Moulamein Football Netball Club

History

Bar manager Conrad Ivers said, “Thirty years ago Moulamein probably deserved its ‘Wild West’ reputation for heavy drinking and playing up”.  Today, Club president Dick Lucas describes the Moulamein crew as, “a bit wild but not badly behaved”. Even six or seven years ago the club experienced several disturbing alcohol-related incidents and occasional fights occurred.  With the licensee reprimanded and the club’s license under threat, licensee Glenn Atkins led the club into the Good Sports program to turn things around. 

As Dick Lucas says, “In a small and isolated community when there’s trouble, the whole club gets disrupted”.  Key things the club did to create changeThe club joined Good Sports in April 2001 and embraced the Good Sports accreditation model strongly. In 2004, the club formulated and implemented a Code of Conduct incorporating an alcohol management policy. This is displayed throughout the clubrooms to make members and guests aware of the policy.  In addition:

• The club dropped Happy Hour, which was a tradition at club vote count.

• Put a limit on drinks tickets at social functions.

• Ended BYO alcohol events.

• Holding an annual over 18’s black-tie ball which concludes
  at midnight.

• Providing substantial meals at the club.

• Junior presentation functions non-alcohol events.

• Promoting junior sports and coaching.

• Holding a father son footy match, an underage disco and an Old Machines and Collectables event annual at the clubrooms.

Moulamein has deliberately structured its social events so that there is difference between adult-oriented events and family-focused events. Where the emphasis is away from drinking alcohol and all about families socialising together.

Challenges & difficulties

Initially the introduction of Good Sports was met with uncertainty as club members weren’t aware of the program and what was expected. The committee was persistent in getting the message across and particularly concentrated on Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training. Almost forty club members now have RSA qualifications.

The Outcome

The club’s leadership has taken a ‘one step at a time’ approach to change, but feel that in the past five to six years (coinciding with Good Sports participation), they’ve built a club that has won respect within the community.

Club President Dick Lucas believes that nobody drinks and drives from the club any more. Dick and his wife Francine take many of them home in a Pajero bus and others walk back to town. It’s common to see many parked cars at the club on a Sunday morning.  Good Sports contact Jan White says that there’s been a strong behaviour change and ready acceptance now of provisions of the club’s alcohol management practices. Nobody complains about the junior presentation being alcohol-free.  The club has noticed that alcohol sales are down at social functions, although overall, alcohol makes up much the same proportion of club revenue, probably due to an increase in member numbers.

The club is proud of having attracted more ‘community’ members, those without playing connections to the club, putting this down to efforts to meet the social needs of all ages. A strong contingent of older club supporters are present at home games, even away games are well attended by Moulamein supporters.   Moulamein FNC in 2006 had sponsorship worth $15-20,000, an increase of 50% from previous years.  

New sponsors of the club are diverse, including tradespeople and farmers. Having a small population base, Moulamein relies on players from outside its local community playing for the club. Part of the secret of success in player retention has been the practice of embracing the players’ families in a family friendly atmosphere. Club president Dick Lucas says that, “In a time when it’s tough to find enough people to do things, we run the club as service to our community, to help it pull through”. He also added, “Without the footy club, the kids in Moulamein would have nothing to do…and then there’d be trouble”.