nwpl review report final

7/28/2019 NWPL Review Report Final

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Review of the AustralianWater Polo Inc. NationalWater Polo League


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The Australian Sports Commission is the Australian Government agency that manages,

develops and invests in sport at all levels. It was established in 1985 and operates undertheAustralian Sports Commission Act 1989.The Commissions national leadership roleis achieved through the six operational areas: the Australian Institute of Sport, SportDevelopment, System Leadership, Community Sport, Commercial and Facilities, andCorporate Services. The Australian Sports Commission forms part of the Prime Ministerand Cabinet portfolio.

For general enquiries:

Tel: (02) 6214 1111

Fax: (02) 6251 2680

Email:[email protected]

Website: ausport gov au
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Table of contentsTable of contents ............................................................................................................. 2Executive summary ......................................................................................................... 4The review process .......................................................................................................... 8Introduction ................................................................................................................. 10Findings and recommendations ................................................................................ 13

Aims and Objectives of the NWPL.......................................................................... 13Original aims 13Current objectives 13Recommendation 1 15

Pathway role and alignment .................................................................................... 16Competition Pathway 16Recommendation 2 17

Athlete development pathway 18Recommendation 3 20Coaching pathway 21Recommendation 4 22Recommendation 5 22Official/referee pathway 22Recommendation 6 23

Issues and impediments to change


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Appendix B: List of stakeholders interviewed ........................................................ 47Appendix C: List of attendees at the NWPL workshop ......................................... 49Appendix D: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) ......... 50Appendix E: Benchmarking of comparison sport national leagues ................... 51


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Executive summaryThe National Water Polo League (NWPL) was created in 1990 as high level competition toprepare the national mens team for international competition. The League has evolvedand expanded since that time and a womens competition was added in 2004. There arenow 12 NWPL Clubs each with both a mens and a womens team. The competition is atwo round, home and away (modified for cost effectiveness) format, conducted over athree month period, with a six team finals tournament usually held in April.

The NWPL has now become an integral part of Water Polo in Australia, encompassing the

development of athletes, coaches, referees, administrators and clubs, as well as being akey part of preparation for both mens and womens national teams. For many years theLeague was run with minimal input from Australian Water Polo Inc (AWPI), and the Clubsthat made up the League defined and shaped it as its own entity. The human, financialand structural resources that the Clubs provide to be part of the League are now asignificant asset to the sport and would be very difficult to replace.

From around 2005 AWPI increased its involvement in the NWPL to have more input into

the Leagues broader role within the sport. Five years on it was identified that a thorough,objective and strategic review of the NWPL was necessary in order to identify how to bestoptimise and integrate the NWPL as part of the sports development pathways. Thepurpose of this review then was to define the aims and objectives of the NWPL and makerecommendations on the optimal competition structure, timing, management anddelivery of the League within the context of the sport as a whole.

Overall it was found that the NWPL is well run and highly valued by most clubs, athletes,coaches and officials within the sport. Consensus was strong that the aim of the League

h ld b b th t id hi l f b d d l t f high f thl t


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Improved governance, decision making and accountability for the NWPL.

The need to better define the requirements of athlete development along thepathway and then to align coaches and deliverers (Clubs, National Training Centreprograms, and National programs) to ensure training requirements areappropriately and effectively provided for athletes.

Clarification of roles and responsibilities for various stakeholders within the highperformance system, including the NWPL Clubs and their coaches.

Improved coach and referee development pathways and support.

Optimisation of resourcing and risk management to ensure the NWPL Clubs, andtherefore the League as a whole, remains viable.

Standards and guidelines of best practice that form a structure and framework toenable excellence in all aspects of the League.

The need for ongoing monitoring, evaluation, flexibility and refinement to ensurethe NWPL continues to meet the needs of the sport.

The following recommendations are designed to evolve the NWPL to a higher standard sothat it delivers its key aims as part of a truly coordinated and cohesive national highperformance system. While the League is already well respected both within and outsidethe sport, it has the potential to rise to a new standard of excellence and provide aplatform for the development of athletes capable of creating sustained internationalsuccess for Australian Water Polo.

Recommendation 1 Aims and objectivesTh t AWPI l l ti l t th i f th NWPL d th d t i ll d fi d


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c) Consideration of restricting junior athletes to one age group rather than multiple;

d) Working towards the development of a national player development framework

including curriculum and testing protocols which can be used throughout thesport to inform the progression of development for all athletes.

Recommendation 4 Club coach standardsThat it be a requirement of all NWPL Clubs to engage dedicated professional coaches of

a minimum standard (i.e. minimum but high level of education and experience).

Recommendation 5 Coaching pathwayIn order to improve the clarity and quality of the coaching pathway and optimise athlete

development, a coach development strategy be created to communicate, coordinate and

share information; mentor aspiring coaches; and actively recruit players to coaching.

Recommendation 6 Referee pathwayThat AWPI support (with appropriate resourcing) plans, through the Australian Referees

Commission, to implement a structured referee pathway of recruitment, development,

assessment and guidance of technical delegates and referees, delivered primarilythrough the NWPL.

Recommendation 7- NWPL and Club measures and standardsTo ensure that the NWPL is of the highest possible quality and competitiveness,

quantitative and qualitative measures and standards should be established. These

should then be used to provide evidence for any decisions on rule and/or structural

changes to the League. Further, all Clubs should be treated equally with regards rules

(including imports and transfers) and the guiding principle should be lifting all Clubs


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The review processIn mid 2010 the Board of Australian Water Polo Incorporated (AWPI) directed the ChiefExecutive to oversee a comprehensive review of the flagship Australian domesticcompetition, the National Water Polo League (NWPL). Subsequent to the 2010 NWPLClubs Forum in August 2010, the AWPI Chief Executive approached the Australian SportsCommission (ASC) requesting that the review be undertaken by an independent expertprovided by the ASC.

The NWPL, which began in 1990 as a competition to prepare the Australian (mens) team

to play in Europe, now plays an integral role in the high performance athlete, coach andofficials pathway for Australian Water Polo. The league has evolved and expanded (with awomens competition introduced in 2004), however despite intent to review the role andstructure of the league after the first three years, no formal review has ever beenundertaken. The purpose of the review was thus stated as:

To define and confirm the aims and objectives of the National Water Polo League

and its role in the athlete development pathway of Australian Water Polo Inc. Then

in order to achieve these objectives, the review will assess and make

recommendations on the optimal competition structure, timing, management and

overall delivery of the league.

The full scope and terms of reference for the review are attached at Appendix A.

The AWPI Board originally formed a Review Terms of Reference Committee to oversee thereview. A representative from the ASC was added to this group, which became the reviewSteering Committee (members are listed within the terms of reference at Appendix A). A

ki g g l t bli h d hi h i t d f th i J ki F i th


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participants were chosen to ensure robust discussion encompassing a wide range ofviews and ideas. The list of attendees is at Appendix C.

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of the NWPL wascompiled from information gathered during the review process. This SWOT analysis is atAppendix D and was used at the workshop and in the writing of the report as abackground for forming recommendations. Also discussed at the workshop were:

Aims, objectives and role of the NWPL;

Key issues to be addressed;

Impediments to change;

Options and considerations for the NWPL; andRequirements/ parameters essential for NWPL teams.

Subsequent to the workshop, all information was collated and this report was produced(and approved by the steering committee) with recommendations to enhance the NWPLas part of the national high performance system for water polo into the future.


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IntroductionWhile Water Polo in Australia is a relatively small sport in terms of participant numbersand media presence, it upholds Australias proud tradition of success in team sports. The1948 mens Water Polo team was the first to represent Australia in a mainstreamOlympic team sport. Since those Games, the Australian mens Water Polo team hasqualified for all but one Olympic tournament, with the highest result being 5th in both LosAngeles (1984) and Barcelona (1992). At World Championships the teams highestplacing is 4th (1998). Their best major international result was a bronze medal in the1993 World Cup. The biggest win for a mens team was victory at the World StudentGames in 2009. They are consistently in the mix of the top 8-10 teams in the world,against nations where Water Polo is well and truly a major sport.

The womens game internationally has a much shorter history however the AustralianWomens Water Polo team has been one of the most successful in the world over the last25 years. The Australian team won both the inaugural World Championship in Madrid,1986 and the inaugural Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000. They have subsequently won a

silver (2007) and a bronze (1998) at World Championships; and placed 4 th and 3rd in the2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, respectively. At the FINA World Cup (held every 2-4years since 1979) Australia has won 3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals, with only theNetherlands having been more successful.

