WAFC announces chairman, claims $220m benefit

The WA Football Commission has announced the appointment of Wayne Martin as its next chairman, while also launching a report that quantifies the impact of the sport.

The former chief justice will replace Murray McHenry in 2020.

Mr McHenry is approaching his maximum decade-long tenure under the WAFC constitution, having served as chairman since 2015 and as a commissioner since 2010.

Mr Martin, who is currently a non-executive chair at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and at Parkerville Children and Youth Care, was appointed to the WAFC board for a three-year term in January.

“I look forward to leading the WAFC team as we broaden community engagement with our great game at all levels,” Mr Martin said.

Cheryl Edwardes has also been endorsed by the WAFC to serve as vice-chairman from 2020, pending reappointment at the WAFC elections in November.

She was elected to the board in 2016 and re-elected for a further three-year term from 2017-2019.

WAFC has also launched a social return on investment report, which assesses the social and economic impact of local football to the Western Australian community.

The WAFC said the report was a first for the industry and provided the board with the ability to track social impact on an annual basis, using club-based participation as its key metric. 

Compiled by consultancy ACIL Allen, the report found that for every dollar of input in local football, the industry produces $2.16 worth of social and economic benefits for WA.

Local football contributed an estimated $220.3 million in direct and indirect economic output, representing 17.2 per cent of the state’s arts and recreations services sector, for the 2016-2017 fiscal period.

It also accounted for more than 1,400 full-time direct and indirect jobs across the state.

The report also found that people who are part of a local football club are provided with the equivalent of $3,000 worth of social benefits in areas such as mental and physical health, and personal wellbeing.

WAFC chief executive Gavin Taylor said the benefits of local football went beyond matches.

“Now we have the research findings to confirm this,” he said.

“It makes sense that being active and connected to a community through a club has mental health benefits.

“What ACIL Allen has done is put numbers next to these and other benefits, which helps us appreciate just how important footy is to the WA community.”

Mr Taylor said the report assisted the WAFC in its focus to contribute more to WA communities and provide positive impacts to people who engaged with local football.