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Auskick Promotional Materials

Everything you need to promote your club.
Section 1

Flyers

HOW TO USE

  • Download the preferred document format
  • Edit the text relevant to your NAB AFL Auskick Centre
  • When printing the flyers the squares around the editable boxes will not appear

 

EDITABLE FLYER WITH QR CODE

Double Sided: Click here to edit, download and print a flyer for your centre.

Single Sided: Click here to edit, download and print a flyer for your centre.

 

DOWNLOADS

Perfect to print off and hand out to promote your Auskick centre.
Then link downloads as follows and delete all other stuff in downloads (leave TIPS section):

NAB AFL Auskick Flyer for Print
Section 2

Signage Board

HOW TO USE

  • Download the preferred document format
  • Edit the text relevant to your Auskick Centre
  • When printing the flyers the squares around the editable boxes will not appear

DOWNLOADS

Signage boards coming soon!

Section 3

Participant Certificates

HOW TO USE

  • Download the certificate below.
  • Edit the text relevant to your NAB AFL Auskick Centre or participant (where applicable)
  • When printing the flyers the squares around the editable boxes will not appear
Auskick Participant Certificates Editable Auskick Participant Certificates Press NAB Star of the Week Certificate NAB AFL Half-time Certificate
Section 4

Volunteer Certificates

Volunteers are what make NAB AFL Auskick such a memorable and fun experience. Make sure you thank those who give it their all! The AFL recognises their extraordinary contribution to our great game.
NAB AFL Auskick Volunteer Certificate - Generic NAB AFL Auskick Volunteer Certificate - Editable

OUT OF BOUNDS

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Club Funding

Explore various ways you can obtain funding for your club.
Section 1

Fundraising

Communication at your club is vital to keep members up to date of everything happening at your club. This may also assist with prompting your club to new members wishing to find a place to play or be involved.

A staple of every club is fundraising. Each club is different (number of teams / members, demographics of the area, number of volunteers etc.) The guidance provided here is designed to either reinforce what clubs are already doing or provide some new ideas.

Australian Sports Foundation

Tax deduction status allows for an attractive way for clubs to receive donations from members, supporters and local community groups to put towards worthwhile projects. Many local footy clubs have signed up to receive donations through this program and it may suit your local club.

This site explains difference of tax deductibility, benefits of fundraising with the ASF and how you can sign up – along with contact information to get in touch with them for more information.

Comms plan and calendar template Website Content List template
Section 2

Events

Club’s should look to events to raise funds and provide the opportunity to create lasting memories for attendees. It is important however that the lasting memories are for all the right reasons. A positive & inclusive event will further the reputation of the club to see attendances grow future events.

Successful clubs have in place the following:

A clear plan – answering what & why (& why it will help the club attract ‘new’ people to attend). The plan should include the budget, who does what and by when and be reviewed regularly. Check out this template to assist.

A Social Events Coordinator to help focus adequate time to planning & execution. See a sample PD as a template to consider.

A marketing & communications plan. This is critical to maximise the hard work of those running the event. Think about how your players / audience engage and can share event details within their network – e.g. Instagram, Facebook etc.

An evaluation process (including encouraging honest feedback for all attendees). This step should also assess whether the net profit realised was actually worth the effort. If many people were required to give significant hours to generate a small profit, would the club be better served by spending this time focusing on other revenue generating options.

Further events guidance & resources can be found via “Sports Community” – including their video showcasing “20 ways to fundraise” to give clubs some ideas to consider.

Section 3

Memberships

Clubs will have various Membership categories to suit the nature of their club. Each membership group will bring their own unique attributes to the club and will receive unique benefits – at varying costs. This will including current playing membership categories as well as social memberships – where people can pay a nominal fee to gain benefits such as free access to social events, matches, functions and other benefits (e.g. merchandise item). Having multiple category options allows people to join how best suits them.

An often-overlooked opportunity is to tap into past players through fostering a Past Players group. Past players are far more likely than other members of the community to want to stay connected through the club and support through attending events – even providing donations.

It is critical to constantly check-in to make sure that Members are receiving what they expected to receive (& ideally a little bit more). Good news travels fast, however bad news travels faster!