The National Water Polo League was established in 1990 primarily to provide more high-level competition for the best players in our country to enable the National (mens) teamto prepare for international competition. The Australian Sports Commission provided seed

f di f $100 000 f th fi t th


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Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart and Perth; two teams from Melbourne and three fromSydney. By year three Hobart had been replaced by Adelaide and Perth had two teams.

Since 2008 there have twelve teams: five from Sydney, one from Newcastle/Hunterregion, two each from Brisbane and Perth, and one each from Melbourne and Adelaide.

Teams in the League are referred to as NWPL Clubs even though only half of the teamsare true stand-alone club teams. The others are either state teams (VIC and SA) orcomposite teams formed from three to four underpinning clubs. From the very beginningof the League this was the case with teams being a mix of pure club-based teams andstate teams. Each NWPL Clubnow provides a team to both the mens and the womens

Leagues.

The presence of the NWPL initially added 90 high standard matches played across 10weekend mini-tournaments. This added to the existing 20 national interstatechampionship games and the approximately 28 games played during the nationalinterclub championships. The national interstate championships were suspended from1995, due to the disparity in competitiveness between the states and in effect beingsuperseded by the successful solution provided through the NWPL. The national

interclub championships ceased after 1990, the first year of the NWPL. It continued to beheld for women until being replaced by the commencement of the womens League in2004. Since 2008, with the NWPL including12 teams in both mens and womensconcurrent competitions, there are 264 games in each competition (two rounds), plus afinals tournament.

In the early years the League was played in (early) winter, right before the internationalseason, but changes in the international calendar, along with a request from NWPLteams, saw the competition move back to earlier in the year from the late 1990s.


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Subsequently the GM worked directly with the Clubs and the Club culture and their senseof ownership of the NWPL grew.

The third phase coincided with two significant changes in 2004. One was the loss of theAIS mens Water Polo program and the other was the introduction of womens teams intothe League. With now twice the number of teams, the management and the governance(through the Clubs) of the League became more complex. Even though there wereincreasing numbers of mens national team players getting opportunities to play in qualityEuropean leagues, the loss of the AIS program meant a revitalisation of the importance ofthe NWPL to the development and preparation of the mens national team.

From 2005 AWPI made changes to take back ownership of the NWPL, with theadministration of the League brought back in-house, managed by the AWPI OperationsManager as part of his broader role. In mid 2006, effective for the 2007 season, each ofthe Clubs signed an Agreement to Participate with AWPI. This MOU set out the roles andresponsibilities of the Clubs and AWPI, with the aim of formalising the structure andraising the professionalism of the League. The agreement essentially gave the Clubs alicence to be part of the League for a five year period ending 30 June 2011.

Notwithstanding the changes and challenges associated with conducting the NWPL overthe years, the sustainability of the competition is a testament to the many passionate anddedicated people involved, particularly at Club level. All Australian (amateur) team sportsfacing the same issues: a) large/strong Vs small/weaker states; b) the cost and logisticsof travel within our vast but sparsely populated country; and c) limited resources. TheNWPL is very highly regarded within the Australian sporting industry for its tackling ofthese issues. The longevity, structure, resourcing and cost-effectiveness, playerdevelopment opportunities and even competitiveness of the NWPL are all consideredenviable characteristics of the League. Further, it has become a vital part of the


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Findings and recommendationsAims and Objectives of the NWPLOriginal aimsAs outlined in the introduction, the original aim of the NWPL was to prepare the Australian(mens) teams for international competition. The previous national womens coach (prior

to 2004) did not consider a NWPL as necessary for the preparation of the womens team.

From very early on the second and third aims (as above) were: a national competition,played at as many venues as possible as a vehicle for improving the profile of Water Polo;and to provide more opportunities for talented players. Part of this third aim wasencouraging teams from similar sized population centres rather than states as such, thusproviding more evenly matched teams presumably by targeting similar sized player pools.

While the overall aim of the high performance system in Water Polo is undoubtedly thequality and success of the national teams, the question to be asked is what role theNWPL now plays in achieving this success. Indeed it can be argued that despite an earlylift in performances, the mens world ranking has not improved significantly since theintroduction of the NWPL. This would be a simplistic view however, given the multitude ofcontributing factors in the constantly changing environment of international competition.

The NWPL has had limited success in achieving the second and third aims. Despite someTV coverage in the late 1990s, when the NWPL produced its own package for TV, the

L h t b th hi l f ti th t ld h h d Whil th


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The Competition is a non-profit water polo competition and aims to be revenue

neutral whilst minimising costs to participants.

The Competition aims to present itself as a professionally run organisation.

The Competition aims to provide an environment in which participants can

develop their life skills.

The competition aims to promote an environment of understanding, tolerance

and respect to all participants.

While all of these objectives are noble and reasonable at face value, in a practical sense

they are neither measurable nor well defined and are therefore not true objectives. Forexample, the first three talk about the NWPL as a core program and an integral part ofthe high performance pathway, but give no context or indication of what part(s) of thepathway the League fills, how it links to the overall high performance program, or whatrole each of the entities listed fills. Some of the other objectives are merely aspirationalstatements, not objectives. In short it is impossible to objectively assess the quality of theLeague and its effectiveness in achieving the stated objectives.

The key objectives should be designed to provide the definition of what success (for the

NWPL) looks like. They are a breakdown of smaller-pieced key items that, if all areachieved, will ensure the League achieves its aims. The aims in turn should supportAWPIs Strategic Plan. Currently there is no statement of the overall aim(s) of the NWPL. Itis essential to first define and clarify the aim of the League, i.e. what role it aims to playwithin the sport. The current AWPI Strategic Plan provides limited direction here, as theNWPL is listed under the Key Result Area (KRA) of Operations and the key performanceindicator is simple and somewhat vague: The National League is strengthened as animportant stepping stone to National teams.


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To improve standards of water polo and give players exposure to the best players,coaches and referees.

Vital pathway for selection into the national team provides an opportunity forNational Coaches and selectors to see the players over the season.

Experience with travel, multiple games, team bonding.

Elite club competition which produces players for the national team, but not avehicle to directly prepare the national team for international competition.

Needs to provide broad player development without losing the flagshipcompetition and opportunities to promote the game.

The National League should belong to everyone who plays water polo in Australia,

not just the 12 Clubs.To develop the sport and to produce elite athletes.

The purpose is no longer to directly prepare the national team but rather is adevelopment league to provide opportunity, pathway and incentive.

The overall theme of the responses was similar and in effect the NWPL has come toencompass all of the points above. At the Workshop there was general agreement withthe above points.

It is clear that the NWPL plays an important role in the preparation of National Team, butit is only one part of the overall preparation within a periodised annual plan. The NWPLhas come to play an important role as the competition component in preparing players tobecome part ofthe National Team. That is, it is a vehicle for developing players with theskills, experience and competencies to become high quality contributors to internationallysuccessful Australian Water Polo teams. Ensuring the players who do not ultimately makethe national team, are also of the highest possible quality (through the opportunities theLeague provides) is also important for the overall health of the League, the sport and the

i l S l h h h NWPL i l i l i i h


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Pathway role and alignmentThe NWPL has become an integral part of Water Polo in Australia. From NWPL Club tostate to national level, it is the flagship competition and a critical part of the pathway forathlete, coach, referee and administrator development. In order for the sport to continueto evolve and achieve excellence (in both high performance and delivery of participantneeds) it is important that the role of the NWPL (within the competition pathway andalongside the other pathways) is further defined with all pathways being aligned andcomplimentary.

High performance

Participant base

Competition PathwayThe current competition pathway in Water Polo is clear, with a full range of under-agecompetitions and also state-based grade competition leading into the National League(see Figure 1 in the next section). The two biggest issues to emerge from the review

di h i i h

Comp

pathwayAthlete

pathway

Coach &Referee

pathways


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selected from seeing the players compete in the NWPL. It is suggested that considerationneeds to be given to the resourcing and time cost compared with the benefit of this

competition.

An U23 national championship was held for the first time in 2010, as a privately runcompetition. It was held mid-year and did not affect the NWPL or local grade seasons.

The NWPL is a hybrid of club, state and composite teams. From gathering information onthe way the NWPL has evolved in each state indicates there are good reasons for theevolution of each type of Club. It is likely that to mandate one of the three optionsacross the board would be destructive for the Clubs and League as a whole. It is believed

that all three options can operate within the one League and that the choice leads tooptimisation depending on the state/regional situation.

