Case Study: Craigieburn Football Club

Craigieburn FC unlocks cash flow and cuts admin time by unleashing PlayHQ's capabilities

Melbourne's Craigieburn Football Club struggled with unpaid fees and underutilised government vouchers while a four-member committee shouldered the burden of chasing payments manually.

Within one year of fully integrating PlayHQ's payment features, the club achieved a 588% increase in voucher revenue, automated 100% of fee collection, and freed volunteers from time-consuming payment administration. The transformation was immediate and measurable.

The Challenge

Lost revenue and overburdened volunteers

Craigieburn Football Club (The Eagles), serves Melbourne's outer northern suburbs as a member of the Essendon District Football League (EDFL), fielding 15 junior teams and four senior teams.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Eagles. Managing 475 players across multiple teams meant significant logistical demands, all handled by just four committee members. The club's financial challenges made an already demanding job even harder.

The club's approach to fee collection created constant headaches. Players paid only a $10 EDFL fee at registration, leaving administrators to chase club fees throughout the season – a time-consuming and awkward task that severely impacted cash flow.

Meanwhile, Get Active Kids vouchers went under utilised. Last season, Craigieburn claimed just $800 from these government vouchers designed to reduce barriers to junior sport participation through financial assistance.

The Solution

Complete payment integration with PlayHQ

This year, Craigieburn expanded its committee to 14 members and appointed Katie Jacobs as secretary.

As a mother of seven, Katie understood volunteer time constraints intimately. Committee members juggled administrative tasks alongside work and family responsibilities. She identified an immediate opportunity to streamline the club's administrative processes.

Drawing on her PlayHQ experience from other sporting clubs, Katie recognised a knowledge gap in how Craigieburn used the platform. She guided the club to fully integrate its fee collection system with PlayHQ, automating club fee collection alongside the EDFL fee at registration.

"PlayHQ automates the entire payment process. The platform does all the hard work."

The club expanded from one payment method to four different payment plans, including PayPal Pay in 4. This flexibility allowed players to pay according to their circumstances, without administrators sending reminders or tracking individual records.

Craigieburn also simplified voucher redemption for junior players by integrating Get Active Kids processing within PlayHQ. A unified, straightforward process encouraged more families to claim vouchers, unlocking previously forgone revenue.

The Impact

More revenue, engaged volunteers

• 588% increase in voucher revenue ($800 -> $5,500)
• 50% reduction in admin time
• 4x payment options for families
• 100% automation of fee collection

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Automated fee collection transformed the club's cash flow. Payments that previously remained outstanding now arrive with registrations or flow through payment plans over time. Deferred payment options ensure families complete payments without requiring manual reminders.

With 15 junior teams, the youth program represents a major part of club operations, making Get Active Kids vouchers a significant revenue source. This year, Craigieburn generated $5,500 in voucher redemptions through PlayHQ – a massive 588% year-on-year growth.

As Craigieburn automated processes and freed administrators from manual payment collections, the club became a more welcoming environment for volunteers.

Looking Ahead

Craigieburn Football Club is now working towards launching a women's program next season. With volunteers freed from mundane payment administration, the committee can focus on this exciting growth opportunity.

"PlayHQ is just so much easier. It takes so much stress off. Once clubs understand what's possible, they'll see their administrative time cut in half."

Katie encourages other clubs to discover and utilise the full potential of the platform.

Key Features Used

• ‍Automated Fee Collection
  Collect club fees automatically at registration, eliminating manual follow-ups.‍
• Flexible Payment Plans
  Offer multiple payment options including PayPal Pay in 4 to accommodate different family circumstances.‍
• Government Voucher Integration
  Streamline voucher redemption with integrated processing that encourages uptake.‍
• Real-Time Payment Tracking
  Monitor cash flow and payment status without spreadsheets or manual reconciliation.

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About Craigieburn Football Club

Craigieburn FC is a community football club based in Melbourne's northern suburbs, competing in the Essendon District Football League. The Eagles field 15 junior teams and four senior teams, with over 475 registered players supported by dedicated volunteers.

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