Consider appointing a Memberships Coordinator

Section 4

Merchandise

All clubs will have merchandise available for sale, however some clubs restrict sales to people attending home matches only – and some still only accept cash as payment. With a growing list of people who are prepared to buy items online, clubs must seek to capitalise on this. An on-line shop with on-line payments, increases sales, saves time from volunteers ‘selling’ at match day & minimises cash-handling - which brings a range of benefits.

Ask widely through the club (players, parents, supporters, past players) what items people would like to see in club colours … shop around to find a suitable solution then stock them, promote them & sell them!

Section 5

Raffles

Promoting your service and offerings to the key target market ensures your club's sustainability. A Marketing Plan provides direction for your club, positioning it in the community for continued growth.

Raffles can generate important revenue for the club. Clubs need to assess whether the net profit (total income received less expenses to cover raffle prizes, permits etc.) is worth the effort for the volunteers overseeing the raffle. The answer may always be yes, however should be considered as an important factor for each raffle.

For any raffles that the club runs, you need to be conscious of whether any permit may be required. This will typically depend on which State / Territory you are conducting the raffle in and the total value of the prizes. The club will also need to draw up a Terms and Conditions document that is available for people who buy a ticket and can easily view. Check out the links below to help provide you with guidance based on your state.

Links for State / Territory specific guidance on raffle permits:

ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA

Toyota Good for Footy Raffle

Thankfully the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle takes the hassle out of any permit process and the development of Terms and Conditions as this has already been done for you. Clubs do not need to spend any time or money chasing up prizes and retain 100% of the proceeds from all sales – therefore maximizing profits for the club. The AFL strongly encourages clubs to get on board with the annual raffle that typically opens in May and runs through to September allowing ample time to generate significant funds for the club.

Watch here: Long-serving local footy club Treasurer, Tony Boyce, on why the Toyota Raffle is such a great solution for local footy clubs.

Section 6

Grants

Successful grants provide the club with an opportunity to bring in funds to complement funding through events, functions, raffles etc. Pending the level of the grants available (& time that volunteers can provide to fundraising efforts), it might be more advantageous to focus a greater portion of volunteer time to acquiring grants compared to other revenue generating ideas.

View our full resource about grants, here.

Learn more about the Telstra Footy Grants, here.

Learn more about women and girl focused grants here

Section 7

Sponsorship

Sponsors are a vital component of every footy club. It is vital to remember that we have moved a long way past sponsors being happy to hand over large sums of money to a club and expecting little in return. Sustainable sponsorships meet the objectives of the sponsor as well as the objectives of the club. Constant communication and ‘servicing’ the sponsorship are vital.

Consider a Sponsorship Coordinator 

Given the importance of the role, it is strongly recommended to have a Sponsorship Coordinator appointed to take pressure off the balance of the Club Exec / Committee.

See a sample Position Description for this role as a template to consider.

Recruiting Sponsors

Club Assets

Be clear on what assets the club has available to ‘sell’ to a sponsor. This can be many & varied – including on-field & off-field apparel, at ground signage (on-field, boundary, scoreboard), player sponsorships, event sponsorships, promotion / speaking at a club function, using a local business as a supplier, promotion of the business on club websites, social media etc. Brainstorm what is possible and be creative.

Having a database of the items available for sale, who that partner is, the value of this and when it is due for renewal are important to track the existing sponsors to look after and to be aware of opportunities when talking to prospective sponsors.

Sponsorship Database Template

Know your reach

A sponsor will want to see a return on their investment and will therefore want to know some facts / figures (or at worst some estimates) about the number of people attending matches, function, reading social media posts, accessing the newsletter, watching livestreams etc. The more that you can tell a sponsor about your audience (players, members, supporters) & how well that your audience supports sponsors, the better you will be placed to secure sustainable sponsorships.

Know your value

This is a difficult one and often will be based on what the club achieved in the past. With new ideas, it is often better to work on what you have available for a sponsor, look at opportunities to engage prospective sponsors and assess what they consider the value to be. If both parties are happy to proceed, that is a good outcome to find the right value.

Sponsorship proposal

Whilst you should tailor your solutions to suit the sponsor, having a professional proposal will showcase your club in the best light. The Sponsorship Proposal should include the background of your club, club values and expectations and provide a snapshot of your club including the demographics, audience and club successes. The club’s Strategic Plan should provide most of this information.

