AFL New Zealand Annual Report 2020

2020

ANNUAL REPORT Year Ended 31 October 2020

The New Zealand Women’s Premiership kicked off in February 2020.

Chairman’s Report Resilience is an important characteristic within the sporting landscape and during the past year most sporting organisations were significantly tested.

AFL New Zealand was no exception. Faced with the head winds of the pandemic, our staff, government agencies and key stakeholders provided the platform to enable us to successfully bridge through this period.

There were great sacrifices; our people were locked in their homes on reduced hours and wages. All to ensure our organisation not only survived but could emerge structurally intact. Our people are to be commended.

The Board also played their role. The frequency of its meetings was increased from every two months to a fortnightly schedule. The Board was focused and resolute and to a person made a genuine commitment. My personal thanks to the all the members of the Board for their contribution.

Looking ahead now with more certainty, we have no doubt the phenomenon and growth of AFLW will become an even more important topic on the AFL New Zealand agenda.

was notable. Their efforts to, in particular, deliver more AFL broadcast content was most helpful. More matches shown on TV was invaluable, generating a higher level of awareness throughout New Zealand.

Which in turn all helps drive better financial outcomes for AFL New Zealand.

In closing, we are so thankful to our staff, our partners, the broader AFLNZ community and all of our stakeholders that continue to support us and importantly stand up when it matters.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Our key objectives through this period were to ensure our staff were okay and had employment as we emerged, while at the same time minimising our financial exposure. Working closely with our key stakeholders and government agencies was also a critical part of our bridging strategy.

Our financial performance in 2020, although indicating a substantial profit of $109K, includes a significant contribution made by the New Zealand Government and Sport New Zealand. The Partner Relief Fund and Government Wage Subsidy Scheme were direct responses by the government to Covid 19 and its ongoing effects on National Sporting Organisations within New Zealand. Without these contributions the outcome may well have been different.

The Wage Subsidy Scheme had a focus on the retention of staff through its support and we were incredibly pleased to be able to maintain our experienced and committed administration team.

The funding relief received in the current financial year will assist in mitigating a forecast loss of $80K for the upcoming 2020-2021 financial year, directly affected by a $75K reduction from our major funding partner, the AFL, who themselves faced unprecedented obstacles. While their direct contribution was reduced, the increased level of operating support from the AFL

Looking ahead now with more certainty, we have no doubt the phenomenon and growth of AFLW will become an even more important topic on the AFL New Zealand agenda. The incredible success of the women’s game has increased the requirement for the development of elite talent and provided a meaningful platform to accelerate the active development of sporting opportunities for females across Australia and New Zealand. We believe we are well placed as an organisation to execute into this space. New Zealand outperforms in so many sporting environments and there is no reason why we cannot develop programs and in turn athlete’s, that materially shape the growth, opportunity and talent depth of the AFLW competition.

Board Directors Andrew Sloman and Garry Carnachan both departed the AFL New Zealand Board during the year.

With their tenures of 7 and 8 years respectively, their experience in risk and finance and governance will be sadly missed. We can’t thank them enough for the years of intelligent contribution that has helped fundamentally shape, AFL New Zealand.

We welcome Chris Brooks on board as a new Director. Chris has spent the last five years in his role as Chief Executive of Regional Facilities Auckland, with his portfolio including Mt Smart, Western Springs & North Harbour Stadiums.

I will be handing over the role as Chair of AFLNZ at the AGM this year however, we believe while revitalisation is vital, continuity is also important. This will see me remain on the Board of Directors for another period. It has been a great pleasure to have had the chance to be involved with AFL New Zealand.

Bernard Saundry will be replacing me as Chair. Bernard is resident in New Zealand, has a strong sporting administration pedigree and will do a exceptional job in the role as Chair. Currently Chief Executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Bernard also enjoys a constructive working relationship with the AFL having been a previous CEO of the Western Bulldogs.

We certainly wish Bernard all the best in his new role and I have no doubt he will complement the incredible work that is done by our staff and in particular our tireless CEO Rob Vanstam.

Like so many other businesses as they emerge from this troubling period, we have some real work to do. To succeed in 2021 we will need to broaden our model and engineer new revenue streams. We are however up for the challenge and the work is already well under way.

Michael Nettlefold AFL New Zealand Chairman

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Chief Executive Officer Report International competition and representation has long been a successful driver for AFL within New Zealand. The pride in the Silver Fern has ensured that AFL can compete and provide great experiences to measure alongside traditional sporting codes.

Now with the current challenges all sport faces on the international stage, an increased focus on providing quality opportunities within domestic competitions, programmes and formats, will be required.

...an increased focus on providing quality opportunities within domestic competitions, programmes and formats, will be required.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Out of crisis comes opportunity and the commencement of the Christchurch 9s, Auckland AFL Women’s and the second year of the Wellington AFL Women’s competition, are examples of the changing face of the sport around the country.

With the hiatus of top end pathways and events delivered by AFL New Zealand during 2020, this could be viewed as an opportunity. An added reliance on local community to instigate and grow the code in a variety of local or regional formats is now well supported by funding mechanisms instigated by the NZ Government.

The Tu Manawa Active Fund, is new to the sporting landscape and replaces the entrenched Kiwisport Funding initiative that has been in place for the past 8 years. It is a direct response by the NZ Government to the effects of Covid 19 on community sport within New Zealand.

Navigation around access to the newly developed fund will provide challenging but it will be essential to the growth of AFL in New Zealand.

Prior to Covid lock down in March 2020, we were lucky enough to host the Red Tails touring team to compete against an AFLNZ Premiership selection. The Red Tails clubs main aim apart from participating in the Northern Territory Football League competition, is to create a team that gives strong healthy pathways in behaviour, job readiness programs, healthy living and bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through the Right Tracks Program.

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The Redtails from Alice Springs toured NZ in March, 2020.

Women’s footy took a huge leap forward in 2020

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Their tour follows on from successful indigenous tours of New Zealand by Port Adelaide and AFL Woomeras and Flying Boomerangs in previous years. It is quality partners such as the Red Tails and their associated women’s team, the Pink Tails who provide the best opportunity for the games development moving forward.

The AFL New Zealand Women’s Premiership competition tripled its scheduled matches from 2019 for the 2020 season. Following the truncation of the AFLNZ Premiership in March 2020, the men’s and women’s competitions had rescheduled Grand Final dates in October and December. The result, a testament to the resilience of the staff, volunteers and participants, to conclude the season on a high note.

The accompaniment of cancellation of AFL New Zealand Academy & Mornington Tours, Melbourne Senior Falcons & Under 18’s tours as well as the International Cup scheduled for the Sunshine Coast in August, once again added to the need for innovative responses to the crisis.

The AFL New Zealand High Performance Awards were presented virtually for the first time with the winners provided with the opportunity to speak to a considerably larger online attendance than when presenting in person. This was followed by online Coaching platforms, the release of online AFL KiwiKick and an increase in member support through online forums.

All proved as successful communication additions.

In October 2020, the AFL New Zealand Youth Competition expanded its venues despite lock down pressures with Waitakere, North Harbour joining centres at Central Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Kiwisport project initiatives were closely attached to all centres and the alteration of time frames agreed to in conjunction with our Regional Sports Trusts partners, assisted greatly.

Movement forward and the opening of two new centres proceeded, regardless of the limited recruitment time in schools required to populate these projects due to Covid.

AFL New Zealand governance reached new levels of excellence during trying times. Lead by Chair Michael Nettlefold, the board increased meetings to weekly, then fortnightly during the initial stages of mounting financial and risk assessment requirements. The organisation maximised its opportunities for financial support and relief by carefully navigating Government Wage Subsidy and IRD requirements.