There was much discussion throughout the review of the effect of the NWPL on state firstgrade competitions. The growth of the NWPL and its repositioning in the February to Aprilperiod has meant it has overlapped with the traditional state league summer calendarwhich runs from October - March in most states. There is also a significant overlap withmany of the clubs involved as most state first grade clubs either are the clubs in the

League or feed into the (state or composite) NWPL Clubs. This means that the first gradecompetition is either a prelude to NWPL and only runs October December, or issignificantly weakened once the NWPL begins in February. Either way, the strength of thefirst grade has diminished and the players who do not make the NWPL team are left toplay a lower grade or level.

The aim of AWPI is to bring every state in line, having a shorter first grade season,rebadged Premier League, ending in December (with other grades continuing as usualthrough until March). The reality seems to be that the NWPL has replaced first grade ash hi h l l f i i f h l b B h h ll


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Athlete development pathwayOutside of the competition pathway, the athlete development pathway is less welldefined. This is true for a lot of Australian sports as they have traditionally beenstructured around competition with athletes developed through competing. Additionally,since funding has primarily been for the elite end of the pathway very little formal athletedevelopment has occurred beyond where professional support is available.

In Water Polo, athlete development is organised at National Squad level and also

generally at NTC level where the programs are supported by the State and TerritoryInstitutes and Academies of sport (SIS/SAS). There is no clear development model orpathway at Club or State level, or direction on how these integrate with the NWPL. Theresult is confusion and frustration over who is responsible for the development of youngathletes (states and/or Clubs); when and how athletes are developed (loads, skills,stages); and how playing and training loads of talented young athletes are managed. Thefact that both NTC programs and NWPL Clubs have a role in coaching athletes from asyoung as 16 years of age, through to the national senior team and feeding into thepreparation of the National Team program, means there is a high need for coordinationand understanding of athlete development needs through this development span.

International Competition

NTC Challenge


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Figure 1 is a slightly modified version of AWPIs Athlete Pathway diagram, showing a mixof competitions and concurrent squads. The central part of the diagram shows the

national competition pathway. The NTC programs, run through the SIS/SAS, supportathletes from as young as the national U16 squad, but more often from U18 or U20squad level (with squads selected from national championships). Clubs also support thedevelopment of athletes through their involvement of state and national competitionsand local grade competitions.

Some of the most talented young athletes are also in demand for multiple state andschool teams, which further complicates the coordination of their programs. There is areal danger for these athletes of being overloaded, not getting the right coaching,

recovery and guidance and thus facing injury and/or burn out from the sport. For thosenot (yet) involved in NTC or NWPL, athlete development seems ad hoc at best, with veryfew States or Clubs (or schools) having the capacity to implement structured programs.

In order for the development of each athlete to be optimised there is a need for each partof the collective system to understand their role and responsibility in coaching,developing and preparing athletes. If there is good cooperation and coordination acrossthe National program, the NTC programs and the NWPL Clubs, the result will be higher

quality, enjoyment and satisfaction across athletes, NWPL and the national team. It isimportant to note that the concept of optimising athlete development is not just aboutnational team athletes. If the collective system supports givingeveryathlete theopportunity to optimise their individual potential then the quality and depth rises for all,as does enjoyment and satisfaction and even the broader appeal of the sport. Thisconcept is the primary argument for retaining the development aim of the NWPL.Without striving for improvement and optimisation, then the NWPL is just anothercompetition and has limited value for the development of the sport.


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the NTC coaches establish base fitness and skill and prepare athletes for the NTCChallenge. From January on, the best model seems to be that the NWPL Clubs then take

primary responsibility for the daily training environment of athletes, working on matchfitness and tactics, while the NTC coaches work with athletes more individually onspecific skill development and anything else as directed by the NHC. This system isworking well in many cases, however it is considered necessary to improvecommunication and coordination and to ensure NWPL Clubs are able to provide theappropriate training environment, and required quality and quantity of coaching for theirathletes.

Further to this, both mens and womens national programs are using electronic athlete

tracking systems to monitor training load and injury/illness status. If these systems wereextended to cover at least NTC athletes, it would be of benefit for athlete development.Adding to this, processes for tracking of training loads as well as injury status must alsobe developed for the NWPL Clubs to be able to improve working relationships andcoordination with NTC and national head coaches.

Finally, as part of optimal player development, it is suggested that AWPI should look atthe best way to ensure talented young athletes are not playing in too many competitions.

For example it is currently feasible that an athlete could be playing in U16, U18, U20,NWPL and schools competitions. Other sports restrict athletes to only playing in their ownage group, or at least selecting only one age group (i.e. they may play a higher age groupbecause they are more developed or skilled than their peers). The negative to thisconcept is that some smaller states may not be able to hold competitions or field teamsin all age groups each year.

In an increasing number of sports, a role of a National Technical Director (or similar) istasked with the overall responsibility for setting the strategy for the high performance


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Coaching pathwayWater Polo appears to have a number of good quality coaches throughout the system atnational, NTC and NWPL Club levels. There is however reportedly a lack of consistencyacross NWPL Clubs and a lack of depth in high performance coaching in general.Australia has been able to attract some very high level coaches from overseas, especiallyeastern European countries where Water Polo is a major sport. These coaches are veryknowledgeable, seem to have assimilated very well into the Australian culture and way oflife, and are contributing strongly to the Water Polo high performance system. Even

though there are also some excellent Australian coaches, the sentiment was expressedduring the review that the sport has failed to harness the knowledge gained by the morerecent generations of players who have trained under such high level coaches. Far toofew of these players are using their knowledge and experience to become involved ascoaches in the sport. There is little in the way of structured pathway or incentive to enticeplayers to become high performance coaches in Water Polo.

NWPL Clubs are continuing to recruit overseas coaches as increasingly Clubs arerealising that in order to retain players and remain competitive in the League it isnecessary to have high level, dedicated, professional (at least in behaviour butpreferably also remunerated) coaches. As discussed above, it is also imperative for theoptimal development of athletes, that very high quality coaches are in place at everyNWPL Club to provide and coordinate appropriate daily training. Thus it follows that it isessential for every Club to have dedicated professional coaches (paid and/or minimumaccreditation and experience) in order for the NWPL to fulfil its aims within the system.

There has been very little opportunity for remuneration for coaches below those


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NWPL level. However in some of the smaller states where depth and quality of coachingis an issue (e.g. SA) it is logical that the NTC coach should be able to fulfil a NWPL coach

role in order to ensure the quality of coaching, standard of training and competitivenessof the team is as high as possible. The NTC coach should also be working towardsmentoring and up-skilling other coaches in the state to be able to adequately fill the roleof NWPL Coach. In short it should be the responsibility of each coach in the system(particularly the professional full-time coaches) to take on a role of developing andsuccession planning the next level below them.

The coach pathway should align and compliment the athlete and competition pathways.Therefore the realisation of the factors discussed above regarding development,

communication and coordination of the athlete pathway, coupled with a culture ofsupporting each other and succession planning, will set the platform for improvement inclarity of the coaching pathway, resulting in higher quality and depth of coaches. It iscrucial that Australian Water Polo harnesses the existing experience and expertise of thebest coaches to develop the coaching pathway, encourage athletes to become coachesand mentor other aspiring coaches.

Recommendation 4That it be a requirement of all NWPL Clubs to engage dedicated professional coaches of

a minimum standard (i.e. minimum but high level of education and experience).

Recommendation 5In order to improve the clarity and quality of the coaching pathway and optimise athlete

development, a coach development strategy be created to communicate, coordinate and

f


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It seems that now the time is right for change with most of Australias highest levelreferees recently having stepped aside from FINA positions and showing the motivation

and passion to collectively lead and create a positive pathway for Water Polo refereesthrough the Australian Referees Commission.

The NWPL is the major vehicle in which to develop and provide experience to referees.Varying quality and depth of competition across the states has meant little structuredpathway at state level, affecting the opportunity for referees to progress. There is a strongbelief from the Australian Referees Commission that working with the Clubs through theNWPL, would provide an opportunity to improve the quality and depth of refereeingalongside junior development, as the two go hand-in-hand. To do this it is necessary to

create a more formalised structure within AWPI for developing, educating, mentoring andalso providing more support and incentive for referees at all levels.

