By Mitch Wynd – Holmesglen

Holmesglen Institute and the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) recently agreed to a three-year naming rights sponsorship deal for the six Under 19 competitions.

The sponsorship deal is significant for both parties and is a product of the strong relationship the institute and the VAFA have fostered over the past few years.

11 VAFA clubs from Yarra Valley to Albert Park have benefited through a unique applied learning project whereby Holmesglen’s Bachelor of Sports Media students have worked in a consultancy capacity with them across a number of subjects including social media, sports marketing, emerging media production and sport sponsorship.

Suzanne McKinnon (Dean, Education Service Skills and Environment, Holmesglen) is thrilled with how the sponsorship deal and applied learning project have succeeded.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with the VAFA and to hold the naming rights to the U18 and U19 competitions,” McKinnon said.

“The applied learning project has been a tremendous opportunity for our students who have been provided with real world learning opportunities.  This sponsorship agreement consolidates our partnership further.”

VAFA General Manager Commercial Operations, Blair O’Hara, echoed McKinnon’s thoughts and said “the applied learning teams who worked with VAFA clubs and the interns who worked at the VAFA headquarters contributed a huge amount of practical work, ideas and enthusiasm. The work done by Robbie Coyle (Course Leader, Bachelor of Sports Media) to develop this relationship to benefit students in this degree program has been immense.”

O’Hara commented on the benefits to Holmesglen relative to the geographic reach of the VAFA and added the tremendous amount of brand exposure and recognition Holmesglen will receive through this partnership.

“The VAFA geography extends throughout metropolitan Melbourne and the football community network of the VAFA is truly part of the social fabric of Melbourne and has been for over 100 years.”

Holmesglen joins the league as one of the largest providers of vocational and higher education in Victoria with over 600 programs on offer to more than 50,000 students across four campuses, it is an apt choice of sponsor for the U19s and U18s competitions.

Ross Digby (Dean, Building, Construction and Engineering, Holmesglen) agrees the competition and target market work well together.

“We believe this to be an incredibly congruent fit with the VAFA and forecast significant mutual benefit for both organisations,” he said.

“This partnership is aimed at supporting the youth of Melbourne and Victoria through their participation in sport and footy with the VAFA. Our course offerings are cutting edge and we’d welcome any of the VAFA community into the institute to further their education.”

O’Hara also said “although this agreement is for a three year period we estimate it to be a great long term partnership which is valuable and significant to the VAFA”.

Holmesglen would like to wish all participants an exciting and safe 2016 season.