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Well 2005 is rapidly coming to an end and as Touch offices around Australia send their staff away for a well earned break, I thought it was time to reflect on the happenings of 2005 and the year that was… JANUARY: * The year began with the Youth World Cup, held at Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast. Australia sent 6 teams, Under 18’s and Under 20’s in Mens, Womens and Mixed, with all 6 teams making the grand final against New Zealand. The Mixed 18’s defied all odds to reverse their round match losses against the Kiwis and claimed their title, while the Womens 20’s were a class above the NZ side for the whole week. The Mens 18’s, Womens 18’s and Mixed 20’s all went down in tough matches. Unfortunately for the Mens 20’s they lost in a drop off to their Kiwi opponents, in one of the most incredible matches seen in quite some time. All credit must go to the Aussie players, who produced some of the best team Touch ever seen, despite playing with one less player on the field for a majority of the match. FEBRUARY: * February saw Lou Tompkins appointed as National Director of Referees, Cathy Gray re-appointed as High Performance Programs Director. It also saw massive storms hit the NSW Junior State Cup, with the 12,000 spectators, officials and players running for cover from the gale forced winds and lightning. Finally, Touch Football Australia appointed a new Chief Executive Officer Kevin Thompson who was welcomed into the office and began working with Bill Ker to transition into the role. He began to focus his time on the Unitary Model of Management and everything that would stem from that. MARCH: * The month of March is the NTL. The premiere event on the National calendar, the NTL brings the best players from around Australia together in Open, Under 20’s and Senior divisions. The Sydney Mets defended their 2004 Champion Permit title, winning the Mixed Open, Womens Open, Mens 30’s and Mens 35’s title. South Queensland Sharks weren’t too far behind, winning the Mens Open and Womens 20’s. The boys in the Fishbowl continued to build the tradition of both organisation and humour coming out of the tournament control tower. The event was praised as the best ever NTL, each year the event is gaining more momentum and seeing new initiatives tested. Involvement is constantly on the rise, as is media coverage for the event. APRIL: * The first edition of Touch-e-Talk, the online newsletter was launched! It has continued to be a great success, full of stories, information, drills and ideas. TFA announced their National Training Squads, with four Youth World Cup Under 20 representatives (Claire Winchester, Roxy Winder, Justin Mitchell and Andrew Baggio) being named in the squad for the first time. Claire, Roxy and Justin then went on to be selected in the Open sides for the All Nations Championships. MAY: * Ian Stanley was appointed National Performance Analyst and Dennis Coffey was re-appointed as National Coaching Director. The Unitary Model continued to build momentum, with representatives from around Australia meeting to discuss business management principles under the Unitary Model such as Communication, IT Infrastructure, Management and Policy, Operating Rules and Procedures, Customer Service Principles. JUNE: * Chinchilla Touch were one of the stories of the year…having sent one team to the 2004 Qld Junior State Cup, they undertook the AusTouch junior development program, with astounding results…just a few weeks later they were sending 7 sides to the 2005 Junior State Cup, with a large majority of the kids having come from the AusTouch program. It is fantastic to see the growth and development in Chinchilla and highlights the benefits of the AusTouch program! The Unitary Model continued on as delegates from each state and territory gathered in Canberra for the AGM and SGM, to vote on a new constitution that would fundamentally change the way the sport is managed and delivered across the country. The vote in favour of the new constitution was unanimous, with all state delegates raising their hands to bring a new direction for Touch and a revolution in management for the sport itself. Colm Maguire was announced as the new Game Development Manager and the TFA Board announced that an advisory committee, audit committee and governance committee would be set up to help with the implementation of the Unitary Model. JULY: * The Australian Open sides were announced for the All Nations Championships, while referee abuse and anti doping were the hot topics of the month. The TFA office was busier than ever with the end of financial year and tax requirements taking up everyone’s time. By far the biggest event of the month however was the farewell for Bill and Gwynne Ker. They officially retired at the start of July and their friends and colleagues partied it up to wish them all the best. Now they’ve been traveling around Australia and spending time with their children and grandchildren. We still miss them and continue to wish them all the best. AUGUST: * The US soldiers in Iraq contacted the TFA office, looking for Touch balls and resources to use overseas. They told a great story of sport in the midst of war, of how they were introduced to the sport