Issue 2 - The WA Scoop - March 2012

THE WA SCOOP

INSIDE THIS ISSUE WA Operations Report

Junior State Championships Preview

Western Tigers AusSquad Academy

2013 Super School Series

National Touch League Preview

State Championships 2011 Survey Summary

State Council Executive Profiles

Around the Grounds

Meet Our Sponsors

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www.touchwest.com

WA Operations Manager’s Report From the Desk of Sophie Maguire

February has been a busy month for the TouchWest office. As we approach the end of the 2011/2012 financial

year, we begin our preparations for the coming year with the inclusion of our new initiatives and our enhanced

strategic position. We will look to maintain a continuous budget surplus position to ensure the future stability of

TouchWest and the sport of Touch Football in Western Australia. February has also seen a large amount of

preparation go into our upcoming events. First up we have the 2012 X-Blades NTL in Port Macquarie. We then go

back to back with the Junior State Championships in Perth at the end of the month and then into the North West

Championships in May.

On behalf of the TouchWest team, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Lee Broadbridge and his

family as they deal with the sad passing of Lee’s wife Farrah.

Please keep up with all the latest Touch news and information on the TouchWest website www.touchwest.com

Kind Regards,

Sophie Maguire – WA Operations Manager

DATES FOR THE DIARY

8th-11th March: National Touch League

23rd March: Affiliate End of Month Reporting

31st March – 1st April: Junior State Championship

3rd April: Referee Forum

4th May: Inclusion Day

18th – 20th May: North West Championships and

North West Affiliate Development Conference

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2012 Junior State Championships Preview

This year we have received the highest number of team nominations ever for a

Junior State Championships event. This is a real credit to our Affiliates who have

put in the hard work to grow and develop their junior programs. It is hoped that

with the introduction of the Western Tigers AusSquad Academy later this year,

that this is an area that will only continue to get stronger.

This year’s event will be held at McGillivray Oval in Mount Claremont from

Saturday, 31 March – Sunday, 1 April 2012.

The event will aim to bring together and showcase the very best junior players

from throughout WA. We also hope to see increased numbers of our junior

referees taking to the field at this event as they look to obtain their upgrades.

For all the latest information on the Junior State Championships event, please

visit the website www.juniorstatechamps.com.au

TouchWest will also be identifying talented players to be selected for the Western Tigers AusSquad Academy at

this year’s Junior State Championships on March 31st and April 1st.

Western Tigers AusSquad Academy The Western Tigers AusSquad Academy (WTAA) will officially be launched in 2012. The academy will be targeted

at WA’s up and coming junior touch players with the aim of developing their skills and abilities in order to

progress them to the elite level of Touch Football. The WTAA is the first state academy aimed at progressing

junior touch players to the elite level in Australia outside of NSW and Queensland.

The Academy will be a forum for a host of professional coaching and training presenting all participants with the

chance for input. The academy is designed to incorporate training in fitness testing, body weight training, ball

skills, game play, video analysis, laws and rules of the game, professional player etiquette, aspects of coaching

and refereeing as well as game play itself.

The WTAA will have the incredible privilege of training at the brand new Emirates Western Force High

Performance facility in Mt Claremont where we will utilise their state of the art grounds and facilities.

The Junior State Championships will host numerous WTAA’s selectors who will decide which talented individuals

will be invited to join the Western Tigers AusSquad Academy. To further assist this process TouchWest requests

input from all of our affiliates in the form of nominating four players for each age group; 2 boys and 2 girls. The

WTAA has been divided into the following age groups: Under 12’s, Under 15’s and Under 18’s.

Each nominated player will be placed on the radar of our selectors who will work to ensure

the majority of games at the Junior State Championships are observed. All participants that

have been nominated will be the first to be viewed, however our selectors will be looking for

all talented individuals. As places in the academy are limited we encourage all affiliates to

ensure their nominations are sent to [email protected] as soon as possible.

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The lucky individuals that are selected for the WTAA will be contacted

via their parents or guardians following the Junior State Championships.

All affiliates will also be made aware of the selections once confirmed.

Nominations for the WTAA are an essential part of the process however

nomination does not secure any individual a place in the Western Tigers

AusSquad. The final decision will be down to our selectors, coaches and

high performance and junior development state staff.