Once you have promoted the club, you need to list the benefits of the partnership to the sponsor. Include what assets the sponsor will receive and how success will be measured. The document should also include the length of the term, the value of the sponsorship and the best contact for more details.

Sponsorship Proposal Template

Recruitment

Be active, engage your network for ideas for sponsorships can offer & think laterally about businesses that the opportunity might connect well with.

Important! Know what the sponsor wants (not just what the club wants)

A business may have multiple reasons to support a sponsorship partnership. It’s imperative to understand the motives of the business to ensure both the club and sponsor gets the most from the partnership.

Get to know your sponsors and figure out what drives their motivations for a potential sponsorship deal. This will help you pull together a more tailored sponsorship package. Some examples of why a business may consider sponsorship is provided below.

Brand Awareness/Visibility

This refers to the extent in which customers can recall or recognise a brand. A sponsor may want their brand to be more familiar.

Brand Positioning

This is how a brand is different from its competitors and where, or how, it sits in customers’ minds. Sponsoring your club may make the sponsor look more engaged with the community or more family friendly

Generate Sales

The sponsor may want to sell products directly to your audience. This can mean selling their products during specific events or home games.

Build an audience

The sponsor may want to reach a wider audience and develop more leads. This could be through direct communication to your membership database.

Networking opportunities and build relationships

The sponsor may want to engage other club sponsors or stakeholders through networking opportunities or strengthen relationships with club members and other stakeholders.

Retaining Sponsors 

It is often thought that the most important part is to recruit a sponsor. Whilst this is important, it is far better to keep a sponsor happy than always be looking to recruit a sponsor. Making sure you understand what the sponsor wants, being clear on what you will offer and actively deliver what they want (as a minimum) is more important.

Servicing Sponsors

The worst thing you can say to a sponsor is “see you next year!”. This statement is an acknowledgement that the sponsor’s contribution is as a donation and they will get little if anything in return. The sponsor may see there is no value for them and is unlikely to sponsor the following year.

Once a partnership is agreed to, it’s essential that you continue to work with the sponsor to ensure deliverables are met. This can be an extension of the Sponsorship Spreadsheet which should include information about each deal and key deliverables. This document needs to be referred to frequently. It’s also very important to call or touch base with sponsors throughout the season to ensure they are happy and ask for any feedback.

The more engaged a sponsor is in your club, the more likely they will come back the following year. It’s important you make the sponsor feel part of your club. The following examples can help achieve this:

  • Provide club apparel to wear when they come to game days
  • Invite the sponsor and their family to key club events
  • Offer reduced player registration fees for the sponsor
  • Host events especially for sponsors – during the season and asap after the end of the season
  • Send a personalised message from the players thanking sponsors
  • Provide a signed jumper or football for them to display in their business
  • Invite the sponsor to provide any club specific deals at key events
  • Provide an extra they didn’t expect e.g. extra ad in the e-newsletter, mention on the scoreboard, recognition over the PA, provide an extra apparel item etc.

Sponsorship Evaluation

When you establish the objectives of the sponsorship deal, you need to agree with the sponsor how success will be measured. This is likely to be different for each sponsor depending on what they need to receive as a return for their investment in to the club

The success of any sponsorship is usually measured in two ways:

Quantitatively – tangible results you can count:

  • Website analytics to track how many people are clicking through to sponsor sites
  • Social media analytics to see the traction of the post e.g. interactions, shares, likes etc
  • Broadcast exposure including onscreen/livestream logos, signage and mentions
  • Business metrics including sales, leads and new accounts and business

Qualitatively – less tangible results that improve the sponsor’s position or circumstance:

  • Customer/Audience satisfaction surveys
  • Customer loyalty
  • Brand perception
  • Nature of comments on social media posts

Tracking how successful the sponsorship deal is will play a key role in the renewing partnerships and retaining existing sponsors.

Section 8

Drive Sponsorship for your Women’s teams

The growth of women’s sports globally presents a valuable opportunity for community clubs and sponsors alike, with increased visibility through media and social platforms driving participation and fan engagement. Supporting women’s teams not only promotes inclusivity and empowerment but also offers brands access to a growing, diverse audience and positive brand alignment in a less saturated market. Attracting the right sponsors ensures shared values, long-term partnerships, and sustainable growth for clubs and programs.

