Morawa Football Club has a promising future despite struggling to survive just three years ago, thanks to the development of a future directions plan that has generated new passion among its members.
In 2008, Morawa Football Club was having major problems surviving and getting the local support it needed to go forward both on and of the ground. With this in mind it was decided that a plan was needed for the club.
In July/August 2008 WAFC Club Development Manager Glen Morley was invited to Morawa to help put the plan together.
Representatives of all winter sports in the area were also invited to the planning meeting, along with local government representatives and any community members who were interested, as it was felt they all needed to be involved.
Some key problems were:
- Lack of volunteers.
- Financial survival/running costs of the club.
- Poor player numbers, seniors mainly, so if the school holidays were on and the Ag College was closed senior teams struggled to get players on the field.
- No social members and only 31 playing members, not good when trying to field two senior teams and two junior teams each weekend.
- The league team had been on the bottom of the ladder for about five years and getting belted most weekends.
- The football club’s image within the community, which at the time was very poor and was keeping people away from the club.
- Rural economic climate had not been good over this period.
Once the plan was completed and endorsed by the club the whole organisation started to turn around:
- Volunteers still an issue, but at least all positions on the committee were filled and each committee member was given a role; they have mostly embraced this.
- The club is now very financial and continues to fundraise and attract sponsors, also more control of funds.
- Good player numbers now as young locals have been attracted back to the club with real thought and process regarding the club’s coaches over the last three seasons.
- The club has no paid players with all those playing in the league team having a connection to Morawa work or family. Over 120 members and 120 people attended the club’s trophy night.
- League team won premiership in 2011, pictured, Reserves R/U 2011, Little league premiers 2011, first league premiership in 15 years.
- The football club is now a leader within the town insofar as fundraising for the new function rooms and change rooms at the oval, and has developed a great relationship with the local police with the Belt Up campaign.
- Also having all those volunteers who work behind the bar put through their RSA training which is ongoing now with plans to do a course each year driven by the club for the town. The club also works hard on promoting the ‘don't drink and drive’ message.
- Football, hockey and netball all work very closely now as both the ladies sports are very aware of the future directions plan. It is hoped to have a plan in place for both these sports in 2012.
- Rural economy is now a little more stable and mining is bringing some contracting firms to town.
The club revisits the plan at least four times during the season to keep on track and so far so good. There is still a lot of improvement and targets to achieve, but as a sporting community everyone believes that this plan saved the football club and winter sport in Morawa.
The club is about to go over the plan again and reset all the club’s targets for the next three years.
One major highlight that has come out of this plan is, “target the right people and these people reach the right targets and want to achieve more for the club”.
The club will never reach the great heights of the past, but with this plan and the passion which it has created, the future looks promising.
For a copy of Morawa FC Future Directions document click the following link - Morawa Future Directions Plan.
For more information please contact:
Cameron Knapton
WACFL General Manager
Office: 08 9287 5593
Mobile: 0419 198 802
Milton Milloy
WACFL Executive
Mobile: 0427 711 168
