CEO Update March 2022

2022 has been a busy but exciting time for football in readiness for a season that ensures to be like no other. 

Like many West Australians our Club has been widely affected by the recent COVID outbreak. We have had a number of players contract COVID and/or been close contacts. On average we have 6-10 players and staff missing form training. 

I would like to commend our Football Department lead by Warren Parker for their professionalism and commitment to ensuring all players and staff are safe and adhering to COVID protocols as set out by WA Health and the WAFC. We send those who are currently sick or in isolation our best wishes and look forward to them being back at the Club soon.

Our staff are working with the WA Health Department and the WAFC to ensure our match days adhere to all current COVID restrictions. Once we have an understanding of spectator numbers, attendee requirements etc, we will communicate this to all our members and fans.

Our Season Opener will be against Swan Districts on Good Friday. Playing on Good Friday was not our first choice, we did request to play on Saturday. The WAFC granted the Saturday fixture to Subiaco, despite Subiaco originally wanting to play Friday. 

We acknowledge the religious views of our supporters who oppose us playing on Good Friday, however with Saturday not being an option, Easter Sunday and Monday were not viable either. 

Our Senior Squad has been training hard in readiness for 2022. The boys have been training 3 nights a week with an additional boxing session on Saturday mornings lead be Nathan Brooks. The list is fit leading into our three preseason games over the next three weeks.

Our young list looks fitter and stronger than ever. Christian Ameduri looks impressive on the back of his FD Book Medal winning season in 2021. Scott Jones and Nick Robertson have been able to complete full pre-seasons and look full of run, whilst Jackson Ramsay has re-joined the main group after a knee clean up in the off season in readiness for Round 1.

Of our recruits, hard running lead up forward Tom Medhat is training well, Kyle Hammersley has impressed the group with his kicking ability and Hamish Brayshaw has fitted into the group seamlessly. Gordon Narrier has shown us his ability and is an exciting forward prospect this season.

Our Rogers Cup youth girls are showing great signs of improvement over the first three games of the season with their reward for effort not far away.

The Colts and Futures programs are in full swing at Altone Park. There are plenty of positive signs not only for this season but for years to come.

The news of the AFL ‘top up’ lists has been a hot topic the past week. It is an exciting opportunity for our players who are selected and deserving recognition of their talents and effort. Any of our players selected in these lists will be terrific ambassadors for the Club. 

A tremendous achievement accomplished by the WAFC is the new broadcast agreement. The ground-breaking deal will offer viewers access to nearly 200 live matches across the WAFL League, Colts and Women’s competition. 

Expanded free-to-air television coverage of the WAFL will see 26 matches broadcast live and free on Channel 7, enabling viewers to watch a game each week during the home and away season, every WAFL Final, plus the Colts and Women’s League Grand Finals. All 72 WAFL League matches not shown on Channel 7 will be exclusively live and free for viewers via the AFL app or AFL on demand service.   

Additionally, in partnership with Seven West Media, every WAFL Colts game and a WAFLW League game of the week will be live streamed via the newly launched Streamer platform.  

This provides our members and supporters unprecedented access to East Perth matches especially for those who live in the country, interstate and overseas. 

To compliment this, the landmark broadcast and live streaming model will be backed by an expanded marketing campaign and upgrades to the WAFL App. 

It will also provide the WAFC and WAFL Clubs access to state-of-the-art technology to increase engagement with WAFL fans across digital and social media platforms.  

In recent weeks I have had discussions with our Past Players and Officials Association and Lotons Club, two of East Perth’s coterie groups. 

I would like to acknowledge the services of retiring Presidents Trevor Gibson and Bruce McLean, PP&OA and Lotons respectively, for their many years of service. Thank you also to the many committee people who have stepped down as well. 

Thank you to Alan Hall and Peter Kift for taking up the President roles for these two groups. If you would like to join these Coterie groups, please contact the Club.

I look forward to seeing you at the footy soon and taking part of a big year for the black and blue in 2022!

Dean Turner
CEO