Victorian Masters Sport Resource Kit - Australian Sports Commission

6. Masters Sport Participation Opportunities
38
CASE STUDY 9:
Victorian Metropolitan Superules Football League Inc.
◗ Superules Football is Australian Rules
Football with a minimum player’s age of
35 years and modified rules.
◗ The Victorian Metropolitan Superules
Football League Inc. was formed in 1982
with games being played on a social
basis. Match points and percentages were
not awarded until 1984.
◗ The competition has grown quickly and in
1998, a two division premiership
competition was conducted over 11
rounds of matches, with a total of 22
competing clubs. A Masters (over 40 years
old) competition has also been created,
with 8 teams competing over 9 rounds in
1998.
What are the keys to its success?
◗ The league motto is “Football for Fun”,
with an emphasis on enjoyment and social
harmony. Potential barriers such as
participants fearing unduly rough play or
the more physical elements of Australian
Rules Football, are overcome by rule
modifications aimed to protect players and
emphasise the skills of the game.
◗ The teams that make up the league are all
connected to existing clubs playing in
mainstream competitions, making it easier
to find venues and support from the
football community.
◗ The emphasis is on participation – people
still have the chance to compete and
excel on the field, but no one is expected
to, and people can participate as field,
goal or boundary umpires or in a number
of ways as officials.
◗ The league has an extensive network of
sponsors and supports them with
exposure in an extensive information and
fixture book.
◗ The league also works closely with its
member clubs to encourage them to
recruit existing players approaching the
age for Superules.
Source: Allan Mathews, Administrator,
Victorian Metropolitan Superules Football
League Inc.