The proposed structure would start with the Australian Referees Commission being madeup of Australias most senior and experienced referees. They would actively work withNWPL Clubs to identify and mentor high quality technical delegates, who would then inturn assess, guide and provide quality assurance for referees. An assessment tool hasbeen designed to provide structured feedback, quality control and the basis for ongoing

improvement for each referee in each game. This would be done by the delegates.

In addition, a rotation policy for the seven FINA referee nominations commenced in 2010.The policy is that the top four nominated Australian referees will remain constant, but atleast one of the bottom three will be rotated each year to provide experience, incentiveand a pathway to others aspiring to international level. This would also have the addedbenefit of ensuring more Australian referees have knowledge and experience of the gameinternationally, which will in turn improve the quality of referees in the NWPL.


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Issues and impediments to changeBefore discussing the options for any changes to the NWPL it is worth outlining some ofthe key issues and challenges facing Water Polo in Australia, as these are possibleimpediments to changing the NWPL structure and delivery. At the very leastunderstanding of the issues and challenges provides context for recommendationsaround enhancing the NWPL going forward. (The SWOT analysis at Appendix D providesfurther context). [Note that these issues are outside the scope of the current review andtherefore no recommendations are made in direct relation to them .]

Number and spread of members and clubsThere are between 10,000 and 12,000 registered Water Polo players in Australia,making it one of the smaller participation team sports in Australia (similar to Volleyballand Softball). There are probably the same number again playing in schools competitionsbut most are not captured as longer term players. Across the sport, the male to femaleratio is approximately 50:50.

This of course means that the available pool of players for higher level competition islimited however a smaller player pool does not necessarily mean lower quality. Smallernumbers could mean that only the dedicated and talented chose to pursue the sport.Also if the number of quality coaches is high in proportion to the number of players, thena greater number of players may have access to these coaches and subsequently be welldeveloped in their skill acquisition. It is difficult to judge whether or not this is the case forWater Polo in Australia.


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the ramifications of continuing to narrow the reach of Water Polo to the bigger citiesversus putting energy and resources into regenerating the game in the smaller states and

regional areas. It is noted that resources and facilities may be the limitation to this.

A final point on the club structure in general is that there is a huge history and pridewithin many of the clubs. The strength of this club tribalism is the backbone on whichthe NWPL survives and even thrives. Some clubs have a history going back 100 years ormore, and involve generations of families. The history and social aspect of the clubs andtheir tight knit communities must be considered and valued in any analysis of the sport.The clubs and the people involved are the heart beat of Water Polo.

ResourcesAs alluded to above, volunteers provide a significant human resource for the Clubs, NWPLand the sport overall. Even at the level of State Sporting Organisation (SSO) and thenational body, a large amount of work is done by volunteers, not only on boards andcommittees but also in administration, coaching and officiating. This is true for themajority of amateur sports in Australia, however in smaller sports, with fewer volunteers

to draw from, it is even more important to value and retain them.

Australian Water Polo Inc derives approximately 60% of its funding from the ASC/AIS, withthe majority of the $1.75 million grant earmarked for high performance (national team)outcomes. There is also an AIS program, with a budget of $500,000 to support thenational womens team. There was an AIS mens program from 19852005. In additionthe SIS/SAS support Water Polo with NTC programs in NSW, WA, QLD, VIC and an EliteDevelopment Centre (EDC) program in SA. There are also small EDCs in the ACT and TASbut with no SIS/SAS involvement. AWPI contributes to the salaries of SIS/SAS program


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Capacity of state bodiesThe capacity of the SSOs in Water Polo is seen as a limiting factor in the growth of thesport. Compared with Clubs and NTCs, the SSOs play almost a secondary role in eachstate. The four big states all have full-time Executive Officers and two or three otheremployees (mix of full and part-time). SA, ACT and TAS Water Polo are all run on a part-time and/or volunteer basis.

It is felt the SSOs have inadequate resources or expertise to run organised programs todevelop athletes, coaches or referees and that their major role is to organise the localgrade competitions. In the four larger states underpinning talented athlete programshave recently been established through the SIS/SAS, and delivered to varying degrees bythe relevant SSO through full-time Development Officers.

Certainly the SSOs have very little involvement or ownership of the NWPL and Clubs. The Clubs for the most part run independently of the SSOs and very much run theirprograms in-house. Their liaison, if any, is more likely to be with the AWPI OperationsManager for the running of the League and/or with the NHC or NTC coaches regardingdaily training environment of the athletes (especially those involved in national squads or

teams). The SSOs work around the NWPL and National Championships program whendesigning their own State Leagues and any state trials or squads they may have. The factthat National Championships are club based at least until U18 further diminishes SSOresponsibilities in favour of the strong clubs.

Pool space/ water access


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Structure of the NWPLOne of the primary aspects of the review was to consider the structure of the NWPL withthe objectives of:

ensuring the League is of the highest possible quality and competitiveness;

that the timing of the League is appropriate in relation to other competitions andwith regards to the annual cycle of athlete progression and periodisation,including for national team preparation;

maximisation of resources: human, financial and partnerships (e.g. SIS/SAS); and

meeting the aims of the League within the boarder context of the sport.

The aims of the League have already been covered in this report, but discussion offindings in each of the other areas follows, concluding with options andrecommendations for the NWPL structure.

Quality and competitivenessThroughout the consultation process there were mixed views regarding the quality andcompetitiveness of the League. Quality can be defined by both the perceived standard ofgames as compared to international Water Polo and the depth of the League i.e.competitiveness across all teams. Just in the last few years the NWPL Commission andAWPI have introduced a policy of capping the number of teams in the League at 12 pergender to ensure the quality and competitiveness does not become too diluted through


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other Clubs, all but Adelaide Jets and Hunter Hurricanes have made the top four.Adelaide has made the top six (elimination final) just once in the 12 years. Hunter have

only been in the League for five years. In addition UniWA has only made top four once,but top six a further three times. All other teams have medalled in the League. (Refer toTable 1 for details). [Note: Canberra, Hobart and AIS (grey highlight) never made top sixbut are no longer in the League].

Table 1.Summary of Mens NWPL results 1999-2010

1999-2010 Gd

Sve

Boe

Fh

T4

EmFn

Tao6

Ns

Fremantle Mariners 4 5 2 11 1 12 12Sydney Uni Lions 3 3 2 1 9 2 11 12Balmain Tigers 4 5 9 2 11 12Victorian/Hawthorn Tigers 1 1 2 4 4 8 12Cronulla Sharks 1 1 1 3 4 7 12KFC Queensland Breakers 1 2 1 4 2 6 12


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only made the top six on one occasion, but have only been in the League for two years.(See Table 2 for details).

Table 2.Summary of Womens NWPL results 2004-2010

2004-2010 Gd Sve

Boe

Fh

T4

EmFn

Tao6

Ns

Fremantle Marlins 4 3 7 7 7Brisbane Barracudas 2 1 2 5 2 7 7Cronulla Sharks 1 2 3 4 7 7Balmain Tigers 4 1 5 2 7 7Sydney Uni Lions 2 2 2 4 7Victorian Tigers 1 1 3 4 7KFC Queensland Breakers 2 1 3 3 7


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competitiveness as evidence for future decision making on League structure and teaminclusion.

On results alone, there is a level of justification for the elimination of some Clubs from theLeague. The obvious under performers, across both mens and womens Leagues, are theAdelaide Jets and the Hunter Hurricanes. Losing Adelaide would mean losing the last ofthe small states, leaving only New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia andVictoria. Adelaide has been a strong contributor over the years to the national teams andcontinues to develop very good junior players. The NWPL Club, backed by the SouthAustralian Sports Institute, is the pathway and aspiration for young South Australianplayers. However the reality is the Adelaide Jets struggle to retain talented athletes

beyond U16 level, at which time they are usually offered attractive opportunities frominter-state Clubs. There is the feeling that if Adelaide could retain a critical mass oftalented young athletes, they could develop competitive mens and womens teams. Thekey would be that enough young athletes together felt they had high quality coaching,support and the environment to excel as a team. Regardless, the consensus was that itwould not be a positive for the sport overall to lose the Adelaide NWPL Club as it wouldmean the loss of a pool of talent and further narrowing of the sports national reach.