The rise of women’s sports globally has had an impact on fans and consumers from the grassroots to the elite. This means it’s an excellent time for community clubs and leagues to take advantage when it comes to promoting existing or newly launched women’s teams and asking for support for their growth. It’s also a great opportunity to tap into younger generations that are interested in playing themselves or supporting their local club.  

Another aspect of the growth of women’s sports now compared to the past is it’s so much more readily accessible thanks to social media, online streaming, broadcast deals for elite teams and competitions, and more female athletes featured in ad campaigns. All of this contributes to the visibility of women’s sport which in turn encourages participation, engagement, consumer spending and growth in fandom. More money in women’s sports at a grassroots level result in an investment in club programs and hiring more or better coaching and development staff which in turn improves the product, and the cycle continues.

The benefits of supporting women’s sport through sponsorship: 

  • Growing audience
  • Diverse demographics
  • Positive Brand Image
  • Alignment with corporate values
  • Inspiration and role models
  • Less saturated market
  • Growth potential

Overall, sponsoring women's sports can be a strategic decision for companies looking to connect with a diverse and engaged audience while promoting values of inclusivity and empowerment. It's not only a good business decision but also a way to contribute positively to the broader sports community.

Attracting the right sponsors

Attracting the right sponsors is crucial for the success and sustainability of any event, organisation, or initiative. Here are several key reasons why it's important to focus on attracting sponsors that align with your goals and values:

  1. Alignment of Values and Mission
  2. Relevance to audience
  3. Enhanced credibility and reputation
  4. Increased support and resources
  5. Targeted marketing and brand exposure
  6. Long-term partnership potential
  7. Sustainability and growth
  8. Alignment of marketing activities
Section 9

Sponsorship Prospectus

What to include:

•    About our club/league
•    Our Values
•    Our Mission/Our Purpose
•    Our Vision
•    Partnership opportunities

Key additions that all club’s should consider calling out are:

Our Women’s Teams
Here you can list the teams your club has and the current pathway for women and girls (or what you aspire to have). This is also where you share the importance of having women’s and girls’ teams and what it means to the club and to the players. You can also talk about when the team(s) were established and the participation growth you’ve seen since it started. If you have metrics you can share, i.e., how many teams you started with and how many you have now, the number of players you have, any premierships won, etc.

Why sponsor women’s sport?
Here you can choose some of the benefits of sponsoring women’s sport that you’d like to highlight, just make sure that they’re relevant to your club/league and what you’re offering. For example, if you don’t live-stream any of your games, you wouldn’t include anything about the benefits of brand exposure for organisations via live-streaming.
 

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Club Promotion

Everything you need to promote your club.
Section 1

Communication plan & websites

Communication at your club is vital to keep members up to date of everything happening at your club. This may also assist with prompting your club to new members wishing to find a place to play or be involved.

Club websites provide information for potential players, members and sponsors and a way to update and promote your club to the wider public. Things to include are: 

  • Contact details of key club roles
  • Where to register for your club
  • Weekly match reports and results
  • Club policies, procedures and rules
  • Opportunities to be a volunteer or coach at your club
  • Sponsor information and promotion 
     
Comms plan and calendar template Website Content List template
Section 2

E-Newsletters (eDMs)

A simple marketing and communication tool for clubs to broadcasting information to the audience on a regular basis. Suggested email sends are:

  • Volunteer spotlight – recognition of your volunteers
  • Coaches update – match day report or tips for players/parents
  • President address – key upcoming events or club operations
  • Player profile – fun facts or profile of players in the club to promote a community feel
  • Sponsor profile – spotlight a sponsor each with exclusive offers and recognition of their contribution to your club

Ensure you refer to the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) (‘the Spam Act’) which governs email marketing in Australia. This will ensure you are following the key laws of consent, identification and the unsubscribe option for your club database.

For more information about The Spam Act, visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority website

Unsubscribe Option

You must provide the recipient of the newsletter the option to unsubscribe from the emails. You must also present the unsubscribe instructions in a clear manner.

If you receive a request to unsubscribe, you will have to honour that request within five business days. You can add an unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email or get the recipient to reply to the email saying that they wish to unsubscribe.