The AFL, as our parent organisation, faced massive challenges with the organisation forced into a position where up to 80% of its staffing were stood down for varying periods of time to enable its transition through Covid. The impact on constituents was far reaching and funding cuts followed in alignment with the situation.

The AFL broadcast team acted immediately and increased the support along with broadcast partners Fox and SKY Sport, with New Zealand receiving up

to 6 live games a week. Our community has the ability to watch AFL at the elite level and at the same time it raises the awareness of the sport to newcomers. The levies received from NZ Racing increased accordingly to soften the blow of funding reductions in other areas.

Class 4 gaming support also felt the pressure of limited income due to the forced closure of may gaming establishments during the Covid period.

The impact of support from Foundation North, Auckland City Council and our largest corporate sponsor AV Jennings, has never been more important.

Sport New Zealand Partner support fund and an increase to the Annual Partnership fund, had a profound impact on the organisation. The agreement of staff to lessen hours during the lockdown was commendable and resilient. The financial support provided by Sport New Zealand allowed the maintenance and return of staff to a fulltime capacity.

Looking ahead, I am heartened by the completion of the inaugural AFL New Zealand Women’s Premiership Draft and the advancement of domestic competitions around the country. I thank board, staff and the community for their contributions and bring on 2021.

Robert Vanstam AFL New Zealand CEO

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2020 commenced with high hopes, targeting the biggest year since the inception of the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programme. Fanastic support provided by the Regional Sport Trusts through the KiwiSport initiative, secured the largest amount of funding in one year in the school space.

Unfortunately in a world affected by Covid-19 pandemic, access to our potential junior participation base became nonexistent between March and September.

Once the government moved out of lock down phases, AFL New Zealand and our partnering schools continued with a safe approach. Re-entry into schools, rescheduling delivery dates and cancellations became a regular feature of the challenges to kick start the program following a lengthy hiatus.

With limited timeframes now available to schools and an ever increasing back log of other sporting programs facing similar challenges, we can be quite proud of efforts and perseverance.

Using Facebook modules, schools and teachers were invited to join the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick online page

ensures that everyone who participates is confident and competent with the use of these newly developed skill sets. Qualified AFL KiwiKick coaches deliver focused and fun sessions during school hours and afterschool, with each child receiving between 1 - 8 sessions of coaching.

on from these sessions the children then have access to an after school programme that takes place within the school grounds directly after school.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Outside of this time frame we still managed to provide 29,038 personal experiences to 13,301 participants. Although we provided fewer personal experiences than in the previous year, we In fact, saw 824 more participants in 2020 than we did in 2019.

In considerations of the challenges faced during lockdown it pleasing to know we created opportunities to introduce AFL to new children.

The AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programme teaches children not only the fundamental movement skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce but also stability and locomotive movement skills, with an aim to encourage all participants involved to be Active For Life by following Sport New Zealand “Physical Literacy” approach.

AFL New Zealand will continue with these programmes, as they deliver on key outcomes that encourage children to live healthy lifestyles through sport.

Through the assistance of KiwiSport a number of projects have assisted AFL New Zealand in increasing the exposure of the sport to local youth. Many participants have now completed the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programmes over the 10 years since the projects inception and progressed on to play in the AFLNZ Youth Competition for both Boys and Girls aged 12 to 17.

A majority of the projects involve 4 to 6 sessions during school time. Following

Participants are provided with easy access in a familiar setting and this also provides parents with the opportunity of attending.

It is great to see that Boys and Girls aged 10 to 12, now have further opportunities, by way of the AFL New Zealand Youth Competition, with a continuing focus on skill development, a love for the game and a continuation of their AFL pathway.

The AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programme also encourages teachers to be involved in the sessions, professional development and provided online resources . The teachers learn how to deliver AVJennings AFL KiwiKick sessions and control games of AFL. This will ensure that children can continue to be active sporting participants utilising the teachers newly developed

Physical literacy is “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding required by participants that allows them to value and take responsibility for engaging in physical activity and sport for life”. In conjunction with Sport New Zealand, AFL New Zealand will look to support and promote this concept of physical literacy by actively seeking out ways to align and deliver this philosophy.

The fundamental movements are invaluable for a wide variety of sports and the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programme

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“Kick, Catch, Pass, Bounce.”

Case Study Red Beach AFL KiwiKick Centre

AFL KiwiKick continues to grow in the regions. skills following the departure of AFL New Zealand coaches associated with the programme.

During Covid-19 lockdown periods, school contact became non-existent, and innovation was required to ensure AVJennings AFL KiwiKick Programmes could still be available to students and teachers. This saw the introduction and implementation of AVJennings AFL KiwiKick online module units.

Each lesson of the programme consists of:

•

• •

Warm Up: A fun game or activity to get participants active

Skill Practice: Simple activities that involve the basic skills in AVJennings AFL KiwiKick such as catching, kicking and handballing etc.

Skill Game: Fun games that incorporate the skills previously practiced in the session.

As part of a multi-sport project in partnership with Harbour Sport Regional Sports Trust, AVJennings AFL KiwiKick delivered 2 introductory sessions to 543 students.

As part of the project, AFLNZ then offered the after school programme, in which 14.5% of the school’s role signed up to for 6 weeks.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Using Facebook modules, schools and teachers were invited to join the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick online page and were presented with seven modules units for them to learn, supporting them with through delivery of the programme, implemented by themselves. Schools where also provided with resources kits, including AFL KiwiKick footballs to compliment delivery on their own. Each unit, contained information on how each lesson will look, with teaching points (both Video and PDF) for the associated skills.

•

Zealand leaves the school. A highlight of the Online Programme was an online video session conducted using Zoom video conferencing to the year 7 and 8 students at Glenbrook school. The students then used these online tools and delivered the AFL KiwiKick programme to the Glenbrook Junior school.

The AVJennings AFL KiwiKick programme has been a stunning success at Red Beach School on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast.

Over 79 students have eagerly taken up the opportunity to learn the fundamental movement skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce.

Fun Game: Usually a fun game to finish off the session, not necessarily based on the skill

The continuation of the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick Online programme has come a great resource outside of lockdown period and provides extra support to teachers with comprehensive guidance on the teaching and delivery of lesson plans after AFL New

To ensure sustainability, every school involved with the AVJennings AFL KiwiKick Pathway programme receives a resource kit to assist with ongoing activity. A combination of newly acquired teaching skills through the coaching accreditation process , online tools and the resource kit ensures that students can continue to play AFL.

The resource kit includes AFL KiwiKick Coaching manuals. This feature detailed diagrams of skills, games and lesson plans, this combined with the AFL KiwiKick online modules providing teachers and volunteer coaches with all the information they need to successfully run AFL KiwiKick sessions.

The support of Sport New Zealand, Aktive Sport and Recreation, Regional Sporting Trusts and Community Trust organisations has been invaluable in not only providing seeding funding and the opportunity to showcase our sport to new schools and participants, but also with all the support during changing times we have faced through the Covid-19 pandemic. AFL New Zealand will continue to work with these organisations to ensure the outcomes targeted by AVJennings AFL KiwiKick continue to fall into alignment with local communities.

Reg Ranchhod AFL New Zealand General Manager

Each week, the students were taught the fundamental skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce. In addition to the sessions, every participant involved with the centre receives a back pack and football to ensure that unstructured play is available to them beyond the weekly sessions.

“The field was absolutely buzzing with the turnout of students and it was fantastic to see children getting involved and being active in a sport that was new for most of them. They proudly wore their bags to school and used their footballs during breaks to build on these skills. It really was a fantastic experience for the students and they were thrilled to be involved. We were very grateful for this opportunity and if it came up again we would jump at the chance to be included.” - Annemarie Everiss, Room 13 Teacher.

“It is very encouraging to see the continued strong interest in the AFL KiwiKick programme and in particular for the recent session at Red Beach School where there were 79 participants.