This is a very exciting opportunity for juniors in Western Australia and we

are proud and incredibly enthusiastic about what the future holds for all

our Junior Touch Football players across the State.

2013 Super School Series The 2013 Super School Series is a brand new Touch Football competition that will divide Perth metro area into

four separate regions. TouchWest will select up to 10 schools per region providing the selected schools with

six weeks’ worth of coaching clinics to develop student’s skills, fitness and knowledge of the rules of our

game. All clinics will aim to ensure that there is a safe, active and enjoyable atmosphere for all participants.

Each School will compete against all other schools in their region with the winners to be crowned the

TouchWest Metro Region Champion. Once all four region champions have been determined the

champions and runners up (second place) from each metro region will face off in the ultimate finals series

where the overall champions will be forever embedded in WA’s Touch Football History.

And best of all, it will be FREE!

National Touch League Preview The Tournament

123 teams will converge on Port Macquarie’s Regional Sports Stadium from Thursday, 8 March until Sunday,

11 March to compete in the 2012 X-Blades National Touch League (NTL). The event will see 14 divisions take

to the fields at the Regional Sports Stadium and Tuffins Lane precinct, with the event being one of the

biggest NTL events ever held in New South Wales.

After participating in the Elite Eight series in 2011, as well as the World Cup for a

number of players, the best Open players in Australia will return to participate

for their respective NTL entities at the event, which will provide plenty of

exciting games. The event kicks off what will be a big year of Touch Football in

Port Macquarie. To keep up-to-date with all of the latest news, results and

information in the lead up to and during the event, please visit the NTL website:

www.ntl.mytouchfooty.com

The Western Tigers charge

The M40 and M50 teams are about to embark on their journey to the National

Touch League in Port Macquarie. In three days both teams will fly out knowing

their preparations will hold them in good stead for a good tournament. There

have been many hours of fitness sessions with BodyTech fitness guru, Jeff

Carter, practice games against a mixed team from Southern Districts and lots

of beetroot juice intake. All that needs to happen now is hope the weather is

kind to the teams and then bring on the games! We wish both teams all the

best and know they will represent WA with pride and give it everything they

have. Of course off the field, the players will have some fun and enjoy

watching some quality games of Touch footy.

THE WA SCOOP

2011 State Championships Participant Survey – Summary of Results

Total Number of Surveys Completed: 263 1) Gender comparison of those participating in the survey

- Male 49.0%

- Female 51.0%

2) 96.2% of participants said that they would chose to participate

again

3) 60.1% of participants said that a move to the second week in

December would NOT be a suitable time to hold the WA State

Championships. Predominant comment responses included;

- Teams are underprepared and limited by other sporting

commitments

- Too close to Christmas time, school & uni exams and

social/work functions

- The later the better, while considering those who will be

travelling to represent at NTL

4) The following event aspect were rated as being above average or

higher:

- Playing surfaces Excellent

- Fence around Field 1 Excellent

- Rubbish Bins Above Average

- Food Vendors Above Average

- Results & Information Above Average

- Spectator Areas Above Average

5) Only 24.8% of participants said that they attended the after party. The following comments were provided as

reasons why:

- After party was held too far away from the event venue

- Had work the following day

- Required to travel home

- Was not aware of the finals function

6) The following expectations have been indicated for future

finals functions:

- 87.9% want a DJ

- 83.7% want the function to be held at the grounds

- 92.4% said they would attend if the event was held

at the grounds

7) 86.7% of participants believe that McGillivray oval is a

suitable venue for the event and 88.2% would like to see the

event return to McGillivray in the future.

8) Participants rated the event staff as Above Average and

indicated that an approximately 20-25 staff are required to run

this event.

Touch Trivia

1) Who won inaugural Women’s Elite 8 division at the

2011 National Touch League?

2) Who won inaugural Men’s Elite 8 division at the

2011 National Touch League?

3) Who won the Terry Jacks Medal for Player of the

Tournament in the Elite Eight Men’s division at the

2011 National Touch League?

4) Which two Affiliates played in both the Girl’s and

Boy’s U18s Grand Finals at the 2011 Junior State

Championships?