More information about The Spam Act visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.

Section 3

Social Media

Social media is one of the best communication tools available to clubs. It is a great tool to promote your club, gain more members and reach new audiences.

It has the power to:

  • Increase the size of the club’s audience
  • Increase members’ sense of belonging with the club
  • Create depth within these relationships
  • Engage future participants
  • Support the delivery of club objectives

Evolution of social media is fast paced. It is often hard to keep up with what platform would be best for clubs to use as it seems like an existing system becomes overridden by a new system every season or two. The priority platforms for the club will depend on why the club is looking to use social media – including the audience that you are looking to engage & connect with. Solutions that clubs are using effectively include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & more. This list will continue to evolve.

Every footy club will have someone within the club (a player, player’s family member or someone on the Committee) who understands all the platforms and would be happy to share their knowledge to help the club maximise their opportunities through social media. Ask around for someone to help the Committee:

  1. Review your current social media presence
  2. Recommend the priorities to focus on – platform, how the club would use the platform, what the club will gain from establishing (or improving) its presence, frequency of activity and how long it would take to undertake these tasks.

Once the Club Committee has considered this recommendation, it will likely lead to the club considering the appointment of a Social Media Coordinator to oversee this important work.

Social Media Tips

  1. Have a plan
    Having a plan for each platform will help you remain focused on each post. Does this post / tweet align to what you set out to achieve? A “call to action” for messages is important e.g. “Click here to find out more” … or to buy early bird tickets to an upcoming function … or to simply vote for your favorite image from the weekend etc.
  2. Be aware of the risks
    Not everyone will be respectful of others in the site and extreme examples could be viewed as cyber-bullying. Whilst stopping this before it becomes apparent is not always possible, it is important to take very seriously any breach of the club codes of conduct (7 generally acceptable community standards) when it comes to people’s use of your site. The club still has a duty of care to ensure that the club platform is not used as platform for cyber-bullying. If you are worried about an incident (or what more information generally) check out the resources via the Office of eSafety Commissioner.
  3. Get some great images
    The profile needs an image promoting the best feature about your club (inclusive, full of people, fun etc.) Regular content needs great images too, so invest time in creating an asset library that you add to often.

    Learn about Community Club Photography Guidelines.
  4. Get everyone to buy-in
    Explain the importance of your players & the wider club network in getting involved in supporting social media activities. Perhaps run a competition for the most engaged player, supporter, committee member on your social media posts. Consider the use of facebook live when announcing weekly teams to bring more people (virtually) in to the club – so long as it doesn’t encourage people to stay away to just watch on-line).
  5. Use Hashtags & tags
    Hashtags help people find similar content to that message. e.g. You run a fortnightly Volunteer spotlight post and include #xzyfcvolunteer. People can click on the link to see past volunteers that have been recognised where that same # has been used. (Don’t include any gaps though!). Tagging people by adding the “@” symbol followed immediately by their name alerts them to the post and helps you reach a larger audience - especially if they comment, share, like your post. This is especially handy to tag people connected to your club who are well known & popular on that platform.
  6. Monitor & interact
    If you put up a post/tweet, make sure you monitor any comments. Remove or report ones that will negatively impact your clubs if viewed by sponsors, members, families connected with the club. It is great to engage in positive / constructive comments & banter to encourage more people to engage in your future posts. It also helps to reach a wider audience when people engage.
Social Media Toolkit Social Media Guidelines for Local Clubs Template - Social Media & Communications Policy
Section 4

Marketing & promotion

Promoting your service and offerings to the key target market ensures your club's sustainability. A Marketing Plan provides direction for your club, positioning it in the community for continued growth.

Marketing is important for all clubs.

When marketing your club to ensure effective activities and optimal results, consider the following points:

  • Brand: Is your club positive, supportive, family-friendly, etc.?
  • Tone: Is what you say positive, optimistic, and friendly?
  • Language: Is it professional, inclusive, and respectful?
  • Purpose: Does your message inform, engage, and motivate your customers?
  • Audience: Have you considered who you are marketing to? (e.g., current or prospect players, kids, youth, adults, parents, volunteers?)

 

There are many ways to promote your club and engage current and new members, including print & radio advertising, Facebook marketing, outdoor advertising, flyers in schools, and social media.