AVJennings looks forward to the continued growth of AFL in New Zealand and at the grassroots level, the delivery of the essential skills through the AFL KiwiKick Programme”. - Stephen Webster, Project Director AVJennings

“The AFL KiwiKick programme at Red Beach School has been great. The coaches teach the students fundamental skills and make it fun along the way. Can highly recommend.” - Ross Wilson, Parent.

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AFL New Zealand has diversified the programmes available to Secondary Schools to ensure flexibility that suits the outcomes of your school and provides opportunities for students and staff to participate in all facets of AFL.

Introduction to AFL teaches AFL skills and uses modified games to reach the end product of playing a full game of AFL. The programme can be combined with junior class units of work, linked to curriculum programmes and lead into competition programmes.

AFL House Rules can be combined with a number of other AFL NZ Secondary School programmes to involve coordination by fellow students and curriculum based activities or as a selection trial for your AFL Cup team. The “Teachers versus Students” Clash is a great way to finish this fun programme.

AFL LEADERSHIP

AFL FORCE BACK

INTRODUCTION TO AFL

Each of the events within the programme has a focus on fun and looks to provide those involved with motivation to improve themselves in varying facets of skill and fitness.

Speed, agility, endurance, suppleness and hand and eye coordination, are all attributes that if provided in the right format, can inspire students to become more involved in not only participating in sport but also monitoring their own progress.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! AFL Leadership takes on the concept of students provided with leadership skills and the capability of running a tournament within their own school or at local primary and intermediate schools. Sessions focus on the elements of game understanding, coaching, umpiring and game and event management.

COACH THE COACHES

Coach the Coaches takes a look at the fundamentals of AFL and the AFL Kiwikick programme. After 6 – 8 practical structured sessions your students will assist delivery of the AFL Kiwikick programme in local Primary or Intermediate schools in your area.

AFL HOUSE RULES

The AFL House Rules Programme focuses on providing students with easy access to participate in the new and dynamic sport of AFL. The competition takes place at a venue determined by your school, most often within your own school grounds. This alleviates travel costs for the school and the participants and more importantly provides opportunities to more students beyond the elite school representative teams.

The format is a perfect for competition between classes or houses and can be played by boys, girls or in a mixed format that utilises touch, tag or tackle modifications. It’s a new fun way to get more kids, more active, more often and improve the skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce at the same time.

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This programme focuses on the two main fundamental skills of AFL, Kick and Catch.

Through a modified game participants gain an insight into the skills required for the bigger game of AFL, that can also be used as a Have a go or participation/social competition.

With the introduction of AFL Force Back through Have a go or Competition, links can be made to Secondary School AFL Cup Interschool competition and outside of school opportunities with the AFL New Zealand Youth Competition.

AFL CROSS CODE SKILL ACQUISITION

Cross Code Skill Acquisition has been developed for Secondary schools using AFL to assist with skill acquisition and development in other codes. With that in mind the programme has been designed specifically to focus on the two skills of kicking and catching.

Links can be made from Cross Code Skill acquisition for curriculum, other codes and preparation for Secondary School Interschool competition the AFL Cup and AFL New Zealand Youth pathway opportunities leading to National representation.

AFL CUP The AVJennings Saints AFL Cup is an Inter School competition for Junior (Years 9-10) and Senior (Years 11-13) students based on fundamental movement and ball skills of AFL for boys and girls.

The programme provides introductory sessions and resources presented by qualified AFL New Zealand Staff to introduce a new and dynamic sport to students. The skills of ‘Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce’ are perfectly matched to cross reference any number of sports. The 9 a side format is suitable for rugby size fields and with three reserves per team, team numbers are easy to coordinate.

GATEWAY AFL New Zealand can provide Gateway students with the perfect opportunity to gain experience within the Sports coaching industry delivering the AFL Kiwikick programme to Primary and Intermediate school students.

AFL COMBINE

The Secondary Schools AFL Combine Programme is underpinned by an exciting testing format that provides participants with the opportunity to compete in a number of skills and athletic testing.

Reg Ranchhod AFL New Zealand Schools Manager

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! The Coach the Coaches School programme saw a big uptake in 2020.

SUCCESS STORY

Secondary school programmes help to underpin Youth Competition and Adult leagues.

The funding provided by the Trust directly assists the AFL New Zealand employment team and leads to the leadership and structure required to make an impact.

take responsibility for engaging in physical activity and sport for life”. In conjunction with Sport New Zealand, AFL New Zealand will look to support and promote this concept of physical literacy by actively seeking out ways to align and deliver this philosophy throughout Auckland and Northland.

Several programmes in the AFL New Zealand pathway have grown significantly in 2020.

The AFL New Zealand Youth programme has continued to grow nationwide and is now an integral part of the annual calendar.

Through the support of Foundation North, AFL New Zealand delivered AFL KiwiKick to 13,301 Primary School children in the past 12 months.

AFL New Zealand created its Youth Competition for new players to participate in the sport of AFL.

AFL New Zealand would like to acknowledge and thank Foundation North for their continued support in the development of AFL within New Zealand.

The programme teaches children not only the fundamental movement skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce but also stability and locomotive movement skills, with an aim to encourage all participants involved to be Active For Life by following Sport New Zealand’s “Physical Literacy” approach.

Physical literacy is “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding required by participants that allows them to value and

It has a focus on improving athletes’ skills and fitness within a fun environment. This is achieved through a training, game and development programme that highlights the necessary requirements throughout the pathway.

In 2020, Auckland expanded to 3 Youth centres, with locations in North Harbour, Waitakere and Central Auckland.

The AFL New Zealand Women’s Premiership competition expanded to 3 games in 2020 as participation grows.

The female competition provides the perfect environment for girls transitioning from the Youth Competition formats to senior football and is the next step in finalising the pathway for women to participate in AFL within New Zealand.

Players were selected from:

• • • • •

Current Kahu Youth Girls

New Zealand representatives AFL New Zealand Academy

Secondary Schools AFL Cup Female Footy Frenzy events

The Female Footy Frenzy events were a starting point for those new to the game and have a strong influence on social experiences.

With the support of Foundation North, AFL New Zealand is looking forward to continuing and expanding these programmes. As a new and dynamic sport in New Zealand, AFL New Zealand is ideally placed to deliver on the outcomes specified by Foundation North.

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Regional Leagues Auckland AFL - Men

Auckland AFL - Women

Wellington AFL Men

Terrific Tigers win 2020 AAFL Premiership

Magpies win maiden Auckland Women’s AFL Premiership

Bulldogs reign supreme once again in WAFL

GOALS BEHINDS TOTAL

GOALS BEHINDS TOTAL

North Shore Tigers

14

3

87

Norwest Magpies

14

8

92

University Blues

5

4

34

Central Eastern Blues

1

0

6

The North Shore Tigers have claimed the 2020 Auckland AFL Premiership in style, putting on a stunning display of finals footy to defeat the University Blues by 53 points at North Harbour Stadium.

The Tiger’s had been the benchmark all season and were searching for their first Premiership since 2017, while the Blues were aiming for their third Premiership in a row.

The Norwest Magpies are the 2020 Auckland AFL Women’s Premiers, after a convincing win over the Central Eastern Blues.

The two sides were playing in their first Grand Final which was the culmination of a successful first season for the Women’s game in Auckland.

GOALS BEHINDS TOTAL

Eastern Bulldogs Wellington City Saints

The defending Premiers got themselves back into the game in the second quarter.

Ben Hick, Reef Bainbridge and Lachlan Salmon all had a strong quarter as the Blues kicked 3 goals to go into the half time break only 6 points down.