Answers can be found on our Sponsors page

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9) All divisions at the event indicated that they were happy with the number of games they participated in at

the event.

10) 88.4% of participants said that international and/or invitational teams should be allowed to participate in the

tournament.

11) 49.0% of participants believed that the appropriate referee badge level was allocated to suitable games

based on their level of difficulty.

12) Anything you think TouchWest could add to the event?

- Sun cream stations for all participants

- Consider different venues to gain greater exposure (i.e. Langley Park)

- Half time shows during the finals to build atmosphere and increase crowd involvement

- Increased use of visiting coaches (i.e. Friday morning coaching session)

- Large Sunday night function held at the grounds

13) The Announcer, the music and the licensed area were all rated as above average in adding to the overall

atmosphere of the event.

14) The overall experience of the event was recorded as an 8/10.

15) Some of the predominant themes in suggestions for improvements to the event are included below;

- Provide affiliates with greater lead in time to the event to allow better preparation

- Allow more outside teams to come in to increase the level of competition

- Increase the licensed area to include more seating area

- Provide more healthy food options

- Placement of portable toilets closer to team tents and fields

- Information released as early as possible (even if subject to change)

- Move the event away from November

In Issue 3, April 2012 we: Review the Junior State Champs and National Touch League and we also look

forward to the Trans Tasman series, Inclusion Day and the Affiliate Development Conferences

1

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State Council Executive Biographies

Richard Michael McIlroy Contact: [email protected]

TOUCH BACKGROUND

Richard started playing Touch when he was 14. Through his playing years Richard was

privileged to play for Canterbury, at the New Zealand Nationals in Christchurch in 1993.

Richard started Refereeing Touch in Perth in 1997 and has since achieved some of the

following highlights:

1998 Barbarians Cup Referee, State Cup, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010 Men’s Open Finals , 2009 Men’s 30’s Final,

2008 Mixed open Final, 2005 Women’s Open Final, 1998, 2009 Super Series, Women’s Open Final, 2000,

2001, 2002, 2010 Men’s Open Final, 2001 Referee of the Series, Be Active Junior State Championships, 2007,

2010 u/18 Boys Finals.

National Touch: 1998 U/16 National Championship Girls Grand Final (Melbourne), 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

National Touch League, 2011 Referee Team Award, 2011 Men’s 45’s Grand Final, 2012 Team Leader, 2009,

2010, 2011 National Youth Touch Championships, 2011 Team Leader

International Touch: 2011 World Cup, 2011 Referee Team Award, World Cup.

Richard enjoys refereeing and has said that he will continue until his body gives way. He also likes helping others to

achieve their goals. Richard is currently a Level Two Referee Coach and is undertaking a High Performance

Scholarship with the Department of Sport and Recreation in WA. Richard joined the SCE committee in August 2010

and is looking forward to helping out with Touch within WA in the Future.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Richard has been a Prison Officer since 2001.

Andrew Birch Contact: [email protected]

TOUCH BACKGROUND

Andrew Birch has played at Rosalie and Southern Districts Touch Associations since 2003.

He has represented Rosalie Men’s O40’s since 2007 (including as player manager in 2010

and player coach in 2011), and Western Tigers Men’s O40’s in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Andrew joined Rosalie Touch Association’s Committee and the State Council Executive in 2011.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Andrew is a Chartered Accountant and business consultant with 20 years’ experience successfully managing

troubled businesses. He has spearheaded change initiatives, led full-scale restructuring plans and turnaround

efforts, overseen sale negotiations, and delivered best-practice corporate governance and risk management

solutions.

Andrew typically acts as a strategic advisor to boards and senior executives of large unlisted or small listed

businesses facing critical, challenging or unusual situations. He applies deep financial skills, risk analysis and

commercial common sense to design creative strategies and implement practical solutions to help clients

achieve their goals.

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State Council Executive Biographies (cont.)

Sam Rigg Contact: [email protected]

TOUCH BACKGROUND

Sam became involved with the SCE through his love of touch footy and in the interests

of promoting good Governance and transparency. Sam is keen to see positive working

relationships between the National Office, the state body, the affiliates and other

stakeholders.

