Pictured: (please click on photos to enlarge)
1. & 2. League President Ron Redford, and in his playing days with Glenelg FC.
3. Koonibba run out in the 2015 Grand Final
President’s Comment
24 August 2016
The Scourge of “Commitment of Convenience”.
I have spoken many times in the past about people in football having a “commitment of convenience”, in other words pleasing yourself when the going gets tough and not committing to what is right for the club and game as a whole
I took the opportunity after last week’s preliminary finals to go into the rooms of the losing teams, you could cut the air with knife, dis-appointment reigns supreme. Take another look, many of the players despairing are the ones that haven’t turned up to training as often they should have, haven’t got their injuries tended to, haven’t stepped up to the plate when needed because they haven’t prepared properly.
Let’s be realistic we play a 12 week competition plus the finals, surely that is not too much of a burden for young strong abled bodied young men to contend with. Playing footy competitively with your mates is the best time of your life, ask any old warhorse former footballer without hesitation they will tell you the same.
Imagine this, what would happen if the coach, head trainer, the committee, the volunteers the League officials just to name a few decided an attack of “commitment of convenience’ syndrome was in order and say “bugger it” footy can do without me this week, the players would be in uproar.
I can hear the outraged cries of where’s the guenseys, who is strapping my ankles, there’s no water boys, the oval hasn’t been marked out and on it would go?
In this regard some players across all areas of country football are guilty of COC but they think everyone else should be there for them.
It is pertinent to remember even though they play an important role it is not all about them.
What a misguided bunch they are, it is time they change their ways and work towards success by conforming to the total team concept.
Their decisions impact on hundreds of volunteers each and every week of the football season.
Change can only be brought about by the clubs embracing the concept of reward for effort. While we as a League continue to reward sub-standard performances and poor attitudes with the opportunity to play in the final rounds it will not and cannot improve.
The four clubs are the guardians of the game, they set the agenda, the Far West League Executive merely carry out the wishes of the clubs in accordance with the constitution and the by-laws.
If we want the FWFL to continue to exist we must all strive for excellence both on and off the ground. We must all continue identifying what is going to make our league stronger, sustainable, financially independent and capable of forging our own path into the future.
Whether we like it or not change can produce beneficial results.
In support of this argument,
The change to endorse all clubs having the right to stage Grand Finals is a point worth revisiting. Remember, it took five years of lobbying and then a decision by the Far West Football Commission to make that happen.
Feedback from clubs that have held the Grand Finals has been overwhelmingly positive and beneficial for The Far West Football League.
That decision forced “The Blues” to rethink its financial situation, it could no longer depend on a lucrative source of grand final income to supplement its income on a yearly basis.
Something had to be done, in came the visionaries and the believers, out went those that had a “commitment of convenience”, it instigated a volunteer program among other sensible measures and are now back on the road to success
It is not too long a bow to draw to suggest that as a result of that hard work over the past three or so years has seen it progress to having three sides in the Grand Final today and to be reasonably secure financially.
The football supporters of the FWFL have a vested interest in all clubs being successful, everyone should become part of the medium term plan to value our heritage, be proud of our past, secure our future and have open minds on growing the game.
Let’s hope we can move more quickly in resolving the issues that are clearly facing us all.
Obviously there will be those that disagree with my thoughts, however I am more than happy to engage you in fair reasonable communications to ascertain the way forward.
Looking forward to seeing you all, hopefully it will be another record Grand Final crowd in Far West Football and Netball.
Best wishes to all teams for ultimate success today
Cheers
Ron Redford
President Far West Football League
Last Modified on 30/08/2016 14:06