It was the third quarter where the Tiger’s won the game. North Shore kicked 7 goals, while holding the Blues to only 1 point for the quarter. Dale Johnson kicked 2 long range goals while small forward Josh Cunliffe was at the fall of nearly every contest.

Justin Gauci was awarded a free kick right on siren and when the ball went sailing through the middle of the goals, the Tigers were up by 47 points and the supporters erupted from the sideline.

The Tiger’s continued their momentum in the final quarter and when centre half forward Mitch Ryan kicked his third goal of the game, the Premiership was theirs.

North Shore midfielder Dale Johnson was judged the best player on the field and took home the ‘Wells Medal’ for 2020 after a strong game and 2 goals.

Dale Johnson was Best on Ground for the Tigers in the Grand Final

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Their experience was the telling factor on the day, with the Magpies players reading the play well and able to convert the final contest into short-range goals.

Jolyn Collins was exceptional along with Elena Bryham, who has had a consistent season.

For the Blues, Alice Roy was excellent again playing all around the ground.

Moana Va was physical in the ruck and had an excellent quarter playing in defence and Co-captain Luka Karalus had her best game of the season at Centre Half Back. Buell Verkade was awarded the Best on Ground after a superb performance for the Magpies.

5 1

41 19

The Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs are Premiers once again after overcoming a gallant Wellington City Saints side to win the Wellington AFL Grand Final at Hutt Park.

It was the fifth consecutive year the sides went head to head in the WAFL Grand Final.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! It was a tight first half as the Tigers and Blues were hard at the contest.

The Blues were on the board early with the first goal of the game but as they have done all season long, the Magpies were dominant all over the ground and were hard on attack.

6 3

It was a tight contest for the majority of the game but the Bulldogs controlled the game from the outset.

Former NZ Falcon, Peter Halstead had a strong game in the ruck and linked well with Stan Chung and Naitoa Ah Kuoi in the midfield.

For the Saints, Andrew Bisset and Andrew Gavaghan were their best after a well fought effort all game.

With the momentum behind them, the Bulldogs kicked on in the final term as they pulled away to claim the 21 point victory and win back to back titles.

Wellington AFL Women Wellington AFL Women’s Grand Final goes down to the wire GOALS BEHINDS TOTAL

Tigers Saints

5 2

4 1

34 13

The Tigers are the 2020 Wellington Women’s AFL champs after a hard fought win over the Saints at Hutt Park.

After seven rounds and nearly every weather condition, the Tigers and Saints turned out for the 2020 WAFLW Grand Final.

The Tigers won the inaugarul Wellington Women’s league The tone for the game was set early with both sides cracking in at the contest. The Saints had had a strong contested-ball game all season but took it to another level early on.

Sam Lightfoot was key in driving the Saints forward, and her attacking pressure was rewarded with a goal. BJ Murdoch was strong off the half back line showing her normal dash out of defence and the Tigers pushed forward The Tigers got their trademark running game going with Denise Durkin prominent in the linking handball chains and soon had the ball deep in their forward line.

Chloe Rahui just missed another shot and the Tigers went into quarter time with a one-point lead.

The second half was a great contest, with both sides well in contention and having played great footy in the first half, confidence was high in both camps. The Saints dominated territory with Tara Kerr winning the hard-ball.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

The Tigers good defensive structure, lead

by Sam McCombie, had the Saints forced into taking shots from long range. The ball was pinging between ‘the arcs’ all quarter and the Tigers took a small one point lead into the final quarter.

come from fourth to their first Grand Final since 2014.

The Tigers who had dominated in openplay all season took charge and displayed the form they had all season.

The Eagles were quick out of the blocks again as Captain Josh Robles and Coby Dodd combined to go long and find the big sticks.

Chloe Rahui had a strong last quarter around the contest and helped drive the the Tigers forward to claim a 21 point win.

Canterbury AFL Men

Eagles win Canterbury Premiership in undefeated season GOALS BEHINDS TOTAL

Mid Canterbury Eagles Eastern Blues

10 7

The Mid Canterbury Eagles have claimed the Canterbury AFL Premiership after they defeated the Eastern Blues by 28 points at Hagley Park.

14 4

74 46

The crowd was brimming with expectations to see if the fast finishing Blues could upset the fancied and undefeated Eagles like they had done to

At the bounce of the ball the Eagles centres fired up and they quickly delivered the ball to key forward spearhead Mark Orr who kicked the first goal of the game.

It was all one way traffic early on, but the Grand Final nerves settled and the Blues went into their work with Tahlor Cahill and Jay Johnson combining well around the ruck and the Blues started controlling the ball and playing it in their own fifty. They couldn’t quite find the scoreboard and the Eagles went into the quarter time break leading by 4 goals.

The Eagles were at it again early in the second quarter as Paddy Smith, Chris Morel and Luke De Roo combined down the wing for a great goal. This was quickly followed up by another goal by Mark Orr and the undefeated Eagles were running hot.

The Blues managed to reply with a couple of goals through some hard work around the ground by Jay Johnson who delivered some great ball to AFLNZ veteran James Bowden.

Throughout the season, the Eagles have blown the opposition off the paddock in the first half and then coasted through the second but the Blues backed their ability and got the first centre clearance of the second half to get themselves back in the game.

Just when the Blues started to get on top, the Eagles moved Mark Orr into the ruck and that helped steady the ship as they kicked another 3 goals.

The Eagles then controlled most of the final term and run out 28 point winners.

Aside from the early onslaught from the Eagles, the following three quarters were fairly even on the scoreboard and the inexperienced Blues really tested the more fancied Eagles to prove themselves worthy of a Grand Final flag.

Which they did convincingly in the end and find themselves in the exclusive “UNDEFEATED CLUB.” The return of the Prodigal Son Andrew Howison to the Eagles marked a significant uptick in the performance of his old club that he started with way back when he was young. His solid performance as sweeper cleaning up the mess and delivering clean ball to the forward line saw him voted as Best on Ground and awarded the 2020 Niki Dow Award. Howison played against Niki in 2009 and was very honoured to receive the award.

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High Performance The 2020 AFL New Zealand High Performance programme was severely impacted by Covid-19, which saw the cancellation and postponement of several international programmes over the past 12 months.

A disappointing result for our community that certainly worked towards these pinnacle events. The community showed great support and understanding and many changing their focus towards their local clubs and improving domestic leagues.

AFL New Zealand Academy The AFL New Zealand Academy selects its participants from the AFL New Zealand Youth Competition with the opportunity for selection to also take place from Secondary School Competitions and programmes throughout New Zealand.

Red Tails tour/ AFL New Zealand Premiership Selection We were lucky enough to host the Redtails Football Club in March as they embarked on a 5-day tour of New Zealand. The Redtails Football club aims to create a Football Club incorporating the Right Tracks Program to drive change in the community of Central Australia. Its main aim apart from participating in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) competition in Darwin is to create a team that gives strong healthy pathways in behaviour, job readiness programs, healthy living and bridging the gap between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Central Australians creating unity and pride throughout Central Australia and beyond. This team allows its players to participate only if they are employed, studying or in the Right Tracks Program. This was an exciting opportunity for NZ coaching staff to select in form players from the AFL New Zealand Premiership. Throughout the tour, High Performance staff were provided with the opportunity to develop a select number of new players and coaches who could feature in New Zealand teams in the future. Their involvement is a vital element of their development and involved reflection after the game.

The purpose of these forums is to connect, engage and develop coaches and volunteers across New Zealand.

This strengthened the community of coaches and knowledge within NZ as we look to grow the game.

