AFL Barwon’s decision to move away from AFL Victoria’s Regional Administrative Centre (RAC) model has proven to be the catalyst for the governing body of Australian Football in the state to abolish the more than decade-long system.
Introduced following the Peter Jackson Report of Country Football in Victoria in 2011, the RACs were established in most major towns across the state’s regional areas.
AFL Victoria has announced, under what it has labelled the RAC Directional Strategies Project, that the remaining RACs – AFL South East, AFL North East Border, AFL Barwon, AFL Central Victoria and AFL Goulburn Murray – will join AFL Barwon in transitioning to self-management.
“Whilst the philosophy of a RAC had broad support at the time, many RAC models have experienced financial and functional challenges in recent years, resulting in the dissolution of six RACs; AFL Sunraysia, AFL Gippsland, AFL Goldfields, AFL Western District, AFL Central Murray and AFL Wimmera Mallee, with leagues under those six RACs returning to self-management,” AFL Victoria said in a statement.
“As the role of AFL Victoria has evolved with a focus on game development and participation outcomes rather than administration, the role of a Region Manager has diversified, and the effectiveness of RAC models have been closely monitored.
“Through the RAC Directional Strategies Project, strategies to guide individual regions’ RAC direction will be explored in collaboration with the relevant leagues to ensure a seamless transition, a task already completed in the six regions mentioned above.”
AFL Barwon last week announced it was cutting ties with AFL Victoria, and advertised for a chief executive officer to become the new head of local football and netball across the region.
AFL Victoria conceded “that the concept of RACs as initially proposed in 2011 has not been fully realised based on an inability to consolidate football management, finances and governance in some regions,” the statement continued.
“Challenges experienced by leagues under the RAC model include inconsistent improvement in operational efficiency, unrealistic expectations on operational staff, community confusion around roles and responsibilities and limitations to league abilities to strategically progress.
“These challenges are contributing factors to the directional change, in addition to a recognition that the risk profile for RAC Company Directors is significant and unnecessary given the voluntary nature of the roles.”
AFL Victoria stated that it will continue to direct funding to each region, which will be overseen by the Region Manager, currently Lisa Patterson, in the case of AFL Barwon.
“… whose primary focus going forward will be region growth, strategy and support for community football, rather than administration.
“AFL Victoria also recognises the importance of operational staff employed in RACs and the opportunities that will be created for them under the reformed administrative models.”
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