Fees and Registration Policy
Fees
Fees are payable at the time of online registration.
Players must be registered before any player participates in playing a match including pre-season practice matches.
Full fees are applicable to all players irrespective of how many weeks they attend training or rounds they play in.
Registration fees are non-refundable.
Un-financial Players
Those that have not registered are considered to be “un-financial”. Players who have registered and entered into a signed payment plan agreement are considered to be financial, unless the agreement is dishonoured. In which case, our treasurer will communicate directly with the family.
Financial Hardship
Players/families experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to email the Treasurer. Each case will be assessed on its own merits by the Executive Committee in a timely manner. If an extension is approved, any departure from the agreement will result in the player being deemed un-financial. All matters relating to financial hardship requests are kept strictly confidential.
Clearance of Players
Players transferring from another club to the Cheltenham Junior Football Club cannot train or play until a full clearance has been submitted to the Club and received by the Executive Committee. Once this has been finalised the appropriate Coach and/or Team Manager will be notified.
Players wishing to transfer (link to transfer form – coming soon) to another club will have their clearance processed without delay providing that the player is
a) financial with the club and
b) has returned the club uniform and any club provided equipment.
If the Club has reason to believe that, due to other circumstances, a clearance should not be given, they will notify the Head of Football who will take the necessary actions to resolve the matter. If no solution is forth-coming then the matter must be referred back to the Executive Committee.
Grading and Team Selection 2020
Age Placement – Playing Out of Age Group Temporarily
- All players must play in their respective age groups unless agreed to by the Head of Football. (Note – the club understands the importance for kids, especially in the early years, to play with their school mates and some kids need to play up a year to do so. We will endeavour to accommodate these situations when requested whilst following the club’s policy on player numbers per team.)
- Players may be asked, and may apply, to play for a team above the player’s current age group on a match by match basis, where:
- The older age group team requires more players to meet the optimum player numbers for a team, AND
- The assignment makes the current age group from where the player is moving closer to optimum numbers (where applicable); AND
- The age group is no more than two age levels above the players current age group, AND
- Parental Consent to play in the older age group is provided to the Club AND;
- The player is judged by the coaches of both teams to be capable of playing in the older age group. Consideration of the introduction of tackling at Under 11 will especially be considered.
- Where the player plays temporarily in more than one match per weekend, this should be also agreed to by the Coaches, Parents and Team
- Managers to ensure that the player is not subject to excessive physical duress.
- Players may not play in an age group temporarily more than two age levels above their eligible age, under any circumstance.
- Players may only play one game in any age group.
INSERT APPLICATION FOR PLAYING UP FORM – Coming soon
SMJFL Grading Guidelines
- The SMJFL officially begin grading teams starting from the U11 age level.
- The SMJFL grading process requires clubs to enter U11 teams into an A, B or C category in the New Year.
- The SMJFL suggest clubs move to a hard grade from U12 given the U13 age group is directly based on the results from U12.
CJFC Team Selection Objective
The Cheltenham Junior Football Club (CJFC) will strive to provide all players with a safe and caring environment in which they will achieve maximum football development and enjoyment at training and in games.
The age groups from U11 – U17 (and U18 for girls) compete in divisions which are graded by the SMJFL, and our Club will likely field a number of teams in the varying age groups. Each age group has different needs in terms of football development, so our approach to training, game day and team selection policies will differ as a result for each age group.
The Club’s overriding objective for these age groups is to ensure that each team is competitive in the division in which they participate, thus achieving the maximum development of football skills and enjoyment of the game for each player.
We are governed by where the league places other teams within these age groups, however the Club will strive to field a team in the highest realistic division in which they can be competitive.
Please note this will not be built into the By-Laws, and will simply be put together as a guidelines document.
Team Selection Guidelines
U8 – U10
These teams will not be graded and Players will not be chosen on ability. The focus will be on fun and playing football with friends, with emphasis placed on maintaining players within their friendship/school groups.
The Team composition may change from year to year in order to accommodate new players, and the CJFC may choose to mix the groups while moving through these age groups to ensure players & parents are prepared for older age groups where they will be placed in teams based on ability.
U11
The CJFC will look to start ‘soft grading’ teams which may involve keeping the majority of a team together from the U10s, but moving a couple of the higher/lower skills players up/down to allow the club to enter teams into the A, B or C categories as per the SMJFL grading process.
U12 – U17 and U18 Girls
Given the SMJFL will be grading the U13 age group directly based on the results from U12s it is suggested that The CJFC move to a hard grade from U12s, meaning that teams are picked purely based on playing ability.
Criteria used to assess a player’s ability may be but not limited to:
- Kicking
- Marking
- Handball / Vision / Awareness
- Clean Hands
- Competitiveness
- Footy Smarts
- Fitness levels
- Other attributes to be considered but not limited to will be (Attitude, Training Attendance, and Coachability).
Team Selection Process
Relevant where a club has multiple teams in U12-U17 and U18 girls age groups
A Selection Panel will be formed to consist of, but not limited to the Head of Football, Coaching Director, Teams Co-Coordinators, Coaches, experienced and qualified independent persons and others will be seconded at the discretion of the Football Sub-Committee.
The team selection process for these age groups is as follows:
- Coaches input and assessment of the players previous seasons performance.
- Training sessions will be conducted where the selection panel will observe and assess players.
- Players assessed based on the attributes described in the Team Selection Guidelines above.
- Performance in practice/intra-club matches/training.
- Other criteria may be used as required and at the discretion of the Football Sub-Committee.
- Final Teams to be selected prior to Round 1.
All age groups will train together, irrespective of whether players are placed in a higher or lower division.
Communication
Players and parents will be formally advised to which team they have been selected in. If a player or parent has any questions regarding team selection they can discuss the issue with the Director of Coaching. If the issue remains unresolved after discussions with the Director of Coaching then the player or parent can discuss the matter with the Vice President / Head of Football.
The decision of the Vice President / Head of Football will be final and no further correspondence or discussions on the matter will be entered into.
Finals
To reflect the SMJFL’s desire for all members of a team to participate in finals the cap on playing numbers (24) will be lifted to all players who have qualified to play finals. There will also be a slight shift in the game time expectations with age groups participating in finals only required to give each player a minimum of a half during a final. This will support the more competitive nature of finals and ensure teams are better able to compete against other clubs who do not have a minimum game time requirement.