The first meeting saw the current NZ Falcons coach Chris Mundell present to a group of coaches and volunteers around his coaching journey and how he formulated a blueprint for the NZ Falcons into the now postponed International Cup. Additional topics of discussion included female players, cross code skills, reflection, and coaching processes.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! The AFL New Zealand Academy improves the skills and fitness of athletes, through a training and development programme that assists athletes that in some cases, have had no previously exposure to AFL. Academy athletes will participate in skill development, athletic testing and measurement, game play and personal development to provide a pathway for them to excel in AFL. The Academy consists of three levels:

Level 1: for athletes that are new entrants to Academy and the New Zealand representative pathway (ages 13 to 15) Level 2: for athletes continuing their Academy and New Zealand representative pathway with their next step, U18 or Senior New Zealand representation (ages 15 to 17)

Youth Girls: for female athletes aged between 14 to 17 years of age, both new and continuing in the Academy and New Zealand representative pathway Further opportunities arising from the AFL New Zealand Academy include, selection into New Zealand Academy teams, New Zealand Kahu Youth Girls, AFL New Zealand National Combine selection, access to talent scouts and AFL International Scholarships.

12

The tour included a variety of cultural, football and friendship experiences and culminated in a thrilling game at North Harbour Stadium against a Premiership selection side. We look forward to future tours with Red Tails FC and hopefully alongside the women’s Pink Tails FC.

Connecting Coaches Forum

Throughout the lockdown period, AFL New Zealand engaged with coaches and volunteers from around the country and hosted a number of ‘Connecting Coaches’ forums online. The forums provided a platform for passionate AFL people to share and learn from each other.

As we look ahead to the next 12 months, High Performance will focus on strengthening and increasing domestic programmes to help develop athletes in the sport to achieve their best.

There will be increased connection between AFL New Zealand Coaching staff to assist with coach development within our community and regional subcommittees will assist in delivering quality programmes to the community.

The following High Performance Programmes were cancelled due to Covid 19 Travel restrictions;

Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League Tour of New Zealand The AFL New Zealand Academy Level 1, Academy Level 2 & Academy Youth Girls, each play two matches against the Mornington Peninsula Blue Scope Steelers who were due to return to New Zealand for the fifth year. The tour has previously held significant links to the ANZAC spirit, accentuating the links that exist between New Zealand and Australia over our histories. Those who make the Academy teams travel from all over New Zealand to compete in a four day event that includes the welcome functions, after match functions and the AFL New Zealand High Performance Awards, to compliment the scheduled matches.

AFL New Zealand Falcons Under 18 Tour The Under 18 team tours Melbourne over the ANZAC period where they played two matches against a local College and an Inter League side from the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League. The six-day trip to Melbourne, includes touring the St Kilda Football Club, attending the Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance and attending the an AFL match. The tour has been a regular part of the calendar for the past 5 years.

New Zealand Falcons vs AFL Academy The NAB AFL Australian Under-17 team comprises primarily of players who were selected as NAB AFL All-Australians at Under 16 level last year as well

as several 17-year-olds who have performed well over the year.

The open aged New Zealand team comprises of players who were recently selection in recent National League matches as well as several New Zealanders now playing in competitions in Australia. The match is scheduled to take place at Marvel Stadium as a curtain raiser to an AFL match over the ANZAC weekend and has taken place since 2012.

The contest is the centrepiece of the Falcon’s five-day trip to Melbourne, which also includes touring the St Kilda Football Club, attending the Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance and attending the ANZAC Day AFL clash between Essendon and Collingwood in front of over 90,000 passionate fans.

AFL International Cup NZ Falcons and NZ Kahu Held every three years, the 2020 AFL International Cup includes teams from North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. New Zealand were to field both a Men’s and Women’s team for the first time in the competitions history.

Teams will solely comprise of footballers who must be nationals of the country they represent. No expatriate Australians are eligible to play. A seventeen tour of Australia including 5 matches ensures that participants are treated to an amazing experience.

In 2017 there were 26 teams (18 men’s and eight women’s teams) that represented 21 different nations. Papua New Guinea won the men’s final while Ireland won the women’s final.

Georgina Gatenby High Performance and Competitions Manager

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Tristan Burnett from the Central Giants was impressive against the Redtails.

13

Ben Armstrong was selected for the AFLNZ Premiership side against the Redtails FC, after an impressive Premiership season.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Wellington Women’s AFL at Hutt Park Petone.

The 2020 AFL New Zealand Women’s Premiership was a huge success.

14

NZ Falcons Head Coach, Chris Mundell, won Coach of the year at the High Performance Awards

Northlander, Reef Bainbridge was a Rising Star recipient in 2020

Southern Saints full forward, Harley Jenkins won the 2020 Premiership Golden Boot Award

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

The Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs won back to back Wellington titles in 2020

Sam Lightfoot from Dunedin, playing in the 2020 Womne’s Premiership

2020 AFLNZ Premiers: The Southern Saints

15

AFL New Zealand Premiership The fifth season of AFL New Zealand Premiership commenced on February 9th 2020.

The AFL New Zealand Men’s and Women’s Premiership had record numbers and managed to make it halfway through the competition before having to postpone the back end of the season.

Thankfully, we were able to host both Grand Finals in October and November.

The 2020 Women’s Premiership Final was the pinnacle event on a one day Youth Festival held at North Harbour Stadium.

These rescheduled dates assisted in launching the 2021 Premiership campaign which shows great promise regarding participant numbers and an inaugural Women’s draft scheduled.

what it takes to be a successful player.

The 6 best players from each team will make up the team of the week. At the culmination of the season, AFL New Zealand announced the Premiership Team of the year which consisted of the players who have featured in the team of the week category.

Rising Star Tyrone Stubbs

NATIONAL DRAFT

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Four teams (Northern Suns, Central Giants, Western Crows and Southern Saints) compete in the Premiership Season based at North Harbour Stadium in Albany with a 8 round schedule culminating in late April.

The AFL New Zealand Premiership targets 120 talented athletes from throughout New Zealand with players allocated selection in the four teams through a retained players list and by way of the “AFL New Zealand National Draft”. The Premiership is the perfect opportunity for a higher level competition providing an extension to the traditional regional league seasons spanning between August to December each year. The seasons timing also provide the opportunities to utilise Australian based players within team selections. Players from 7 regions participate in the competition and flew into Auckland. This included over 370 flights.

The Southern Saints produced a stunning season to claim the 2020 AFL New Zealand Premiership, defeating the Western Crows by 50 points in the Grand Final, at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions , the original Grand Final date in April 2020 was postponed but with restrictions lifted, the decision was made to play a Grand Final between the top two teams on the ladder.

16

2020 Best and Fairest winner, Andrew Bisset was awarded the Best on Ground medal.

The Saints were unbeaten throughout the season as they claimed their second national title.

Rising Star Award

The AFL New Zealand Rising Star award was awarded weekly to a standout young player in the AFL New Zealand Premiership. Each week the award was allocated to those who show ability that favours the core components it takes to become an AFL Player. To be eligible to be nominated for the award, a player must be born in 2002 or younger.

2020 Rising Stars:

• • • • • •

Ryan Awatere

Reef Bainbridge Tyrone Stubbs

Ronan Morling Luke Lentner Luke De Roo

Team of the Week

Each week throughout the Premiership season, AFL New Zealand announced the ‘Team of the week’ which featurde the 24 best players from the previous weekends round. The teams were selected by the coaches of each team and targeted stand out players who show the attributes of

The AFL New Zealand National Draft will see all players placed into one of seven list categories. Highlighting the logistics of the competition and scheduling at North Harbour Stadium, the list categories are determined by age and regions throughout New Zealand. Once an initial playing list has been established, athletes have their names entered into the AFL New Zealand National Draft, enabling coaching staff from the four competing teams (Northern Suns, Western Crows, Central Giants and Southern Saints) to select their AFL New Zealand Premiership playing rosters. Ongoing talent identification carried out through local, regional and national competitions, is utilized for further additions.

Development Players The AFL New Zealand Premiership will provide a number of talented players from the AFL New Zealand Academy the opportunity to participate in the Premiership as development players.