Sam has played social touch at various metropolitan affiliates, coached junior state

teams and played at the NTL. Similarly to a lot of participants in our sport who then end

up volunteering in other capacities Sam is also a selector and referee when he has the

time. (Which is never these days as we have three children aged four and under.)

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Sam currently works for LandCorp in stakeholder relations. Prior to that he worked in the resource sector where he

held roles in corporate affairs and community relations. Sam has also worked in executive education.

Sam has a long history of involvement with the not-for-profit sector including serving on the boards of the WA Aids

Council and organisations which support underprivileged children, indigenous employment, increasing

community capacity and overall community well-being.

Neil ‘Molly’ Collins—Chairperson Contact: [email protected]

TOUCH BACKGROUND

Molly has been involved in Touch Football in WA for over 30 years, having started

Southern Districts Touch Association in 1982 of which he is now a Life Member. Molly has

continued to represent Southern as a player and in recent years as coach of Southern

Women’s Open. Molly has a particular interest in developing juniors and coaching and

has played in and/or coached various TouchWest State Teams including juniors, Men’s

and Women’s Open and seniors teams.

Molly has been a member of the State Executive Council in recent years and has a

strong desire to promote and continue the development of our sport in all areas within

WA and on a national level through representative teams.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Professionally, Molly works as a School Principal in a Year 3 -12 school and has a background in Exercise and

Physical Education.

THE WA SCOOP

State Council Executive Biographies (cont.)

Justin Parsons Contact: [email protected]

TOUCH BACKGROUND

Justin has been involved in Touch Football since 1993 at Applecross. Since then, Justin

has achieved his level 6 referee badge, level 2 presenters and level 1 referee coach.

Justin’s home affiliate is the Fremantle Touch Football Association. Justin is a highly

recognised referee throughout Australia, with approximately 3,200 games refereed and

attendance at nine National Tournaments.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Justin met his wife, fellow referee Kelly Eggers, at a touch tournament. He also saw seven referees that he had

mentored throughout a season upgraded to level 3 badges. In that same season, Justin also received his level six

referee badge. Throughout his time in Touch, Justin acknowledges making so many lasting friendships at both local

and national level, which have transcended touch and become both personal and rewarding.

Justin joined the State Council Executive in April 2010.

Around the Grounds Over the past twelve months the Cockburn City Chiefs have been slowly growing in

numbers with referees being the only area we really need to focus on. The Chiefs and their

players have also been very successful on the field in the last 12 months at both the Senior &

Junior State Championships taking: two titles, two runners up and a minor placing. Mahu

Leach played for the New Zealand over 40's & won gold at the World Cup. The Chiefs were

also well represented at the NTL's plus Under 18's and Under 15's state sides so the club is very

proud of its first twelve months on the field. The Club wishes our Under 18 girls, Alex (Coach) &

Rachel (Manager) all the best at Junior State Titles as they try to repeat last year triumph.

The Summer Season has now finished and all players, supporters and committee would like to congratulate our

Grand Final winners: Touch Downerz defeated Nikminit 5 - 2 in the Men’s, Crazy Horses defeated Rollers 10 - 4 in

Mixed A and Predators defeated Parasites 6 - 4 in Mixed B. The new Summer Season will commence at the

beginning of October so please keep an eye on our website for further details:

www.cockburncity.mytouchfooty.com

Rosalie Touch Association is in the process of planning the next phase of growth at our club

with many changes already underway. We are urgently seeking a Referee Coordinator to aid

the growth of referee stocks within the club. This is a paid position. Our summer competition

was recently completed and we are now turning our attention to winter 2012. Following a

request to run a winter Men's competition alongside our mixed competition we are seeking

expressions of interest from prospective teams. Please contact Warwick

([email protected]) if you would like more information.

Thank you to all Affiliates who sent in their club update. If you would like to keep the

Touch WA Football community updated on your Affiliate please email

[email protected] with a short paragraph by the end of the month

THE WA SCOOP

Touch Trivia Answers

1) New South Wales Mets

2) New South Wales Scorpions

3) Stuart Brierty (The Alliance)

4) Cockburn City Chiefs and

Tompkins Park Sharks

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