Michaela Meade
Old Paradians’ Association has announced “fee free football” for all of its players for 2022.
The organisation received formal sign-off on the decision from the Victorian Amateur Football Association, and will not require the payment of annual fees from any players next year.
Old Paradians Football Club committee member Damian Hannam said following on from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the club had reviewed its expectations of players.
He said the game had been a bit of a struggle, and that players had been affected on many levels, including mentally.
“We wanted [to do the fee free football] as a bit of an encouragement, to get all the players back, and to hopefully encourage some new players to come to the club,” Hannam said.
“But we also recognise that the financial situation of some people might have taken a hit over this COVID time.
“We’ve put [the fee free football] in place so that it’s not a barrier for people to come and play footy.
“As a general rule, clubs require the players to pay a subscription of registration every year.
“The financial situation of some people may lead to them saying ‘I can’t afford to play footy’, and we don’t want that.”
Hannam said appreciation from the existing playing group was high, and feedback about the decision was positive.
“It’s important that the [playing group] knows that we’re not just there for them as an avenue to play football, but as an avenue to hang out with their friends, and have a release,” he said.
“If we give them that opportunity, uninhibited [by] having to pay registration fees, then that can only be a good thing.”
Hannam said the decision to waive fees was one that had not been done before.
He said the club gave the choice due consideration.
“It’s a case of being able to manage other things, so whilst we have a revenue loss… there may be other services where we can streamline some other things at the club,” Hannam said.
“We have a lot of people that take an interest in us, and they may see this as a really good initiative from the club, and as a result, may want to get involved themselves.
“We haven’t made this decision on a whim. We’ve had a look at our current situation … and thought we’ll be able to manage this for 2022.”
Hannam said he hoped the reasons for the club making the decision would resonate with players and fans alike.
He said it showed that the club’s “heart” was in the right place.
According to the Old Paradians’ Association’s Facebook page, senior players were required to pay $360 in annual fees for 2021, while under-19s players paid $120.