The opportunity will be utilised to further develop and manage the environment for young players and their introduction into senior football. The preparation they receive will potentially see them drafted and playing in the 2020 AFLNZ Premiership as a full time participant.

Those announced are all born in the year 2002 and are not guaranteed to play in the premiership or play every week. High Performance management will distribute development players to team’s week to week dependant on several factors including;

• •

The players stage of development

•

Approval from AFLNZ, the participants parents and the participant

The players physical preparedness and capability

Development Players will train with the Premiership group in their region along with their Academy commitments.

Development opportunities on game day will be managed by AFL New Zealand and respective coaches this will include specific timing, rotation, opposition match ups and player review throughout the day.

WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP The Women’s Premiership takes place in conjunction with the current Men’s Premiership over 3 weekends between February and April.

The female competition will provide the perfect environment for girls transitioning from the Youth Competition formats to senior football and is the next step in finalising the pathway for women to participate in AFL within New Zealand.

Players are selected from:

• • • • •

Current Kahu Youth Girls New Zealand representatives AFL New Zealand Academy Secondary Schools AFL Cup Female Footy Frenzy events

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

The Female Footy Frenzy events will be a starting point for those new to the game and have a strong influence on social experiences.

Southern Saints defender Andrew Bisset won the 2020 Best and Fairest award

The Southern Saints were unbeaten in 2020

17

AFLNZ Regional Youth Programmes AFL New Zealand Youth Programme provides new players to participate in AFL The Youth Competition was created in 2015 to compliment the pathway for participants to excel in AFL. It has a focus on improving athletes’ skills and fitness within a fun environment. This is achieved through a training, game and development programme that highlights the necessary requirements throughout the pathway.

The programme has been developed with a focus on improving the athlete’s skills and fitness along with a training, game and development programme. It provides the necessary requirements to prepare participants in their transition from other sports and moving forward, links to club football and a lifetime of involvement with the sport.

The 2020 competition involved 31 Secondary and Intermediate schools.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! The Male and Female age grades were aligned in 2020 and included an Under 12’s, Under 14 and U17 grade to accompany the growth of the competition.

The Auckland Youth programme spread its wings in 2020, with 3 sites in the North Harbour, Auckland and Waitakere regions.

The 2020 competition involved 104 participants from 31 Secondary and Intermediate schools from the Northland, Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury regions.

18

AFL New Zealand has targeted an increase in all age groups and the regions where the competitions take place.

Participants are selected from:

• • • •

Secondary School Programmes Intermediate Programmes

Talent Identification Personnel Current Players

Tom O’Keeffe Community and Communications Manager

Kiwisport overview Kiwisport is a government funding initiative to promote sport for school-aged children.

Many thanks to:

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Kiwisport provides funding to schools for Year 1-8 students and Year 9-13 students through the Ministry of Education and Sport New Zealand who funds Regional Sports Trusts.

It aims to:

• • •

Increase the number of school-aged children participating in organised sport

Increase the availability and accessibility of sport opportunities for all school-aged children.

Support children to develop skills that enable them to participate confidently in sport.

This is managed through regional partnership funds with the Regional Sports Trusts of which there are 17 throughout New Zealand.

The target community are school aged children and it is an opportunity for sport to link with schools and to impact on this large population.

There is an acknowledgement that in secondary schools across New Zealand only 50% of the students are representing their school in sport.

This leads to more opportunities for our sport to tap into the Kiwisport fund and to make an impact on fundamental skills and with sports specific development.

AFL New Zealand over the past six years has taken up a number of opportunities to partner with other sports or to run single sport projects through the Kiwisport funding.

AFL New Zealand promotes AFL KiwiKick through the Kiwisport programme.

Kiwisport is a great opportunity for AFL to be exposed to a market of school children, teachers and the community in general and we are thankful for the support of Sport New Zealand and the Regional Sports Trusts we deal with. Sport New Zealand has announced that the successful KiwiSport Funding Initiative will be coming to an in at the end of 2020.

The Tu Manawa Active Fund is a new initiative that will engage new targets and requirement. We are looking forward to working within these criteria and furthering our relationship with Regional Sports Trusts and Sport New Zealand to provide ongoing quality opportunities to our participants.

There are a lot of young people not currently involved in sport and they are a target for this funding.

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Jordan Ridley won the Essendon Football Clubs Best and Fairest in 2020

Jasper Pittard

Connor Ballenden

Rupert Wills

Jake Patmore

Jordan Ridley

Ryan Clarke

Shane Savage

Andrew Howison

Marley Williams

On Ballers

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Max Gawn

Cameron Illet

Oskar Baker

Mark Blicavs

Rowan Marshall

Dustin Martin

Interchange

Luke Jackson Dylan Clarke

Sam Durdin

Sam Weideman

Mykelti Lefau

Toby Wooller

Callum Moore

2020 AFLNZ Heritage Team The AFL New Zealand Heritage Team was selected for 2020, showing the depth of involvement New Zealanders within AFL at the highest level.

The 2020 Heritage team boasts an exciting mix of established AFL stars such as Max Gawn from the Melbourne Football Club, Richmond Tigers star Dustin Martin, youthful talent and home grown New Zealand players..

Shane Savage, who has been selected in all seven Heritage teams believes a team representing the land of the silver fern is “not out of the question”. “One day down the track. There is a lot more work to do now. If the AFL can keep doing what it’s doing and gain more awareness with the people then it’s definitely a possibility/”

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To meet the criteria to be selected in the AFLNZ heritage team, each player must either have been born in New Zealand or have New Zealand parentage. The 2020 team consists of 19 players currently playing in the AFL week in, week out for their clubs.

The development programmes run by AFL New Zealand have a vision of AFL as a New Zealand sport. At every level of the game, from teaching schoolchildren the fundamentals through the AFL KiwiKick programme, to high performance training for athletes looking for a pathway in

sport, to regional leagues played around the country, AFL in New Zealand is on a roll. The introduction of the AFLNZ Youth Competition in 2015 was a major success in placing High School aged students on the pathway to AFL. The New Zealand Heritage Team is a reflection of the strong links that already exist between the two countries.

A passion for AFL is one of those links that is growing stronger every year.

AFL New Zealand High Performance Awards The AFL New Zealand High Performance Awards recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the very best in athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers and what they offer to the development of AFL in Aotearoa.

The scheduling of the awards for its eighth year was due to take place on April 4th. Due to COVID-19, the awards took place electronically.

Congratulations to the following award winners for 2020.

Rising Star Award Angus Hammett

•

•

From Canterbury, Angus had a strong Level 2 Academy campaign in 2019 and was awarded best on ground in game 1 after a strong performance.

Strong in stature, Hammett will continue to develop into an all round footballer.

U17 Player of the Year Kieran Charlton

•

•

U18 Player of the Year Sam Cairns

•

•

Sam captained the New Zealand U18 side during the 2019 Melbourne campaign and showed tremendous leadership both off and off the field.

Sam is determined to be apart of the New Zealand Falcons senior side and has the drive, skill and character to make it in the future.

•

Women’s Player of the Year Killarney Morey

•

Volunteer of the Year Howard Gilbert

•

Howard Gilbert has been involved in multiple roles with the University Blues Football Club in the Auckland local league for over 20 years and is the current Team Manager of the Southern Saints.

In 2019, Chris led the Western Crows to their second AFL New Zealand Premiership and guided the University Blues to back to back Premiership’s in the Auckland AFL.

•

Killarney made history as she was selected for the Eastern Allies for round 2 of the AFLW National Champs after she impressed the selectors playing for Tasmania. No NZ woman has made it that far in the organisations history.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

In May 2019, Charlton travelled to Melbourne with the U18 NZ side and played a stellar game off the halfback line. His efforts saw him receive the best on ground nod.