The Hunter Hurricanes are similar to Adelaide in that beingthe only regional Club in theNWPL they tap into what is considered a very talented player base in the Newcastle/Hunter region, who may otherwise be lost due to the difficulty of regular commuting toSydney. The NWPL Club is drawn from five local clubs and has only been in the mens andwomens Leagues for five and four years respectively. With the additional benefit ofhaving good pool access and the promise of a higher quality coach in place for 2011,Hunter are considered to be a developing Club with future potential that again, moststakeholders see as important to retain.


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quality of their roster. There were rules around draft players, free agents, transfers andimports. The fact that the NWPL was and still is primarily an amateur league meant that atrue draft system to equalise teams could not work as players could not be made torelocate to another Club. In the early rules a player could choose to transfer as a freeagent or be drafted. Naturally players chose the certainty of negotiating as a free agentand the draft system was abandoned.

There are currently rules surrounding players transferring between Clubs, however theyare mostly around timing to ensure that players cannot change Clubs mid-way throughthe season.

While the NWPL is still essentially amateur, the reality is that some Clubs are in a betterposition than others to offer enticements to players to transfer. While this is sometimes inthe form of financial reward, it can also be opportunities for work or study or simply to bepart of a highly regarded Club with high quality coaching. Additionally there is a very realperception that being part of some Clubs gives athletes a much better chance of beingnoticed by the national coaches than being in lesser teams. This simple perception is asignificant hurdle for some of the weaker Clubs to overcome to retain their talentedplayers. More structured regulation of player transfers was canvassed during the

consultation process with the conclusion that in an amateur (or even semi-professional)league it is not possible to restrict players rights to play with the Club of their choice. Thebetter solution is to try to assist the weaker Clubs to offer a more attractive proposition toentice players to stay or become part of their Club.

In the early years of the League, Clubs were allowed up to five import players, withimports defined as players not holding permanent resident status. A further rule was thatno more than two could play in any game. The more recent rule is simply a maximum oftwo imports per team however for the coming season, in an attempt to help strengthen


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Timing of the LeagueAs outlined in the introduction, the NWPL was originally conducted over ten weeksleading into the international season, held in Europe in June-July. As the League grew andas the Clubs took more ownership (due to their increasing investment), the competitionwas moved back to earlier in the year. It now runs from the start of February (or lateJanuary) through until mid-April.

The majority of stakeholders consulted during the review felt that the current timing ofthe League within the calendar is about right. A small number of stakeholders questionedthe timing, but not with strong views that it was not right or proposals for alternatives,

apart from a return to the original timing to allow for the regeneration of a full local firstgrade.

There are two significant challenges associated with running the NWPL in winter months.Firstly it puts added pressure on an already stretched volunteer base by elongating theWater Polo season. In summer it is relatively easy to engage volunteers, officials andreferees as they are already actively involved in the clubs as part of the usual summerseason. Secondly, a large number of the pools used for Water Polo in Australia are

outdoor and, while they may be heated in winter, training and competition outdoors inwinter is a negative for supporters, volunteers and officials, as well as for the social andfund-raising activities that typically go along with Water Polo competition in the summer.

Since the NWPL commenced in 1990, the international season has also changed andexpanded. The womens national team now heads to Europe as early as May, right afterthe conclusion of the NWPL. The mens team leaves a little later and has a shorterinternational season, but the current timing is generally considered ideal for preparation.International competition dates can vary from year to year, especially in years when there


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Maximisation of resourcesAs outlined in the issues and impediments to change section, the major resources forthe high performance program are: AWPI staff and funding: significant funding from theASC; an AIS womens program; SIS/SAS support in NSW, QLD, VIC, WA and SA; both paidand volunteer coaches, officials and administrative staff; SSO HP development programs;and the NWPL and other competitions. In turn resources for the NWPL include: the Clubsthemselves; funding sourced from sponsors, benefactors, fund raising, athletes; somefunding, sponsorship and administrative support from AWPI; coaches; officials; highquality business people and other volunteers associated with Clubs.

The major questions around maximisation of resources are:

Are we best utilising and integrating each of the programs, partners and activities,i.e. the national teams programs; SIS/SAS programs and partnerships; the NWPLClubs and the NWPL itself?

Are we maximising financial resources?

Are we maximising human resources?

As outlined in the previous section, the timing of the League is generally consideredappropriate within the calendar and periodisation plan for the athletes. However, asoutlined in the section on the coaching pathway, better coordination is required to ensuremost effective delivery of quality and quantity of coaching to athletes, and maximisationof the coaching resources. Certainly in order to maximise the use of each program,partner and activity, it is essential to have clear roles, responsibilities andaccountabilities around the aims and objectives of each component and how they inter-relate and inter-depend.


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September, however this should be secondary and complimentary to the NTCprograms at this time.NWPL aims and objectives should be as discussed earlier in this report andshould be incorporated as part of the overall high performance program.

As outlined in the resources section of Issues and impediments to change, it would beimpossible for AWPI to replace the human and financial resources that the NWPLcurrently provides. Changing the League from club-based to state based or evenregionally based would almost certainly result in significant loss of human and financialresources (as well as energy and passion) for both the League and the Water Polo high

performance system. The fact that Australian Water Polo relies on clubs, volunteers andfundraising to run the national competition, is however a significant risk. It is essentialthat AWPI put a support structure and policies in place to ensure the NWPL and the Clubsinvolved are viable and sustainable.

During the review consultation process there were numerous examples presented ofgood practice and ideas around improving resourcing of NWPL Clubs. These includedideas for raising funds, ways of valuing and supporting members and volunteers,networking opportunities Water Polo can present, ideas for accessing and leveraging

expertise in information technology, promotion, media and marketing of the sport. AWPIshould work to identify and collate the best practices and ideas to create models,standards and/or guidelines for NWPL Clubs, which ensure each Club is not reinventingthe wheel. This process should also ensure that each Club has the best possible chanceof remaining viable, while minimising stress and pressure on Club personnel.

Recommendation 9


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Options for NWPL structureA key part of the review was to look at options for the overall structure of the NWPL.Currently the League is a 12 team, two round, home and away format (but modified tomake it as cost effective as possible), with a six team, four to five day finals tournament.A wide range of possible options for format changes were presented throughout thereview. Many of the concepts were canvassed across stakeholder consultations and allwere discussed at the final workshop.

A benchmarking exercise was also undertaking to compare national league structureswith other sports. Sports were chosen based on similarities with Water Polo, with themain criteria being amateur (or semi-professional) league. There was variation in theturnover of the National Sporting Organisation (NSO) and membership numbers andthese were noted in the comparison. The sports and leagues included were:

Basketball WNBL, and new second tier league (underpinning the NBL);

Hockey leagues (mens and womens);

Volleyball (mens and womens);

Softball;Touch football;

Football (soccer) Womens (W) League; and

Womens Cricket.

A summary of the comparisons is attached at Appendix E.

In addition, throughout the stakeholder consultations those with knowledge and insightinto various national Water Polo Leagues in Europe, provided some interesting comments


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Strength: retains all teams; all start equal; second half of season providesclose competition at the two levels; more pressure/incentive to play everygame well; aspiration through promotion-relegation.

Weakness: possibility that the strong teams will get stronger and weakteams get weaker; may lose (weaker) Clubs; logistically difficult; probablymore expensive; uncoupling of mens and womens teams.

4. State-based, possibly building on the NTC Challenge.

Strength: Gives states ownership and a stronger role; maximises use ofNTC coaching expertise.

Weakness: Lose NWPL competition; lose Club resources (human andfinancial) and dilute SIS/SAS resources; less teams with only 3-4 strongteams (and 2-3 weak); loss of quality players outside of NTC programs willdecrease overall quality and depth.

5. National Clubs finals system of clubs qualifying through state league (with aquota per state e.g. NSW four teams, SA one team).

Strength:lifts emphasis of state leagues; similar structure to current;should retain Clubs; opportunities for other clubs; possibly less teams.

Weakness: less certainly for Clubs regarding whether they will be in theLeague each year; less time to prepare and fund-raise; quality playersmiss out if their Club does not qualify; possibly less NSW teams which willincrease costs and decrease quality; reduced ability for AWPI to set Clubstandards and quality control parameters.


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Clearly the structure and the Clubs that have evolved provide the best solution in terms ofthe significant human and financial resources and passion they bring to the sport. Losingany part of this would be a setback for the League and the sport. An excellent point thatwas raised on several occasions was that if you cut people out, impose limits, or try toforce reductions you risk stifling growth, innovation and the energy that is the strength ofWater Polo. In addition, given the small number of clubs in the sport overall, losing anyclubs within the system a setback.

