Country Football WAClub Grants Drive Best on Road Initiative
Mark Readings
|
19 Mar 2026
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The WACFL were fortunate to partner with UWA’s ‘Young Lives Matter’ Foundation recently, to examine the role that football plays in our regional communities.
In 2020, 10 of our 25 Senior regional competitions did not play due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its implications. As such, UWA’s researchers were able to produce a survey comparing the mental and physical wellbeing of those that did not play versus those that did.
The overarching theme of the report confirmed what the industry had suspected, the mental and physical health of those that did not play football in 2020, was generally poorer than those players fortunate to participate in a season. The connectivity football provides to the community is a real highlight of the findings and the full report, including 29 recommendations, is attached via a website link for you to review at your leisure.
The WACFL will be working through the relevant key recommendations and will use them to build a Club Development Plan. As part of the community and club development, the WACFL will be launching an ‘Adopt-a-League’ initiative, for corporations to support mental health and wellbeing development for club personnel within those regional communities. More details will be provided shortly but feel free to reach out if you would like more information on any of the above.
Tom Bottrell
Executive Manager – Country Football, Affiliates & Facilities
tbottrell@wafc.com.au
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WA Football acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the many lands across Western Australia where we train, play, and come together through football. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people. We recognise the deep and continuing contribution First Nations peoples make to our game and our communities.
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