Facebook Marketing:

  • Create a Facebook Advert from your Club’s Facebook page.
  • Ensure the content, such as photos or videos, is emotive or showcases your local club.
  • Within Facebook, you can identify the target audience, set a budget, and decide on the placement of adverts.

 

Outdoor Advertising:

  • Use signage including vinyl banners, corflute signs, large window posters, and car decals.
  • Ensure a clear call to action and consider placement in high traffic areas or at your local ground.
  • Consider promotion at a local business/shopping center at the start of your registration period.

 

Flyers:

  • Create a club-branded flyer or contact your local league for generic play.afl creative.
  • Identify places to distribute, such as local schools, letterbox drops, community centers, summer sports, and workplaces.

 

Advertising in Schools:

  • Speak to someone connected to local schools in your areas to find out what works and what is possible. This might include:
  • Distributing flyers or placing them on noticeboards or school bag apps.
  • School Newsletter adverts.
  • Promotional clinics.

 

Phone Call to Participants:

  • Club committee and coaches can call past players to encourage re-registration or involvement in a Past Players group.
  • If not re-registering, ask why to ensure quality program delivery in the future.
Marketing plan template
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Facility Management

Close to 3,000 grounds are used for Australian football across the country with this number increasing each year due to the strong participation growth being experienced in our game in all corners of our nation.
Learn More
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Risk Management & Insurance

Ensuring a safe environment for all club members and stakeholders.
Make a claim
Section 1

Risk registry template

Our Risk Registry Template is here to help you identify and manage potential risks to ensure a safe environment for all club members and stakeholders. It's straightforward and easy to use. Download now and take the first step towards safer club operations.
Risk Registry Template
Section 2

Game Day Checklist Template

Game-day management is crucial in providing a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Our Game-Day Checklist Template helps you stay on top of essential tasks effortlessly, ensuring nothing gets overlooked. Download now and make your game-days smoother and safer.
Game-day checklist
Section 3

Marsh Match Day Checklist

View here

Section 4

Game Day Emergency Safety Guide

Our Emergency Safety Guide offers simple, clear steps to ensure the safety of all members and stakeholders during unexpected situations. Download it now to equip your club with the knowledge to handle emergencies confidently and effectively.
Game Day Emergency Safety Guide
Section 5

Simple Registry

Risk management is the process of identifying a risk and putting in place strategies to minimise or eliminate the risk. 

Risk management is not a complicated process and will protect the club and its members against the following risks: 

  • Financial and asset risks
  • Governance risks
  • Brand/reputation risks
  • Member and public health and safety risks

There are four steps in the risk management process. 

  • Identify the risk: Identify what, why and how things can arise
  • Analyse the risk: consider the consequence and likelihood of the risk in the current environment. Consequence and likelihood may be combined to produce an estimated level of risk.
  • Evaluate the risk: using the estimated level of risk, evaluate the level of risk. If the levels of the risk are low, then it may not need action beyond its current controls.
  • Treat the risk: put measures in place to ensure the risk has a minimal impact or is eliminated. Please note that some risks won’t be eliminated due to their nature. 

The AFL recommend that clubs complete the Risk Management module which focuses on “Footy Risks, “Club Risks” and “Committee Risks”.  This module must be completed in order for your club to obtain its Public Liability certificate of currency.

Download Template
Section 6

Common Risks

“Risks” for the club & committee include financial, physical and reputation risks. Whilst no two clubs are the same, read about some of the common risks faced by grassroots football clubs.
  • Alcohol-Fueled Incidents - While most people drink responsibly, grassroots sporting clubs that sell or allow consumption of alcohol at matches or events have a duty to take reasonable care to help prevent alcohol related incidents.
  • The AFL strongly recommends clubs consider the Good Sports Program to access a range of relevant resources and tips.  
  • Poor at match/social event behaviour - Clubs will have a reputation when it comes to behaviour – whether this be on-field or off-field from officials or spectators. This may be definite between certain teams within the club and may be different between home or away matches. This may escalate during higher stakes games – against rival towns/suburbs or especially during finals.  
  • Inadequate Insurance Coverage - Each State and Territory Association directly affiliated to the AFL and their Affiliations, Associations and Clubs have a certain level of insurance coverage under the Australian Football National Risk Protection Program which provides cover for:
  • Public Liability (coverage for third party personal injury or property damage claims made against, and asserting liability on the part of, the club)
  • Club Management Liability (coverage for financial risks of the club / committee)
  • Asset Protect (base level property contents cover at your declared location – excluding SA/NT)
  • Personal injury insurance (cover for participant and volunteer injury claims with 4 options available for clubs – bronze, silver gold or platinum)
  • Quadriplegia & paraplegia events up to $1 million 

