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Yokine reserve is a huge space, and fairly central to boot.
Would have to check availability.
Otherwise the polo fields in Guildford could be a potential goer - maybe a bit of drive.
Wonder what can be done about getting us all onto the internal of the either horse track at Belmont or Ascot.
Facility, stands, and parking - also fairly central. Dual use and winner for all.
But a swing toward as much of a home/away season would be a good thing as well - provided the clubs can get a few more willing referees, would also help families with kids split across a couple age groups.
Would be good for the clubs that offer a good canteen service and need a few more dollars taken over the bar.
Plenty of talk about purple circle clubs joining with clubs or loading up on players from the less privileged clubs...So this won't happen due to the good rugby rivalry between us, but a Baysie/Wanneroo merger would be a huge rugby club and a sponsors dream. That would shake things up somewhat.
Then to find our own patch of river frontage to entice the women's team back.
Options everywhere.
No club opens it's bar before midday.
Apart from clubs not being licensed to do so, very few people drink before noon, so it is not viable, and it is hardly a good look, or politically correct, to have adults drinking whilst kids are playing.
Nor is it clever to sell alcohol to people whom you know will soon be driving boisterous, excited kids home. Imagine the publicity if an accident happened and some child was injured, or worse, and his parent is over the limit, having consumed alcohol at your club while watching the child play.
I know there are family venues where parents can bring their kids and still purchase alcohol, but I wouldn't encourage it when the sole or primary purpose of being there is to support your kid in his or her sport.
Yes, a good wholesome canteen catering for adults and kids can be a modest but useful source of revenue.
The venue for children's sport has to be chosen to meet the reasonable needs of their parents.
Parents need or prefer a venue that is close to where they live. They seek an environment where there is shelter available from the weather for themselves and their other children. They need clean, safe toilet facilities. They need visible security from the behaviour of ugly, belligerent people. They need parking and easy access. They need a welcoming atmosphere.
The majority of these needs are not met for the majority of parents at large impersonal venues for which no one takes responsibility or ownership, and which are, by their very size and location too far away, except for the lucky few who live nearby, to travel to and from on a weekly basis, especially when games can commence as early as seven or eight AM.
I know it's a logistic nightmare for fixturing, given that different clubs have different numbers of junior teams and grades, but you are going to have more happy parents by arranging home and away games, perhaps involving four clubs at one home ground, than by forcing people to regularly travel long inconvenient distances.
Parents are going to vote for their own needs and the overall convenience of their families, and without the parents the kids won't be there either, or at least not for very long.
Given clubs are where they train and go to a couple of times a week, if parents weren't happy with the club environment they'd soon move. So, keep the juniors at the clubs. It would satisfy the needs set out above ... alleluia we're talking about meeting needs as opposed to pigs may fly ideas that don't work in a completely different demographic.
The income for junior clubs would be huge in comparison, a simple canteen and the famous sausage sizzle; even maybe a guest chef from Baysie making beef n gravy rolls.
Take rugby back to the clubs where it belongs, even possibly North & South Festival basis, rotating but please take it back to the clubs where it belongs.
NB - Not once have I attended a club's home festival in WA where alcohol was served.
For the record I was not advocating for alcohol to be served at junior events.
The thinking behind the over arching sentence was for a home and away system where clubs travel to clubs.
The juniors finish up in the morning - all std RSA protocols apply and are enforced - and then during the senior games hopefully there is a larger crowd of adults being responsible.
Kev, I agree on the chef at Baysie! Man is a legend in his own right and his knowledge of a hot beef and gravy roll is something to behold.
Last edited by G_Beard; 16-03-17 at 12:34.
Is there a bit of inbreeding at Baysie as well?
I have absolutely no criticism to make of morning drinkers.
I've sold them a lot of used cars in my time.
Well the under 6 - 10s clubs are divided into zones and all play at the same venue each club having a turn hosting - perhaps each week from 2018 under 11s to 17s can all be hosted at a different club each week as well - maybe 2 clubs if there are a lot of teams.