by Aussies and had a regular and constantly growing group taking part. Preparation for the National 18’s Championships was almost complete and the office was beginning to overflow with bags, clothing and uniforms for the upcoming All Nations tournament in October. SPETEMBER: * The National 18’s Championships dominated the news, with the Southern Suns ending the recent dominance of QSST and NSWCHS by winning the Mens division. NSWCHS held off QSST in a drop-off for the Womens division, with Nicole Beck’s diving touch down securing the win for the CHS girls. It was a massive month for the Unitary Model, as affiliates around Australia all received information on becoming members of Touch Football Australia. One by one these affiliates began to sign on to be a part of TFA, with the flow rapidly increasing each day. Brisbane Metro Touch and Berserkers Touch in Queensland had the honour of being the first two affiliates to sign on. This was a great step forward for the Unitary Model and a move that will see all who sign on reap the benefits. OCTOBER: * October was a huge month, possibly even the biggest of the year!…It all started with TFA’s Rachel Moyle becoming Rachel Grant, as she married her partner Duncan. The chilly Canberra weather didn’t stop the TFA staff, especially Rachel, having a great day. Colm and Marianne Maguire welcomed another baby girl into their family and affiliates continued to sign on to the TFA’s Unitary Model of Management, including Albert Park, Diamond Valley, Ballarat Roaslie, Joondalup, Southern Touch, Devonport, Gawler, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Thuringowa and Mackay, Hervey Bay and Kawana just to name a few! The Mens and Womens Aussie Under 18’s squads were announced, with the squads set to converge on Runaway Bay next January for a tough training camp. TFA then sent 10 Australian sides, our largest touring party ever, to Christchurch in New Zealand for the All Nations Championships. The tour was the culmination of many months of hard work from TFA staff, especially Maree Curran, and was considered a huge success. With 186 players, team management, medical and tour staff, Maree and the other TFA staff had their work cut out for them organising travel, accommodation, uniforms and all the essentials. The boxes of clothes and gear that filled the building for weeks and was counted, sorted, packed and sent out was enormous. Australia won 7 of the 10 Opens and Senior divisions on offer and clearly came away as the world’s number one Touch Football nation. Here are all the Aussie’s final results from the All Nations Championships: Womens Open: Australia (4) def New Zealand (3) (Drop-off) Mens Open: Australia (8) def New Zealand (4) Mixed Open: New Zealand (9) def Australia (5) Mens 30s division: Australia (12) def Samoa (2) Womens 30s division: Australia (1) def New Zealand (0) Mixed 30’s: New Zealand (4) def New Zealand Maori (1) Mixed 30’s (play-off for 3rd / 4th): Australia (13) def Samoa (4) Mens 35s division: New Zealand (3) def Australia (2) Womens 35s division: Australia (6) def Oceania (3) Mens 40s division: Australia (7) def New Zealand (0) Mens 45s division: Australia (3) def New Zealand (2) NOVEMBER: * The biggest news for November 2005 was the announcement of Azuma as a major partner for TFA. The deal provides not only significant cash support, but support in terms of footwear for national representatives and an avenue for Touch players at all levels of the sport to purchase top quality Touch shoes and runners at reduced prices. Azuma are now the official footwear of Touch Football Australia and both parties are excited about working together in the future. The interest in the shoes has already been huge, with TFA staff kept busy mailing out shoes to customers Australia-wide. At $105 (retails at $219), the specially designed Bexsta Touch shoe is flying off the shelves. Jeremy Sorenson was named as the new Queensland General Manager and Wallsend Touch took out the `Sporting Organisation of the Year’ award at the 2005 Hunter Region Sports awards. They beat clubs such as the Newcastle Knights (NRL), the Hunter Pirates (NBL), the Hunter Jaguars (Netball) and the Newcastle United Jets (Soccer). DECEMBER: * The TFA is madly preparing for the upcoming Australian 18 Years training camp, with the best young players from around Australia gathering in January for some intensive training. NTL has also come rapidly into focus as the event is less than 3 months away! Already, the premiere Australian Touch event is starting to dominate the headlines. The Unitary Model is continuing to move along, with all the affiliates in Brisbane City and Sunshine Coast regions signed up to TFA, Mackay and Thuringowa in North Queensland also signing up and Central Queensland being lead by Bundaberg and Gladstone. By far the best part of December is set to come, as friends and families come together to celebrate Christmas. TFA, the Board of Directors and all of the staff, would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas. If you are traveling on the roads, please take it easy, get plenty of rest and be responsible. Have a great break and we’ll see you back here in the New Year! *please note the TFA office will be back in full swing on January 3rd. By Rachel Grant