Options 1 and 3 above are the only options guaranteed to raise the quality of the League,as they concentrate the competition to the top six teams. Certainly a two division (ormore) promotion/relegation type league works well in European Water Polo and also in

some other sports. However, because Australian Water Polo is small and because of thesystemic issues raised earlier, there is a high level of risk and knock-on impacts with anymajor changes in the structure of the League. For option 1 to work for the sport as awhole and fulfil both aims of the NWPL, there would need to be more clubs and moredepth in the system to ensure clubs are not weakened or lost. This is actually true for allof the first six options. Concentrating the quality in the short term will make the Leaguemore competitive, however in the medium to longer term it risks discouraging anderoding an already small base.

The majority of the stakeholders were largely satisfied with the current structure. Idealwould be a true home and away format, with away trips being just two to three days(weekends), however all stakeholders conceded that this would not be cost effective.Retaining the most cost-effective structure possible was a high priority and it was notedthat it is a delicate balance trying to get the schedule right each year to try to make it asfair as possible, keep long trips to a minimum and keep the costs as low as possible.

The best, win-win solution then is the final option which is about raising the standard,


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There is to be regular reviewing of minimum and best practice standards It ishoped that the bar will continually rise due to competitive innovation.

A system of continuous monitoring, evaluation, feedback and improvement mustbe implemented and Clubs held accountable. If any Club fails to maintain theminimum standard, they have 12 months to ensure they are meeting standardsor their Licence will be revoked.

Initially the format of the League should stay the same (however optimal preparation forthe 2012 Olympic Games should take precedent). It is recommended that for at least thefirst two years, the 12 team, two round, home and away format be retained. It is hopedthat the guidance and direction provided by the setting of standards, along with the factthat in theory any club in Australia can gain a NWPL Licence, will provide significantincentive and aspiration to lift the standard of more and more clubs. In effect this systemprovides a business model for clubs to follow, which then offers the opportunity toimprove the strength and depth of clubs as well as their viability. If the sport is thenstrengthened as a whole, there will be a better basis from which to consider differentLeague structures such as the two tier, promotion and relegation model.

One issue which was raised, but by surprisingly few stakeholders, was the length of the

NWPL season. It would seem there could be a case for a shorter season if necessary fornational team preparation (e.g. in an Olympic year). Under the current structure this maybe difficult, although one option could be a one round competition followed by a longerfinals tournament.

The finals format was the major aspect of the current structure that did come undercriticism throughout the review. There was overwhelming consensus that the formatneeds to be improved. In particular there should be reward for the highest ranked Clubs


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Minimum standard and remuneration of Club coaches.

Minimum standards for Daily Training Environment, linked to the direction of NHC

and NTC coaches. Minimum number and quality of training sessions. Reportingsystem.

Under age teams (U14, U16...) either directly or from feeder clubs.

Mandated development program. Possible minimum number of members in Clubor underpinning clubs.

Provision and availability of delegates and referees.

Media and marketing plan and media officer.

Venue minimum seating, presentation standards, PA system, etc.

Availability of human resources volunteer pool etc.

Recommendation 11Upon expiration of the current Team Agreements (30/06/11), AWPI create a new club

licensing system with the following fundamentals:

a) A quota of Licences allocated per state (initially equal to current NWPL Clubs);

b) Clubs to bid for Licences based on strict eligibility standards;

c) Allocation of Licences is reviewed and open to bids every two years;

d) Regular review (and raising) of minimum and best practice standards;

e) All underpinned by a NWPL Business Plan based on the aims and objectives of

the League, and setting a clear vision and direction for Clubs and the sport.


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Promotion and marketingThe issue of promotion, marketing, sponsorship and general public awareness of thesport, through the NWPL was consistently raised by stakeholders during the reviewprocess. One of the initial aims of the League was to improve the profile of Water Polowithin Australia, however it has generally failed to do so. Even with the success of thewomens team at the 2000 Olympic Games, Water Polo remains a minor sport with verylittle media coverage or sponsorship (outside of dedicated Water Polo companies).

In the four or five years leading into the Sydney Olympics the League did receive sometelevision coverage, however the production was paid for by the Clubs, it took a lot ofwork, and the coverage was small. Now with an increasing number of digital TV channels,there may be opportunities for smaller sports like Water Polo to gain more TV coverage,but it will still be necessary to self-fund the production. AWPI has developed a reasonableonline video product. There is still some work to do around defining the optimal marketniche for the product in order to generate adequate revenue and ensure viability.

Even with an experienced media manager, AWPI and the NWPL struggle for media

coverage. With so many NWPL games week in week out, even in local media there is notenough of a story to generate media interest on a regular basis . The best opportunitiesprobably lie around the finals tournament and new media. The reality for most smallsports is that media is either local special interest stories or national team success.

Sponsorship is also very hard to access without a compelling story or point of difference.Apart from the biggest, main stream, well televised sports, most sports in Australiastruggle to gain any significant sponsorship. The reality is that the best avenue forsponsorship is through who you know, i.e. people from the sport, with a passion for it,


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Governance and ManagementNational leagues and competitions can and do survive without good leadership andmanagement, however they dont thrive. There was strong criticism that the NWPL haslacked strong leadership in the last four or five years, since coming back under the AWPIumbrella. The Clubs feel they have lost some of their sense of ownership, but that AWPIhas not really stepped up, taken responsibility and claimed true ownership. Throughoutthe review stakeholders were asking for AWPI to provide clear leadership, direction andmanagement of the League, but with the Clubs as partners and together havingownership and responsibility to create an enhanced national league that is thecornerstone on which the sport thrives. The creation of an enhanced Licensing system,underpinned by a quality Business Plan, will go a long way to achieving this. If donecorrectly, with the input of the Clubs, the system will assist Clubs to operate for effectivelyand efficiently as well as hold both AWPI and the Clubs accountable.

Certainly one of the biggest issues hampering AWPIs leadership of the NWPL is the factthat since 2005 the League has been managed only on a part-time basis, by an AWPIstaff member who has the broader Operations Manager portfolio. Prior to this, while therole was technically part-time, the Leagues General Manager was dedicated to the role.

He did not have other AWPI responsibilities and had more time to dedicate to running theLeague. Since 2004, with the inclusion of womens teams the size of the NWPL hasdoubled, further increasing the logistical workload.

The consensus from stakeholders during the review was that while the NWPL was beingmanaged well enough to run effectively, a part-time manager lacked the capacity to trulylead, plan, engage with the Clubs and bring the vibrancy and professionalism to theLeague that most desired. Subsequently it was stated throughout the review and strongly


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The NWPL Commission is an attempt to put a governance structure in place to: overseethe conduct of the League; advise the AWPI Board on League matters; and provideleadership and direction to the League (according to the AWPI constitution). According tothe NWPL Agreement to Participate, the role of the NWPL Commission is to use its bestendeavours (to) regulate, organise and promote the Competition.... In reality, theCommission is unanimously reported (even by Commission members) to be a toothlesstiger. It has only been meeting once per year and has unclear decision making ability atbest. The NWPL Commission is made up of three commissioners elected by the NWPLClubs and two appointed by the AWPI Board. The Chair person then becomes a memberof the AWPI Board and if this is one of the Club elected commissioners then theyeffectively become an AWPI person. Regardless, it was reported that it is not a

particularly attractive proposition to become a Commissioner and so it is difficult toattract the best people to the role.

The result of the current governance and management structure is that there is no clearleadership, no clarity in who ultimately makes decisions and no accountability.Subsequently there is mistrust between the Clubs and AWPI and no ability through thegovernance and management for proactivity or inspiring of excellence. The only avenuefor innovation and excellence in the League is through individual Clubs.

If the NWPL is to improve in its quality, competitiveness and its ability to fulfil its aims forthe sport as a whole, changes are needed in governance and management. In particular,if a new, more professional standard of Licensing is to be successfully implemented theremust be clarification of roles, responsibilities and decision making abilities. First andforemost, as outlined above, AWPI must lead the League through excellent managementand planningto truly value-add to the League.

At the NWPL Workshop, there was proactive and thoughtful discussion about the best


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(i.e. mens and womens teams, two representatives per Club). AWPI should also have avote. An additional vote/representation should be given to each of the seven SSOs. It isseen as important into the future to involve the states more, improve their capacity andcapability so they can grow in their ability to assist in the delivery of the sport. The totalnumber of votes/representatives at the Forum then will be 32 and its role should be:

to accept nominations and then vote for the NWPL Commissioners;

to approve the NWPL budget, particularly the annual Club contribution;

and to raise and discuss issues, ideas and innovations for the League, which willthen be solved, decided on or actioned by the GM, with the assistance of the

NWPL Commission as appropriate.