Action required: All clubs need to register online at the Marsh Sport Website and complete the Risk Management module each year to obtain their Public Liability insurance Certificate of Currency. In addition, clubs should review the information, forms and documents on the Marsh website (and recommend that the Club’s participants also review this information) to consider any additional insurance needs in respect of upgrading: 

  • The Club’s Personal Injury level of cover (4 options to help cover costs associated with the injuries to players & volunteers);
  • The level of cover for Loss of Income for its players; and
  • Asset Protect level of coverage (coverage for your club contents & assets) 

For more information on the Australian Football National Risk Protection Program, including forms & documents, how to upgrade your coverage, how to make a claim, FAQs, contact details etc. visit the Marsh Sport Website (National Risk Protection Program).

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Financial Management

Explore financial management essentials for local football clubs, from budgeting, role of treasurer, to effective reporting, ensuring fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
Section 1

Role of the Treasurer

Whilst the Treasurer & Club President will spend more time assessing the financial health of the club, the whole Committee need to take an active role in monitoring the financial health of the club.  

Getting a diligent Treasurer who understands modern practices when it comes to preparing and reporting on the club budget, cashflow & balance sheet is important. They should not be the only Committee rep with access to the bank accounts for complete oversight and accountability. Having multiple representatives with oversight of the transactions is also a requirement for insurance coverage within the Club Management Liability policy provided by Marsh as part of the National Risk Protection Program.
 

 

Section 2

Financial Reporting

All football clubs need sound practices for regulating and recording financial transactions.

The treasurer is responsible for reporting the financial status of the club to the committee on a regular basis and comparing the financial performance with the budgeted performance. Make sure all bank accounts held by the club are regularly presented to the committee. e.g., senior account, junior account, events account and ensure these are reported in the club financial reports. 
 

Section 3

Accounting Stationery 

An online accounting system suiting not-for-profit organisations is highly recommended. Examples to consider include – Xero, quickbooks, TidyHQ etc. The size and complexity of a club will influence what is finally put in place.
Section 4

Budget

All clubs should have a budget as it underpins all club activities and plans, in the short and long term. Your sports club budget (financial plan/forecast) is a tool to help your club manage money and plan for a healthy future. 

The treasurer is responsible for developing a budget for the club in consultation with the relevant committees.

Writing a club budget doesn’t have to be complicated. One way to create the budget is to compare your actual income and costs to what you budgeted or use last year's figures. The budget is simply a plan that’s been expressed in money terms and is usually prepared for one year in advance. A budget will show: 

  • How much income your club expects to receive during the next financial year (income)
  • How much your club expects to spend in the next financial year (expense)
  • The predicted surplus (profit) or deficit (loss) for the budget period 
Section 5

Income

A club’s income is the money received by the club. A club’s income can come from: 

  • Registration fees
  • Canteen sales
  • Grants
  • Gate takings
  • Fundraising
  • Merchandise sales
  • Sponsorship 
     
Section 6

Expenses

A club’s expenses can be defined as the amount of money that is spent by the club. Club expenses can include: 

  • Insurance and affiliation
  • Ground hire
  • Footballs and other equipment
  • Event costs
  • Medals and trophies
  • Uniforms and merchandise
  • Utilities (electricity, water etc.) 
     
Section 7

Preparing your budget 

When preparing the club’s annual budget, the treasurer should lead the process. However, they will require input from others, like club committee members, equipment managers, coaches, trainers, and canteen managers. 

The easiest way to prepare your budget is by basing it on the income and expenditure of the previous year. 

Start by reviewing last year’s income and consider any changes in income for the current year like: 

  • Is your income level expected to be similar?
  • Is income reducing or are there new income streams?
  • Have council rates increased?
  • Is the club expecting any unusual/ one-off income / expenditure this year
  • Remember to be careful in budgeting excessively for income that may not happen! 

