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The following is a website post by Michael Gosier.
A number of paragraphs have been deleted for they provide no reference to our current situation.
However he provides strong content as to the future of the Club and in doing so an explanation as to the decision of the Tigers Board of Management to withdraw from the NEAFL Competition.
An article published in the local Queanbeyan Age late this afternoon (Tuesday) confirms that the Tigers are withdrawing from the NEAFL. The article follows an announcement by the AFL and appears to have been published at about the same time our players, coaches and support staff were being officially informed of the withdrawal and the reasons for it. The article can be read at: http://www.queanbeyanage.com.au/story/2466376/queanbeyan-tigers-pull-out-of-neafl/?cs=1655 Our proud club will be returning to a revamped AFL Canberra competition from next year. While the initial shock over the withdrawal will take some time to come to terms with for some of our players and supporters, in time I hope they come to terms with it the way I have. When a first heard several weeks ago of the likelihood of us not continuing in the NEAFL I was gutted. If I were 20 years younger I’d love to be playing NEAFL and testing myself week in week out against quality opposition, even future and recent AFL stars. But the reality is that financial constraints make it impossible for us to continue without jeapordising the long term future of our club. I’ve come to terms with the decision to withdraw and am now looking forward to the next phase in our club’s history. Before NEAFL we were a strong, highly successful, well resourced and well supported, proud club with deep roots in tradition. We’ll be returning to community football where we’ll quickly re-establish ourselves in the same vein. The difficult task of match scheduling for the NEAFL, and the need for many standalone games, has in some respects impacted heavily on our club. Getting back to community footy and playing three grades all on the same day at one venue will re-build some lost atmosphere and peer support amongst the playing group. Playing all on the same day at the one venue will lighten the load for our large band of dedicated volunteer trainers/masseurs/strappers/timekeepers etc. We’ll be able to get back to having team awards and more social functions at our licensed club, increasing camaraderie across the grades and improving turnover for the licensed club. We’ll also be able to provide increased value for our sponsors. Despite not competing at the highest level available to us, our club will remain strong. We have home facilities second to none in the ACT, volunteers who in their own words tonight “will stick with the players if the players stick with them”. We have great people at our club and a desire to ensure we are stable and successful long into the future. We’ll continue to provide opportunities and pathways for players coming through our juniors or being recruited to our club to play at the highest level they are capable of. Yes, this decision will mean that some players and coaches will have to think long and hard about their own plans. Some of our players might like to continue playing NEAFL, albeit at another club. Some may seek the experience and remuneration of country footy, while some may now see themselves as being an even bigger part of the club’s future at the level of footy we’ll now play at. To all the clubs remaining in the NEAFL, all the best of luck to you. We’ve enjoyed coming up to Qld and Sydney to test ourselves, albeit it with limited success this year. We look forward the rest of the year where our First Grade, Under 18s and Women’s grades are all well positioned for their finals campaigns. Their success will help to set us up for next year and for our future. Players in our NEAFL team look forward to the last three matches, all at home, against the Giants (which will be another learning experience and chance to test themselves against future stars) followed by Ainslie and Eastlake (which no doubt will add a little spice to those contests seeing as those clubs are remaining in the NEAFL for the time being). I can also announce that in addition to informing our players tonight of the decision to withdraw from the NEAFL it was announced that I have been appointed as the new General Manager, Football Operations for the Queanbeyan Tigers – a job I can’t wait to start in the next couple of weeks. It will be a big change for me after nearly 25 years in the public service, but it is one I’m really looking forward to. Chook Fowlie resigned as General Manager for no other reason other than to allow a younger person handle the onerous day to day management of the Tigers organisation. He is staying closely involved with the club and will continue as a member of our large band of volunteers. Regards, Michael Goiser