WPGM League 2025 Team Selection Process

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2025 League Team Selection Process

For the 2025 league, we implemented the following team selection process:

  • Specialised Selectors: Nine selectors were involved, with three selectors (two men and one woman) assigned to each playing line (defenders, links, and strikers).
  • Final Alignment: Two additional selectors were responsible for integrating the three lines into balanced teams.
  • Remote & Efficient Collaboration: The selection process was conducted remotely using a shared document. This allowed individual selectors to contribute their views on player strength, leading to a more efficient process and easier consensus among the smaller groups of three selectors.

Selectors were appointed based on their demonstrated commitment and understanding of team dynamics:

  • Defenders: Luigi Tollon, Ally du Plooy, and Allan Isaacs (Bobby Freeman was unavailable).
  • Links: GT, Nadine Dalling, and Tony Barbour.
  • Strikers: Glyn Bedford, Dave McKechnie, and Sharon Abbott.
  • Final Selectors: Neil van Blerk and John Shardlow.

The final team compositions were ratified by Warren Machanik and Gary Frayne to ensure each team had an effective administrator and that practical considerations, such as travel partners, were addressed.

2025 Weekly Substitute and New Player Allocation Process

To ensure fairness and prevent disagreement, we have introduced clear guidelines for substitute allocation:

  • Teams are no longer able to select their own substitutes.
  • Players cannot directly nominate themselves as substitutes to another team.

2025 Substitute and New Player Allocation Sub-Committee

To manage this process, I have established a subcommittee comprising team administrators and the Playing Affairs members of the WPGM committee:

  • Gary Frayne
  • Wendy Payne
  • Warren Machanik
  • Neil Lavin
  • Deon Maart
  • Brian Goemans
  • John Shardlow

Weekly Substitute Allocation Protocol:

  • Each week, we identify teams requiring substitutes. Gary Frayne then proposes a substitute allocation based on player availability.
  • The primary goal of the substitute process is to ensure a team has a viable number of players (ideally 13), rather than to specifically fill a position or guarantee player strength.
  • Substitutes are chosen from a list of available players, taking into account:
    • Whether they have a match scheduled for that evening.
    • How recently they have substituted (we rotate substituting opportunities).
    • Their preferred playing position.
  • We prioritise existing league members (even those who made themselves unavailable for the full league but are open to occasional substituting) before seeking external contacts. The same allocation principles apply to new players joining the league.
  • Once a proposal is made, two sub-committee members must approve it or offer a counter-proposal.

Please refer any suggestions regarding this process to the Player Affairs representatives.

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