A showcase of representative colts and women's football on Friday night at Gosnells Oval is the latest example of the Perth Football League's increasing off-field growth.
On Friday night, the Perth Football League will host a representative double header, bringing together some of the most talented community-level players in metropolitan and regional Western Australia.
Aside from the PFL’s EGT Colts north versus south clash, the PFL representative women’s team – guided by WAFLW premiership coach Steph Walding – will square off against Country Football WA’s women’s side coached by Busselton-based Rennie Meadmore, who works with the Stephen Michael Foundation.
In the hours leading up to the event, PFL chief executive Andrew Dawe shared a story behind the concept.
“I think these types of events are really great for the Perth Football League,” Mr Dawe told Business News.
“It really highlights and showcases our brand, our profile and what we’re all about.
“I’m really proud of the team. They developed the concept of this north versus south colts competition (match).
“No one else in the country is really doing anything like this; and again, it’s on the back of really strong growth in our colts competition.
“We’ve seen our numbers really start to build in that space.
“And what we are seeing, potentially in this world of disconnection where everyone is on their screens and not really working in a face-to-face environment, is that football clubs are actually becoming that haven where younger people are going, ‘You know what, I want to hang out with mates’ and ‘I want to connect with people face-to face and not via social media’.
“And the football club is the greatest place for that because of the fact they’ve already got twenty mates who have a similar interest, and it just happens football is the vehicle that’s helping them.
“The north versus south game is the pinnacle. It just really just showcases the talent we’ve got there and it’s also a pathway for them to get into the state stuff as well.
“And the girls game against country … last year it was phenomenal, a draw, so we’re really excited to see where that goes this year and how it plays out.”
Business News reported last Friday that the PFL posted a net surplus of $309,014 in 2024, following on from a $321,503 surplus in 2023.
As head of a not-for-profit group, Mr Dawe said the PFL’s main focus of any surplus was being able to reinvest in grassroots football.
“It probably just shows there’s real value in community football,” he said.
“And I think our corporate partners see that, governments – whether it be local, state or federal – see that and they see the power of community football.
“And as a result, they want to invest in it, which I think why we’ve been able to show some responsible profits there to show we’re going well in that space.
“But that also gives us the ability to reinvest in the league.
“So, one of the first things on the back of strong results is that we’ve been able to invest in AI-based cameras, and now we have a camera at every game.
“Again, to make the great community sport of Australian Rules Football even safer, inclusive and inviting for people to come and play.
“Because they know if there’s a bad incident on the day, it’s caught on camera and the perpetrators will be dealt with accordingly.
“We don’t certainly set out to make profits. It’s responsible whatever we do and it’s to reinvest in the league, which we’ve done.”
As of October 31 2024, the PFL’s total equity was $2.56 million, which Mr Dawe said provided a handy base for not only a rainy day, but the PFL’s eventual long-term ambitions.
“Look, I think it’s responsible for organisations like ours to have that,” he said.
“Because there does come times where there are rainy days. And it’s not to far in the distant past where Covid was a significant issue and clubs were really feeling the pain.
“And we were able to come to aid of all of the clubs at that time and that was on our dime, so that’s part of it.
“There’s also the future, greater thinking around the Perth Football League and what does that need to keep growing.
“So, we do need to start thinking about investing in the long-term future of the Perth Football League.
“What does that look like? We’re not quite 100 per cent sure yet, but we are certainly starting to build a strategy that is starting to think longer term as opposed to two- or three-year horizons.”