These changes to governance and management will require approval by the AWPI Boardas well as changes to the AWPI constitution. It was the strong consensus throughout thereview process and the final workshop that these changes and the otherrecommendations contained within the report will see significant strengthening andimprovement in both the NWPL and the sport of Water Polo in Australia as a whole.

Recommendation 14That AWPI employ an appropriately qualified, full time General Manager, reporting to the

CEO, with the responsibility and accountability to lead, plan and run the NWPL.

Recommendation 15AWPI create a renewed NWPL Commission consisting of four non-representative

Commissioners, elected for four year terms (staggered two year, half board elections) by


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Appendix A: Scope and terms of referenceReview of Australian Water Polo Incs National Water Polo League (NWPL)PurposeThe purpose of the review is to define and confirm the aims and objectives of theNational Water Polo League (NWPL) and its role in the athlete development pathway ofAustralian Water Polo Inc (AWPI). Then in order to achieve these objectives, the review

will assess and make recommendations on the optimal competition structure, timing,management and overall delivery of the league.

Scope and Terms of Reference1. Review the aims and objectives of the NWPL, with consideration of historical,

current and desired aims and objectives; as well as how these aims andobjectives inter-relate and align with the aims and objectives of:

The national high performance program;National Team selection and preparation;State high performance programs;NWPL Clubs.

2. Assess the role of the NWPL in the AWPI Athlete Development Pathway.Concurrently assess the role of the NWPL in the Coach Development Pathway aspart of alignment of athlete, coach and competition pathways.


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6. Identify the gap between what currently exists in terms of NWPL structure anddelivery and what is the most desirable model to meet the aims and objectives ofthe League and the sport of Water Polo in Australia. [Note: consideration will begiven between a blue sky model Vs practical realities of limited resources, time,opportunity, etc.]

7. Make recommendations as part of a review report, for the future of the NWPLincluding the following:

Confirm the aims and objectives of the NWPL;Outline the role and position of the league in the elite athlete (andcoach) development pathways and National Team preparation;the structure, format and timing of the NWPL;the governance and management structure of the NWPL;resourcing of the League;the role and inter-relation of national, state and NWPL Club coaches;the desired role of the SIS/SAS;effect on and relationship to other national and/or state competitions;

implementation strategies for any changes to the league.

8. Other factors that may be considered within the review:Any impediments to AWPIs ability to deliver the competition due to anyexisting structures of arrangements relating to the sport;

Any differences in aims, objectives or pathway between the male andfemale sides of the sport;

Optimal number of clubs (and/or tiering);

Timing and role of the League relative to international competitionopportunities (of both National Teams and individual players);


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Appendix B: List of stakeholders interviewedBrett Adams Sunshine Coast Water Polo

Jeff Barrow Coach of Vic Tigers

John Birch NWPL Commission - AWPI + Board

Alan Black WAIS Coaching Group Manager

Phil Bower Balmain; NWPL Commission; Olympic Referee

Ross Cogan First GM NWPL (and ED NSWPI)Simon Daley NTC Coach QAS; RSA National Team player

Barry Dancer QAS High Performance Director

Phil De Gail UNSW Wests

Mike DeFina Referees co-ordinator

Eddie Denis EDC Coach SA (former AIS and Vic)

John Fox National Men's Coach

Trent Franklin Chairman Athletes' Commission + Board; 2x Olympian

Suzie Fraser NWPL Commission - AWPI; Olympian

Michael Hahn Drummoyne

Jon Harmer SAWPI CEO; National Team Manager; player and coach

Chris Harrison AWPI - CEO

Noel Harrod Ref & former NWPL Gen Mngr


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Nick Martin Adelaide Captain; played 200+ NWPL games

Dalibor Maslan NTC Coach VIS (was Drummoyne)

Greg McFadden AIS & National Women's Coach

Doug McGhie +Ray & Richard

UWA - President (+ parents)

Russell McKinnon AWPI and NWPL Media Manager

Michael McNeill Chair Referees Commission

Ryan Moar NTC Coach NSWIS (former AIS, Syd Uni)

David Neesham Former player (3x Olympian), Coach (Melville)Paul Oberman NTC Coach WAIS (M); Olympian and AIS

Mick O'Brien Hunter Hurricanes; former player, coach and admin

Steve O'Keefe NWPL Commission - Elected (City Beach)

Aleks Osadchuk NTC Coach QAS; 20years as professional player in four countries

Steve Rippon Brisbane Barracudas

Andrew Ryan NWPL Judiciary Chair

Phil Scales Board Member - General; Chair WAWPI (Dolphins)

Scott Schweickle Natioanl Development Manager; player, coach, referee

Annebelle Sides President of VWPI and former player

Russell Small Inaugural NWPL Commission Chair; former player

Ray Swinnerton UNSW Wests; former player and coach

Peter Szilagyi NTC Coach WA; Aust U20 F coach; Former Hungarian player and coach


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Appendix C: List of attendees at the NWPL workshop24 November, 2010. CanberraWorkshop participants

Phil Bower Balmain; NWPL Commission; Olympic Referee

John Fox National Men's Coach

Jon Harmer SAWPI CEO; National Team Manager; player and coach

Noel Harrod Referee; Former NWPL General Manager

Phil Howden Brisbane Barracudas

Peter Hughes President City Beach

Damian Kelly Melville WP Club Manager

Gill Manson VWPI CEO

Greg McFadden AIS & National Women's Coach

Ryan Moar NTC Coach NSWIS (former AIS, Syd Uni)Russell Small Inaugural NWPL Commission Chair; former player

Ray Swinnerton UNSW Wests; former player and coach

Observers

Chris Harrison AWPI CEO

Peter Hobday AWPI Operations Manager


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Appendix D: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)Strengths Weaknesses

Twenty year history of sustained NWPL.

The quality of people in the systemvolunteers,coaches, referees, business people.

Club tribalism, passion and sense of community.

Club-based revenue generation (= investment)

and problem solving (= innovation and ideas).

Rivalries which challenge and raise the bar.

League is aspirational for younger players, plusprovides training games for elites.

Current format gives opportunities to more:o Juniors to play with seniorso Late developerso Current national players to play alongside

and learn from former national playerso Players to be retained in the game.

Involvement of smaller states and a regional area.

Aspiration of other clubs to be involved if givenan opportunity.

Strength of underpinning U14 and U16 agegroups.

Lack of definition and clarity around NWPLobjectives and its role in the system.

Lack of strong leadership of the NWPLno clearownership, authority or risk management.

Limited involvement and capacity of the SSOs.

Perceived lack of depth in the competition.

Varying standard of NWPL coaches.

Varying standard of NWPL referees.

Limited pool access for majority of clubs.

Sydneycentric, and narrowing to big cities.

Lack of coordination and optimisation of playerstrainingacross National, NTC, NWPL and Clubprograms (plus state and school for some).

Limited accountability of Clubs/teams.

Lack of structure underneath the NWPL.

Small overall member base and number of clubs(trend of losing clubs, especially in regions andsmall states).

Very little sharing of ideas or modelling best


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Review of the Australian Hockey National Training Centre System Page 51 of 57

Appendix E: Benchmarking of comparison sport national leaguesLeague WNBL 2

ndTier Basketball Mens/Womens Hockey Mens/Womens Volleyball

NSO Basketball Australia Hockey Australia Volleyball Australia

Turnover $7,100,000 BA $6,500,000 (HA) $ 2,900,000 AVF

Membership

388,000 participants

170,000 BA members

176,100 participants

118,000 members

12,040 Members AVF

No. Teams 10 16 8

5 (note: No Mens Teams fromQld and SA in 2010competition)

Type of TeamsMix of private, SSO aligned,regional association alignedand university aligned.

Club teams SSO controlled, staterepresentative teams.

Clubs (smaller clubs haveinput from SSO i.e. ACT)Looking to work towards allSSO teams.

Funding User pays. Clubs pay tocompete in the league.Franchise/ Licensing system.

User pays. Clubs pay tocompete in the league(licence/ central pool +team costs).

Bottom up. SSO paysmajority, with balance pickedup by players (including fundraising).

