Club Development
What is Club Development?
Club development is all about improving how a club operates and ensures its long-term success.
It focuses on several key areas:
- Membership Growth: Bringing in new members and keeping current ones engaged
- Training and Education: Providing opportunities for members to learn and grow
- Facilities and Infrastructure: Making sure the club has the right space and resources for its activities
- Financial Management: Managing the clubs budget to keep things running smoothly
- Community Engagement: Building strong connections with the local community
- Governance and Leadership: Ensuring the club has strong leadership and clear decision-making
- Marketing and Communication: Getting the word out and keeping everyone informed
By focusing on these areas, clubs can run more efficiently, attract more members and make a bigger impact.
WA Football provides a suite of information and resources to clubs to assist in these areas.
The Club Development & Volunteers Team distributes circulars to clubs as a means of distributing relevant and useful information.
Relevant circulars are available below
Circular CD&V 25-01 Season Update - The Club Development & Volunteers Team are excited to deliver a wide range of programs, initiatives and events to Metro Junior Football Clubs in 2025.
Circular CD&V 25-02 - Working with Children Check - There are certain steps clubs can take to ensure they are compliant with Working with Children legislation. This document explains these requirements in relation to football.
Circular CD&V 25-04 Champion Club Launch - WA Football has launched the Champion Club program, a state-wide initiative aimed at strengthening club governance, improving volunteer management, and enhancing operational effectiveness across community football.
Circular CD&V 25-06 - You Volunteer Program - WA Football has partnered with Duke of Ed to help increase youth volunteering in sport by linking Duke of Ed participants with volunteering opportunities in community football clubs.
To assist community football clubs, WA Football provide a series of forums and webinars to assist club committees to develop and grow.
New Presidents and Vice Presidents Forum
To assist new Presidents and Vice Presidents a forum was held in February to provide valuable information to support them in their roles. The forum also provided an opportunity for President and Vice Presidents to connect
2025 New Presidents & Vice Presidents Forum
Working with Children and Safeguarding in Football
To assist clubs in meeting their legislative and obligatory requirements, a circular was sent to all clubs outlining what steps they should take to be compliant. To support this document, a webinar was held with guest speakers from the Working with Children Screening Unit and SportWest True Sport program.
Working with Children and Safeguarding in Football Webinar
Circular CD&V 25-02 - Working with Children Check
Participants submitted questions throughout the webinar. Responses to these questions can be found at:
Themed Round Toolkits have been developed to support clubs in hosting WA Football led and other optional themed rounds throguhout the season. These toolkits contain relevant information and resources and are aimed at reducing volunteer burden.
Anzac Day Toolkit - Anzac Day celebration is an optional round for football clubs. Although there is no obligation, clubs my like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to the sacrafice of servicemen and women and celebrate the Anzac spirit.
In 2024 the AFL entered into a partnership with Telstra who have committed $8 million in funding over four years to community football clubs across Australia. This equates to $2 million a year across the country with a designated amount allocated to WA each year.
The Telstra Footy Country Grants is designed to financially assist initiatives that can support community clubs to strengthen the base and secure the future in three key areas:
- Grow and assist volunteer capacity
- Grow and diversify participation
- Improve club environment and experiences
To ensure maximum uptake by clubs and to assist in ensuring the application process is as easy as possible, the grants are offered over four consecutive rounds and are administrated at a state/territory level. Recommendations are made by the state/territory administrators to the board with the objective of supporting as many clubs as possible through the program.
To find out more about how to apply for a Telstra Footy Country Grant, check out the toolkit then the grants page on Play.AFL.
The WA Football Champion Club Program is an exciting opportunity for clubs to enhance its governance and club development practices and gain recognition. By meeting key requirements, your club will stand out as a leader in the football community and have the potential to attract new players, officials, and sponsors.
This program is not just about meeting requirements – it’s about creating a quality environment that boosts your club’s reputation, engages your community, and sets the foundation for long-term success.
To find out more, visit WA Football Champion Club Program
Coming soon