Kieran plays for the Eastern Blues in the Canterbury league and this young talent will continue to develop and has the potential to become a regular in the New Zealand senior side in years to come.

•

Howard has been the manager of the New Zealand Falcons since 2017 and has volunteered his time to help out with the AFL Cup Secondary Schools Competition.

Coach of the Year Chris Mundell

•

Aucklander Chris Mundell is the current Head Coach of the New Zealand Falcons after spending 3 years in an assistant role under Rob Malone.

Killarney reads the game well, has excellent skills and was named as the best for New Zealand in game 2 of the Mornington campaign last year.

Senior Men’s Player of the Year Mykelti Lefau

•

•

Mykelti plays for the Casey Demons in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was named the most improved player at the club in 2019.

He represented New Zealand for the third time against the AFL Academy at Marvel Stadium where he was named as one of their best.

2020 Award winners: Killarney Morey(Women’s Player of the Year) and Mykelti Lefau (Men’s Player of the Year).

21

Western Crows Adam Rice looks upfield

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! 2020 Scores and Results AFL New Zealand Premiership February - April 2020

AFL New Zealand Women’s Premiership February - April 2020

Round 1

Round 1

Southern Saints Western Crows

Central Giants Northern Suns Round 2

Goals Behinds Total

10 5

70 59

Magpies Bulldogs

6 3

7 8

43 26

Round 2

Goals Behinds Total

Round 3

Goals Behinds Total

Goals Behinds Total

20 6

11 5

131 41

Western Crows Northern Suns

10 9

6 8

66 62

Southern Saints Northern Suns Central Giants Western Crows Round 4

Northern Suns Central Giants

Southern Saints Western Crows Round 5

Western Crows Northern Suns

Southern Saints Central Giants Round 6

Western Crows Central Giants

Southern Saints Northern Suns Grand Final

Southern Saints Western Crows

Goals Behinds Total

Bulldogs Magpies Bulldogs Magpies

15 8

81 20

10 5

7 14

67 44

NZ Premiership selection

Goals Behinds Total

9 3 5 3 4 0

Redtails

106

2

4

16

Junior AFL Cup November 2020

NORTH HARBOUR/WAITAKERE

17 9

6 6

108 60

Albany Junior High School 1 Albany Junior High School 2

101 57

16 2

18 5

114 17

Goals Behinds Total

17 6

9 13

111 49

17 9

9 6

111 60

Goals Behinds Total

11 4

15 7

81 31

29 0

10

68 44

17 3

5 3

36 23

16

14 8

14 9

6 5

60 19

Goals Behinds Total

9 6

Goals Behinds Total

6 1

NZ Premiership selection vs Redtails FC - March 2020

11 2

Congratulations to the Southern Saints, winners of the 2020 AFL New Zealand Premiership.

22

Goals Behinds Total

10 9

Southern Saints Central Giants

Round 3

Senior Regional Leagues

CAFL FINAL DECEMBER 2020

Mid Canterbury Eagles Eastern Blues

Goals Behinds Total

10 7

14 4

AAFL MEN’S FINAL DECEMBER 2020 North Shore Tigers University Blues

14 5

3 4

74 46 87 34

AAFL WOMEN’S FINAL DECEMBER 2020 Norwest Magpies Central Eastern Blues

14 1

8 0

WAFL MEN’S FINAL DECEMBER 2020 Eastern Bulldogs Wellington City Saints

6 3

5 1

92 6 41 19

WAFL WOMEN’S FINAL DECEMBER 2020 Tigers Saints

5 2

4 1

34 13

Goals Behinds Total

11 1

9 3

75 9

Green Bay High School Albany Junior High School 3

10 1

10 1

70 7

Albany Junior High School 1 Albany Junior High School 3

17 0

14 0

116 0

Green Bay High School Albany Junior High School 2

4 3

6 3

30 21

Albany Junior High School 2 Albany Junior High School 3

13 1

6 4

84 10

Albany Junior High School 1 Green Bay High School

4 1

9 4

33 10

Congratulations to Albany Junior High School 1 on winning the North Harbour/Waitakere Junior AFL Cup

Valentina Serrano in action during the inaugarul Women’s Premiership.

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! 23

Financial Statements of AFL New Zealand Inc. Statement of Financial Performance For the Year Ended 31 October 2020

Statement of Financial Position 2020 ($)

2019 ($)

Income

As at 31 October 2020

2020 ($)

2019($)

Current Assets

AFL Grant

125,225

217,890

Westpac Bank Accounts

222,671

27,868

Sport New Zealand

100,000

20,000

Accounts Receivable

122,905

56,339

Grants Received

100,068

51,492

GST Refunds

Inventory Sales

14,070

13,173

Stock on Hand Prepayments Paid

NZ Racing Board Betting Levies

131,635

98,147

Interest Income

102

134

Sundry Income

0

763

471,101

401,599

10,206

8,537

Less Expenses Cost of Inventory

0

9

Board Expenses

IRD

6,053

10,029

Marketing

1,088

3,844

Bad Debts

0

1,633

347

571

5,489

6,773

Bank Charges Communication Expenses

1,512

997

3,789

2,875

Postage and Couriers

1,328

661

580

866

13,429

14,937

7,671

6,948

Printing and Stationery

Rent

Audit Fees

Delivery and Tournament Costs

-2,955

4,649

Travel

8,787

23,599

Accident Compensation Levy

1,589

1,638

333,626

296,540

3,484

3,170

396,022

388,276

75,079

13,323

552

2,274

Administrative Salaries Depreciation

Total Overheads

Profit/(Loss) before Development Programmes

AFL KiwiKick Income AFL Cup Income

5,349

18,099

98,040

233,450

195,047

65,081

298,988

318,904

AFL Kiwikick Costs

1,460

9,134

AFL Cup Costs

3,901

16,300

High Performance Costs

115,025

316,453

KiwiSport Costs

144,851

23,830

265,237

365,717

33,751

(46,813)

108,829

(33,490)

High Performance Income KiwiSport Income

Profit/ (Loss) after Development Programmes

2,107

1,939

0

0

444,043

149,448

Fixed Assets, at cost

41,415

36,446

Less Accumulated Depreciation

28,664

25,181

12,751

11,265

456,794

160,713

Current Liabilities Westpac Mastercard

4,713

4,029

Creditors & Accruals

90,384

30,554

Prepayments received

133,074

40,791

GST Liability

3,728

4,691

Loan Payable

3,800

0

12,000

7,192

247,699

87,259

IRD Loan

15,200

0

PAYE and KiwiSaver Liability

11,610

0

26,810

0

274,509

0

PAYE and KiwiSaver Liability

Non Current Liability

Equity

Current Year Earnings

73,456

106,945

108,829

(33,490)

182,285

73,455

456,794

160,713

Statement of Movement in Equity

Less Development Programmes Costs

Net Income from Development Programmes

63,301

Fixed Assets

Retained Earnings from previous year

Development Programmes Revenue

0

96,360

Staff Loans

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! Computer Expenses

Entertainment

0

For the Year Ended 31 October 2020

2020 ($)

2019 ($)

73,454

106,944

Net Profit / (Loss) for Year

108,829

(33,490)

Closing Balance

182,283

73,454

Opening Balance

For and on behalf of the board who authorises the financial statements for issue on: Signed: Date: 22.02.2021

Signed: Date: 22.02.2021

Mariska Van Deventer AFL New Zealand Finance Manager

These Statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to the Financial Statements and Audit Report.