User pays ($5000)

Uni Teams have subsidisedfees.

AIS teams do not charge

players.

Role of SSO Limited. ACT and WA play arole in management butotherwise no formal tie.

Each state is allocated anumber of licences. SSOsthen vet applications andoversee quality controlagainst licence criteria.

It is essentially the stateopen age rep team, so SSOshave full responsibility.

Player registration, running ofvenue for round if in theirstate.

Role of SIS/SAS No role No role Varies. In some states linkedto NTC so coachingresources through SIS/SAS.

Minimal. SASI and QIS have arelationship with local clubs.

Other resources

3 full-time employees

NSO subsidises coststhrough sponsorshiparrangements (i.e. flights,accommodation).

No subsidy from sponsorship.Resources used to fundpromotion of the leagueinternally.

Looking at 5 year plan tocommercialise.


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League Format Home and away season. Home and away seasonwith clubs split into 2conferences of 8 based ongeography Some cross overmatches. Promo/ relegationwith state leagues.

Changes from year to yeardepending on internationalschedule and wishes of eachNHCs. Generally a 2-3round, round robin styletournament.

3 weekends (two roundweekends of 3 games and afinals weekend).

Timing October-March April-September Has traditionally beenFebruary-March, howeverthis year was June-July tolead in to Commonwealth

Games.

Mens Oct (some overlap withinternational season whicheffects those participants)

Womens April-July.

Promotional/media Have a part time mediaperson within BA that looksafter the WNBL. Benefit fromfree to air coverage on ABCwith 1 game per week shownand live finales. Largely clubdriven in their own markets.

Will now come under BA,but onus will be on clubs tomarket and promote in theirlocal area. Some web-casting.

Nothing specific, howeverHA has a media person whowould do some promotion.Limited print mediaexposure.

Driven solely by SSO andClubs for teams. AVFresources online mediastreaming of content for theirwebsite of finals and live textcommentary of all games onthe site.

League Quality Excellent. In top 6competitions in the world.

Was previously quite goodas narrower SEABLcompetition, but new formatwill lift the level to underpinNBL competition.

Excellent. In the top 2-3leagues in the world. 8teams would appear to beenough for a good spread oftalent.

?? Mens hampered byInternational competitiontaking players in that time.

Womens Comp is the highest

level achievable in AUS.

Role in Pathway Varies between beingpinnacle for some and part ofTID for national teamselection. AIS team competeto improve competitiveness.

For players in the regionalassociations it is thepinnacle. Forms a steppingstone for players to moveinto the NBL, or platform forfringe NBL players to dropback and develop theirgame.

Feeder competition fornational team selection.

Also provides competition fordeveloping athletes, to playalongside national teammembers gain experience.

Minor role in Mens league dueto AIS program.

Womens league is selectionforum for national team.

Coaching Quality Excellent. All nationalprogram coaches coach atWNBL level.

Reasonable. Generally good, but rangesbetween funded (SIS/SAS)and non-funded (volunteer)coaches.

Min Level 2

Womens league has NationalCoaches coaching.

Links with Nationalcoaches

A collaborative relationshipexists where the club coachesunderstand what developmenttheir national squad playersrequire.

Not relevant. Strong link to nationalcoaches who have stronginfluence on game style etc.This can vary depending onnational coach and state

Ad hoc contact betweenNational Coach and league forthe mens. Womens hasformal gathering and pass onof information at the National


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coaches. Training Camps involving allLeague coaches

Links with NTCs AIS fields a standalone teamfor development against moremature and experiencedplayers.

AIS fields a standaloneteam for developmentagainst more mature andexperienced players.

AIS program is linkedstrongly with the Australianteam. AIS athletes arereleased into the system andplay for their state.

Womens NTC

Draft system None None N/A N/A

Cost equalisation Travel (flights only) Some travel Applies so WA, NT etc pay

the same to compete asother teams.

Travel costs equalised based

on pre formatted formula

Player contracts All players are contracted andhave them lodged with theleague.

Not required. N/A N/A

Club guidelines/Quality Assurance

Licence agreement for clubssets out the operationalframework

Licence system beingdeveloped, with strictguidelines and standardsfor clubs to gain a licence.

Apply, with a set ofguidelines that apply inrelation to policies of the NLthat teams must agree toand comply with.

Conditions of entry controlquality.

Transfers/ subs/imports

Once player is out of contractis a free agent. Limit of 2

imports per team.

No issues in playermovement. Limit of

imports/marquee players. 2category A (import or playerthat has played x minutes inprevious NBL season) and1 category B (lower minutesin NBL). Revising

Players not selected canplay for another state, but

are free to move back totheir home state.Otherwise, can transfer butrequires sign off by the homestate. Teams can have up to2 imports.

Player release system fromSSO to transfer for a 6 month

period.Some imports playing in theleague (Womens mostly) butmore due to external factorssuch as study.

Finals Format Top 5. 4th

v 5th

eliminationfinal. Then McIntyre final 4.

Each conference has aMcIntyre final 4. Onlyrecently have had achampionship game,however conference titlesare considered moreprestigious thanchampionship due to

history.

Changes from year to year,but generally semi finals inthe top and bottom 4, withplay offs for 1

st, 3

rd, 5

thand

7th

.


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League Touch W League Womens Cricket Softball

NSO Touch Football Australia Football FederationAustralia

Cricket Australia Softball Australia

Turnover$3,785,000 (TFA) $85,000,000 (FFA) $146,500,000 (CA) $2,500,000

Membership 155,875 Members384,600 Participants

472,600 Members (FFA)

73,200 Female (ERASSorg/non org)

605,000 Members

14,000 Female Participants

30,700 Members

No. Teams 8 7 7 (parallel competitionT20/ODI)

6 (all states excl/ NT and Tas)

Type of Teams TFA owns all elite 8 teams.Rough regional alignment (3xQLD, 3x NSW Metro, NSWcountry, the rest)

Managed by SSO (exceptAdelaide) but are aligned toan A League club and carrythat branding (exceptCanberra who are standalone).

SSOs State representative teams.

Funding User-pays. Players pay toattend national league(subsidised by minimalsponsors, fundraisers etc)Currently NTL regions pay aBond to TFA, unknown if 8shave similar system.

FFA provides support inthings like travel andequipment. Also provide$20K to bring in fly-ins,imports etc. SSO tips insome money and club mustcome up with the balance.

Funding from CA intogeneral cricket program,some specific funding towomens cricket outcomes.(ACT expenditure $125-150K).

User pays. Teams pay tocompete.

Role of SSO Minimal as Touch is a hybridunitary model, but somedebate between NSW andQLD over the process.

Manages the club. Provideshuman resources for clubuse out of SSO program.

All 7 managed by SSO Teams are the shopfront of theSSO.

Role of SIS/SAS None. Trying to becomeinvolved with ARU academy.

Provides a number of squadmembers, and alsoprovides other resourceslike coaching, SS/SM etc.

Cricket Academy systemworks strong in aligningcoaches (mentoring system)through the league and upinto the national teams inboth mens and womens

Provide varying degrees ofinput, but largely provideplayers, coaches etc. Generalalignment of SIS/SAS andState teams.


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along with player support fordevelopment (driven bynational coaches).

Other resources N/A Investment from Foundations(e.g. Kerry PackerFoundation) via scholarshipsand support for semiprofessional player base

League Format 4 day carnival held bi-annually with NTL (regional

annual competition). SOOheld alternate years.

Home and away season. Each competition weekendteams play 2x T20 and 1 x

ODI. 6 weekends in all

3 rounds of round robin play,with additional games in round

3 that exclude NZ. The NZteam who form part of aseparate competition runparallel to the Gillies Shield.

Timing Held in March. In the processof attempting to align with theTrans-Tasman series/WorldCup HP pathway.

November to February. Oct-Feb (aroundinternational matches whereneeded)

Round 1 is over 3 days in midNov. Round 2 is over 3 days inmid Dec and round 3 is over 4days in early Jan.

Promotional/ media Nothing significant. FFA provides some internalsupport. Broadcast of 1 livematch per week on ABC1.Promotion is largely clubdriven in local market.

Minimal promotion/mediaat CA merged with mens.National team getspredominance of nationalexposure (SSOs responsible

for local exposure, variedresults)

T20s being played as warmups to Mens comp.

Finals T20 played in line withMens Final with Foxtelcoverage recently

NSO provides minimal.Nothing specific.

nwpl review report final

Documents