clubs moving divisions each year through promotion and relegation, clubs will be able to rebound quickly or test themselves in higher divisions in a timely manner.
The League continues to grow its participant numbers with 341 boys teams, 123 girls teams, 34 women’s teams and 45 senior clubs with the addition of Croydon North-Mount Lilydale Old Collegians and up to 90 netball teams across 35 clubs.
Our under-17 and under-19 team numbers are up by four on the prior season, a great result given the challenges clubs face in these age groups. Our umpire numbers continue to grow with a strong focus on retention and attracting new umpires to the game. The umpiring fraternity is now one of the biggest clubs in the League.
In 2019, we welcome a new website, we are progressing well towards achieving our paperless target and we will be bringing SportCast to clubs in conjunction with LKLM Media through our game-day taping. This software tagging app will cut footage to create highlight packages, stoppages and goals for clubs to review, use for coaching and player development and share via their socials.
Eastland is the League’s new naming-rights and major sponsor having signed on for the next three years. We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunities the relationship can unearth for the League, our clubs and their members. Eastland is the premier shopping and entertainment destination in Melbourne’s east.
We thank Bendigo Bank, a long-time partner of the League who become our major community partner and our other major sponsors for their ongoing support of the League; Yarra Valley Water, BJS Insurance Brokers, Channel Nine, 1116SEN, and Trojan Tools and our support sponsors who are all listed on the website. The support of our sponsors enables the League to ensure that football remains a low-cost participation sport available to all in the eastern region. The League has partnered with the Hawthorn Football Club and SALT to offer well-being and mental health courses to all our junior clubs targeted at the under-14-18 age groups.
Our commitment to community welfare and well-being will again be shown through our four themed rounds. Starting with Beyond Blue on the 18th and 19th of May, Fight MND (15th and 16th of June), Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation Love the Game Round (6th and 7th of July) and TAC Towards Zero (3rd and 4th of August). As shared by our Chairman at the Season Launch, the League, on behalf of its clubs, has donated over $250,000 to the Blue Ribbon Foundation over the past 10+ years. An amazing achievement.
At our recent Season Launch at Deakin University, our Chairman once again said a big thank-you to the coaches and captains of our senior football and netball teams who were represented on the night. It is they who set the standards of behaviour on and off the field/court at your clubs, and in turn, play a huge role in the sporting and personal development of the in excess of 3,000 senior men and women and 10,000+ juniors who will play football and netball in the League this year. It’s a responsibility we hope they take with great care and pride.
We must also recognise our clubs and the army of volunteers who work so tirelessly to get their teams on the field each week. Running a football club is so much more than just playing football and netball. Football clubs are the centrepiece of the community, they are hubs that bring communities, families and friends together.
The EFL is proud of the way and the spirit in which our games are played. We have set a high benchmark in terms of conduct and behaviour of our clubs, players and spectators and we expect this to continue in 2019.
Welcome again to the season, best of luck to all teams and I look forward to seeing you all at the football.