24

Fixed Assets /Depreciation For the Year Ended 31 October 2020

Cost

Op Acc Deprn

Op WDV

Loss on Disposal

Rate

Deprn

Cl Cost

Cl Acc Deprn

Cl WDV

Jumpers/Shorts/Socks 9,246

1,884

6,358

0

2,209

9,246

4,017

5,229

2,645

2,517

129

0

47

2,645

2,564

81

5,129

1,343

3,786

0

586

5,129

1,933

3,,196

23,069

19,439

992

0

2,371

24,397

20,152

4,245

40,089

25,183

11,265

0

5,213

41,417

28,666

12,751

Plant Equipment

Computers and Software Total

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Society Directory as at 31 October 2020 Registered Office: Sports House, Stadium Drive, North Harbour Stadium, Albany.

Society Number: 217967 Auditors: RSM Hayes Audit Bankers: Westpac Banking Corporation Date of Formation: 7 July 1976 Nature of Business: Administration and Promotion of Australian Football League in New Zealand.

Board

Michael Nettlefold (Chairman) (Elected 25 March 2015) (Re-Elected 19 March 2016) (Re-Elected 16 March 2019) Garry Carnachan (Appointed 31 October 2012) (Reappointed 31 October 2016) (Reappointed 31 October 2019) Andrew McKenzie (Elected 15 March 2015) (Re-Elected 17 March 2018) Bernard Saundry (Appointed 26 February 2018) Liza McNally (Appointed 20 September 2018) Kari Jones (Elected 6 October 2019) (Re-Elected 8 March 2020) Chris Brooks (Elected 27 October 2020)

25

Notes to the Financial Statements NOTE 1 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

AFL NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED is an Incorporated Society established under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

The Financial Statements of AFL New Zealand Incorporated have been prepared in accordance with the stated accounting policies and are therefore considered to be special purpose. These financial statements are used by management and the board in fulfilling their reporting requirements to the members of AFL New Zealand Incorporated and therefore may not be fit for another purpose.

NOTE 3 INCOME

Income shown in the Statement of Financial Performance comprises the amounts received and receivable for services supplied to customers in the ordinary course of business, except for contributions received from players with respect to their attendance at international tournaments which are recognised on cash received basis.

NOTE 4 CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

There were no Contingent Liabilities as at 31 October 2020 (2019– Nil).

Measurement Base

NOTE 5 CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

The accounting principles recognised as appropriate for the measurement and reporting of earnings and financial position on an historical cost basis have been used in the preparation of these financial statements.

NOTE 6 AFL AGREEMENT

Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment is stated at historical cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Historical cost includes expenditure directly attributable to the acquisition of assets and includes the cost of replacements that are eligible for capitalisation when these are incurred. Depreciation rates as follows:

• • • •

Jumpers/Shorts/Socks: 30% DV Plant and Equipment: 15-67% DV Photographic Equipment 20-50% DV Computers and Software 20-50% DV

There were no outstanding Capital Commitments as at 31 October 2020 (2019– Nil).

The Society’s most significant source of income is the AFL Grant. Under its current format the AFL Agreement is renewed annually and any significant adverse change in the grant would affect the financial viability of the Society.

NOTE 7 GRANTS AND DONATIONS WITH CONDITIONS

The Prepayments Received $133073.75 (2019 - $40791) represent the proportion of Grants received during the financial year which relate to after 31 October 2020.

Funding grants that are subject to use or return conditions are recognised as income when the conditions have been met.

NOTE 8 LOAN AND PAYE PAYABLE

These loans are payable to the Inland Revenue Department, unsecured and interest free, and are repayable within 3-5 years.

Jumpers/Shorts/Socks are used for training and coaching purpose by AFLNZ Staff.

Current Liabilities

Inventory

PAYE and KiwiSaver Liability

Loan Payable

0

12,000

7,192

15,800

7,192

Loan Payable

15,200

0

PAYE and KiwiSaver Liability

11,610

0

26,810

0

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE! The entity is registered for GST. All amounts are stated exclusive of goods and services tax (GST) except for accounts payable and accounts receivable which are stated inclusive of GST. Income Tax

AFL New Zealand Incorporated is wholly exempt from New Zealand income tax having fully complied with all statutory conditions for these exemptions.

Receivables

2019 ($)

3,800

Inventory has been stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

2020 ($)

Non Current Liability

NOTE 9 EVENTS AFTER THE BALANCE DATE

There were no events that have occurred after the balance date that would have a material impact on the Performance Report (2019 – Nil)

NOTE 10 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Receivables are stated at expected realisable value. Bad debts are written off during the period in which they are identified.

There were no material related party transactions during the year ended 31 October 2020 (2019 – Nil).

Liabilities

NOTE 11 Going Concern

Liabilities are stated at the estimated amounts payable and include all obligations that can be reliably estimated. Current liabilities include the amounts payable within twelve months of these financial statements.

Changes in Accounting Policies

There have been no changes in accounting policies during the year.

NOTE 2 LEASE COMMITMENTS

The Club has no non-cancellable operating lease commitments. (2019 – Nil).

The board has considered the use of the going concern assumption in preparation of the financial statements. The Society has generated a profit of $108,829 in the current year from a deficit of $33,490 in the previous financial year. The board acknowledges the significant reliance of the Society to obtain grant funding to sustain its current operations and continue its operations into the foreseeable future. A government wage subsidy of $52,580 was received to support its cashflow during the year given a reduction in grant funding obtained. Management has forecasted the AFL NZ to see a further reduction in grant funding obtained for the coming year, which has resulted in a budgeted deficit.

Accordingly, these gave rise to a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt over whether the Society is able to continue to operate as a going concern.

If the going concern assumption was not appropriate, the net asset values of the Society may need to be reconsidered and further liabilities accrued.

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Independent Auditor’s Report Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of AFL New Zealand Incorporated (‘the society’) which comprise:

• • • •

the statement of financial position as at 31 October 2020; the statement of statement of financial performance for the year then ended; the statement of movement in equity for the year then ended; and the notes to the financial statements, which include significant accounting policies.

In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements of AFL New Zealand Incorporated on pages 2 to 8 (Pages 24 to 26), for the year ended 31 October 2020, are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the stated accounting policies.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) (ISAs (NZ)).

Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the society in accordance with Professional and Ethical Standard 1 (Revised) Code of Ethics for Assurance Practitioners issued by the New Zealand Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Emphasis of matter – Basis of accounting and restriction on distribution We draw attention to Note 1 to the financial statements, which describes the basis of accounting. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the stated accounting policies and are intended for use by the members of AFL New Zealand Incorporated. As a result, the financial statements may not be suitable for another purpose. Our report is also intended solely for the members of the society and should not be distributed to other parties. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Material uncertainty regarding going concern

We draw attention to Note 11 on page 8 (Page 26) of the financial statements, which indicates that the society is reliant on securing additional funding and active management of costs to support the cashflow requirements of the society. As stated, these events or conditions, along with other matters as set forth in Note 11 on page 8 (Page 26) of the financial statements, indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the society’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Responsibilities of committee members for the financial statements

In preparing the financial statements, the committee members are responsible, on behalf of the society, for assessing the ability of the society to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the committee members either intend to liquidate the society or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (New Zealand) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.

Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. A further description of the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located at the XRB’s website at:

KICK! CATCH! PASS! BOUNCE!

Other than in our capacity as auditor we have no relationship with, or interests in, the society.

The committee members are responsible, on behalf of the society, for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the special purpose reporting framework and for such internal controls as committee members determine are necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Those committee members are also responsible for determining that the special purpose reporting framework, is acceptable in the entity’s circumstances.

https://xrb.govt.nz/Site/Auditing_Assurance_ Standards/Current_Standards/Page8.aspx

24 February 2021

RSM Hayes Audit Auckland

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PH +64 9 448 0305 AFL New Zealand, PO Box 300 633 Albany, New Zealand

aflnz.co.nz @aflnz

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AFLNZ would like to thank:

Special thanks to photographer Jun Tanlayco. juntanlaycosports.com