AFLMA Newsletter #14  ::  18 September 2002

The Newsletter of AFLMA Inc, the AFL Members Association.

 

In this issue:

1) Club Member Forum News

2) AFLMA Membership Drive

3) Saving When Saturday Comes

4) AFLMA Committee News

5) AFLMA Game of the Year

6) Contact details

 

 

CLUB MEMBER FORUM NEWS

 

A couple of issues ago (http://www.aflma.com/news011.htm) we told you

about the AFL Members initiatives of the Carlton and Melbourne Football

Clubs.

 

In late July Carlton held their first meeting of their AFL Members Club

Support group. The AFLMA were asked to nominate 4 volunteers to the

group. Attending were President Michael Agrotis, former Committee

member Stephen Teliki, and 2 'ordinary' AFLMA Members with Carlton Club

Support package.

 

Overall 10 people were invited to attend the meeting. It was

facilitated by a representative of the Centre for Business Research

(Deakin Uni) and John De Rango (Carlton Membership Manager). There was

some frank and honest feedback given to the Club. In particular the

fact that as AFL Members represent 20% of the Club's Membership Base,

not enough is done to make us feel like we are part of the club.

 

Melbourne's Monitor Group is close to the AFLMA's ideal. Its 20 members

are elected by the members, each member is contactable by email, there

are short biographies of each member on Melbourne's website (so

Melbourne fans can learn something of who it is that represents them)

and all of the Group's recommendations are published on the Club's

website.

 

The AFL Member representative is Steve Corden and he can be contacted

by email at mailto:afl@demons.com.au. Anyone wishing to find out more

about the Forum should check out the URL:

http://demons.com.au/default.asp?pg=membersforum.

 

The AFLMA has written to other Victorian based clubs, suggesting that

they form similiar groups. To date we have had responses from St Kilda

(who are happy to work with the AFLMA) and Essendon (who declined the

suggestion, stating that they are happy with their current feedback

mechanism).

 

 

AFLMA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

 

The AFLMA has about 4,000 members. That's a nice number but we need

more members.

 

Subsequently, membership recruitment is an important part of the

Association's activities. And it's an area where everyone can help,

whether that be at the football or when queuing for football tickets.

 

Download our Sign-up sheet from the AFLMA website (www.aflma.com) and

take it (and a clipboard and pen) with you to the football and when you

are queuing for tickets. Hand the sheet to the AFL members around you,

tell them about their Association, and encourage them to join.

 

Once the sign-up sheet is full of names and contact details simply

return it to the address or fax number noted on sheet. It may cost you

45 cents and a little time, but the payback in protecting your rights

will be well worth it.

 

If you have already have the sign-up sheet loaded on your computer

please download a new copy. We've recently added a flyer that will

assist you in telling fellow AFL Members about the AFLMA, what it

stands for, what is has achieved and what it aims to achieve in the

future. If you can't access the AFLMA webpage please contact us (our

contact details are below) and we'll email you the Sign-up package.

 

It is only with your continued support that we will be able to work

on your behalf and kick goals.

 

 

SAVING WHEN SATURDAY COMES

 

You may have heard that the popular ABC radio footy program "When

Saturday Comes" is to be axed, despite being one of the most popular

slots on ABC 774. This year WSC has given the AFLMA several

opportunities to put our views across, and 2 weeks ago interviewed Mike

O'Brien about the AFLMA's first anniversary. After each appearance we

have received inquiries from members wishing to join the AFLMA.

 

Naturally enough, the AFLMA is interested in keeping this friendly

voice in the media on the air. However, we also feel that "When

Saturday Comes" is a far better lead-in to the ABC's footy coverage at

noon than 2 more hours of pet care and gardening advice, which is

apparently going to replace it. Many WSC listeners in the over 40

demographic were offended by the station manager Ian Mannix's comments

that they would prefer this to Francis Leach and 'Coach in the Outer',

'Footy Brain of the Year', 'The Country Club', 'The Four Noels' etc.

 

The AFLMA committee has written to Ian Mannix asking that the decision

be reconsidered.  If you are a listener who would like to see the show

stay on air, we ask that you also email him at

mailto:mannix.ian@abc.net.au or contribute to the WSC guestbook

(http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/wscguest/guestbk/guestbk.htm).

 

The AFLMA was formed because the AFL has lost touch with its fans - it

would be sad if ABC was seen to have lost touch with its listeners.

 

 

AFLMA COMMITTEE NEWS

 

The AFLMA's Treasurer Jay McGrath recently resigned from the AFLMA

Committee, due to business and family commitments. Jay's resignation

was accepted, with regret, and we wish him well in the future, and

thank him for the work he has performed on the AFLMA Executive.

 

Ian Pike (who was an Ordinary Member of the Committee) has accepted

the appointment as AFLMA's Treasurer. Subsequently, a vacancy now

exists within the AFLMA Committee. Our Rules state that when a casual

vacancy occurs, the committee may appoint a member of the Association

to fill the vacancy. If you, or someone you know, is interested in

joining the AFLMA Committee please contact us at mailto:executive@aflma.com.

 

We remind members of AFLMA that an election for all committee positions

will be undertaken at the next AGM, which will be held in February or

March, 2003.

 

 

AFLMA GAME OF THE YEAR

 

With the Home & Away season over, now is the time for all AFL Members

to vote for their selection in the AFLMA Game of the Year. To register

your vote go to http://www.aflma.com/aflmagoty.htm.

 

We believe that AFL Members are ideally suited to issue the award for

the Best Game of the Year. The membership isn't limited to supporters

of any one team and extends to those without specific club allegiance.

We are a group of people who are among the most passionate supporters

around who appreciate good football.

 

 

CONTACT DETAILS

 

Internet:   http://www.aflma.com

Email:      info@aflma.com

Telephone:  0412-125-533

Mail:       PO Box 4040

            Patterson  VIC 3204

 

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