The club’s development or strategic plan should also be examined to identify any additional sources of income and major areas of expenditure associated with the coming year. The budget is then drawn up outlining when money can be spent and when it should be held in reserve to cover future payments. The budget should be reported monthly at committee meetings and annually at the club’s AGM.
 

Section 8

Annual Financial Report

A statement of income and expenditure and a statement of assets and liabilities are the principal components of the annual financial report to be adopted by members at AGM.

These statements show the profitability and financial position, as well as the net worth, of the club after the year’s activities and should include comparisons to the previous year’s figures to assist the members in determining any area of significant change between periods. 

The report is based on the receipts and the payments, which have been summarised in the cashbooks. 

Annual income and expenditure statement shows how much money the club has made or lost over the year. The statement is based on figures recorded in the cashbook and is normally prepared by your club’s treasurer and verified by the auditor. 
Annual statement of assets and liabilities is a statement of what the club owns and what it owes, the difference between the two being the net worth or accumulated funds of the club. 

If the club is incorporated under state/territory legislation, it is required to lodge a return (copy of the annual accounts) at the appropriate state/territory authority. 

Depending on the range of systems used, the club treasurer may need to oversee multiple systems. The more systems in the place, the higher the workload for the Treasurer and the more chance of errors. At some clubs, Club Treasurers may need to monitor the following: 

  • Cheque books
  • A numbered receipt book with carbon copy page
  • A file for accounts payable
  • A file to store receipts from accounts paid
  • Bank deposit books
  • A cash book or a general ledger
  • Account forms for members' subscriptions
  • File of orders placed with suppliers
  • A file to store bank statements
  • A petty cash payment voucher/book

Financial Management Templates:
Annual Budget Template
Monthly Budget Report Template
 

Annual budget template Monthly budget report template
Section 9

Templates for your club operations

Committee Meeting Templates:

 

AGM / Annual Report Templates:

 

Senior & Junior Club – MOU Agreement:

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Planning

Making some time for planning is imperative to a successful & sustainable club.
Section 1

Vision Statement

Establishing a Vision Statement helps the club articulate its aspirations. An ambitious statement about what the club wants to be to help inspire current (& prospective) people associated with the club.
Section 2

Mission Statement

Clubs should either have a Mission Statement in place (that needs to be reviewed from time to time) or would benefit from establishing a Mission Statement to help guide decisions by the Club.
Section 3

Establishing Club Values

The values set the tone and direction for the whole club so it’s important to involve a range of stakeholders including club members, club committee, parents and club alumni during the development phase.
Section 4

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is useful for guiding day-to-day decisions, and for evaluating progress and changing approaches when moving forward. It helps by identifying goals and objectives and developing ways of achieving them. Download Template:
Strategic Planning Template
Section 5

Planning Process & Stages

The club committee needs to consider planning for the short and long term. Short-term planning relates to planning for specific events of up to 12 months, whereas long-term planning involves a longer period, between 12 months and five years. A strategic plan is considered a long-term plan.
Section 6

Club Constitution

A club constitution (club rules) is a legal document outlining how a football club operates, including governance structures, member rights, and decision-making processes. Recommended actions & templates vary in each state/territory. These guidelines can be found in the below documents.
Club Constitution - Victoria
Section 7

SWOT Analysis

Clubs seeking a simple, yet effective solution should first consider conducting a “SWOT” analysis. (Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats) with simple actions established following this analysis. Some templates are provided to help.

The AFL strongly recommend that clubs complete the simple modules developed by the Australian Sports Commission through their Game Plan. Work through the modules one at a time to give you guidance to what you focus on as your highest priority.

Download Template
Section 8

Season Long Planning

The following season long calendar can assist the Committee with planning for the key tasks that need to be completed.

Learn how you can plan and promote a themed round, including Big Freeze Community Round, or Community Umpiring Week.

Please note, different States and Territories may have rules and requirements imposed by different authorities around holding events on ANZAC Day. Any queries on this from clubs or leagues can be directed to your AFL State and Territory governing body.

Download Season Planner Calendar Template Guide to Community Themed Rounds

Grants

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS

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