CEO MEMBER UPDATE

To all our valued members, partners and stakeholders,

I write to provide an end-of-week update from my desk, following what has been another immensely challenging week for all within our community.

Whilst we encounter unprecedented and previously unimaginable restrictions and lockdown measures across society, the football industry in turn continues to make swift and decisive changes to traditional operating models to protect itself from exposure – both in the health and economic sense.

Our outlook of playing 2020 WAFL football remains directly linked to the May 31 date, our current postponement review date, and we are all watching closely to assess the ongoing COVID-19 impact on the community and what that means for us.

Whilst maintaining this close and watchful brief, we do not sit idle. The South Fremantle Football Club is in the process of undertaking substantial cuts to our operating model to ensure that we operate as lean and clean as we can to protect the club from the current crisis. Our intent is to be fully prepared and resourced to bounce back strongly as soon as we’re permitted.

To this end, and with much regret, I wrote to all members of our football department this week to outline a serious but necessary measure – the complete shutdown of our football program until further notice.

This measure extends to all football payments for all personnel along with a freeze on all football related expenditure. As you can imagine, this was a difficult memo to write, one that I never anticipated having to write in this, our 120 ^th celebration year, but it was one that the current situation demanded. Our people affected have been magnificent in their understanding, and for this I thank them, and applaud everyone’s club-first attitude.

We’re a family-based football club who are competitive by nature. Our purpose is to play hard but fair football, striving to win. Acting as a shining light for our community, we are always seeking to bring people together, making them proud.

Whilst our ability to do some of the above is temporarily on hold, not all of it is. Our desire to maintain an active, open and positive relationship with the South community has not changed, nor will it change, even in this challenging period.

We have invited fans to share their #southstories with the club, everyone working together to help boost morale and keep our club and our people front of mind. It’s really simple – send us your images and memories, and we’ll post them across our digital channels.

To our commercial partners and members, I thank you sincerely for your ongoing loyalty and support. It is a time of uncertainty for all, especially the business community, and our greatest hope is that you will stick by us, support us, and help us to navigate these troubled waters that present such financial uncertainty.

I know that we have the most loyal and committed supporters and partners in WA sport, and the time is now for us all to be as one, a united team, displaying the Bulldog spirit.

To close, I would like to highlight the West Australian Football Commission, who overnight implemented their own broad and deep measures to ensure financial sustainability, inclusive of standing down 72 full-time staff. Clearly a most difficult and heartbreaking time for so many.

We at South are a component of the broader, proud WA football industry, and we stand as one with football people right now, as we do the entire community, and we acknowledge and admire the sacrifices being made across the whole of Australia to ensure that our future is assured.

For now, please remain safe

Go Bulldogs

Cameron Britt
Chief Executive Officer
South Fremantle Football club