Page 12 - AFL Queensland Facilities Plan 2014-2020

Assessing Grassroots Facilities Needs
Australian football
in Queensland is predominantly reliant on facilities that are provided by the public sector. AFL Queensland audits reveal that 97% of community football is played on publicly owned and managed facilities.
It is recognised that not all community football facilities can be, or need to be, developed to the same standard. In 2012, the AFL published a national document to guide community football clubs in the development of their facilities infrastructure. The AFL Preferred Facilities Guidelines for State, Regional & Local Facilities specifies preferred standards of facilities provision to support the delivery
of club programs and activities at all levels below the professional national competition.
The document has been developed in order to guide clubs, leagues, schools and Councils in the design
of new community football facilities and provide direction regarding
the refurbishment of existing infrastructure. It is acknowledged that many existing facilities in Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers may not presently meet the AFL Preferred Facilities Guidelines. In instances where this is the case, the guidelines should be used as a key tool during the project planning phase to inform any facilities improvement designs that are developed.
In order to further support the planning of facilities upgrades, AFL Queensland has recently completed a Football Facilities Audit. The Audit provides objective feedback relating to how each facility compares
with the AFL Preferred Facilities Guidelines and advises community clubs on project priorities at their ovals. The Football Facilities Audit provides numerical scores for key facets of facilities provision which add up to a total facilities score valued between 0 and 100. The results can then be used by individual clubs to benchmark their facilities provision relative to others in their league and other AFL Queensland affiliated competitions. It also provides league administrators with an objective picture of the relative facilities provision across their clubs, with a view to informing facilities investment decisions.
Football Facilities Audit Scoring Methodology
In consultation with interstate bodies, local leagues and clubs and our Council and school partners,
AFL Queensland has developed an audit system that rates facilities based upon the relative operational importance of particular oval and built infrastructure to support Australian football. The relative cost of implementing specific facility improvements is accounted for
as a secondary consideration to
the operational importance of the infrastructure. Quality of the oval playing surface is considered to be the most importance facility facet, followed by quality of change rooms and amenities, and the dimensions of the playing area.
Findings from the audit will be provided to each local clubs in the form of a Club Facility Audit Report to assist them in prioritising facility improvements and to act as a supporting document when applying and lobbying for government grant assistance. AFL Queensland will arrange information sessions for leagues and clubs to explain the Football Facilities Audit results and provide further information about the resources available to assist clubs with improving their score.
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