While some clubs in NSW charge fees of up to $2,400 a year, Dunbar Rovers have built a model that involves the business community fostering relationships within the club that allows young footballers to play for free.

Delves explained that when the businesses community saw what Rovers were aspiring to achieve, many organisations started to back their cause.

“We shared with prospective sponsors what our dream and goals were and what some of the financial challenges we were facing and they believed in us,” he said.

"Then they spoke to other sponsors and other businesses that they knew and other people responded and really loved what we were doing and wanted to know how to get involved.”

Dunbar Rovers also organise sponsor networking nights and fundraising events such as last month’s Business of Football Lunch that featured Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou as a special guest.

Delves said that Dunbar Rovers is also registered with the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) which means any prospective donor receives a tax receipt.

“Through partnering with the ASF it enables people to make tax deductible donations,” said Delves. 

“People who may wish to help Dunbar can contribute to the club via this website especially heading into the end of financial year which is typically where many people make donations."

And from next year Delves revealed that Dunbar Rovers will be looking to include the Skills Acquisition Program (SAP) for players aged 9-12 in their scholarship program.

“We will look to introduce SAP next year and we will look to replicate our current Fee-Free model,” he said.

"I’ve had conversations with parents about how other clubs might charge $1500 a year and then charge a fee on top because of the cap that Football NSW set.

"And there might be other charges on top of that, such as development fees and other costs so clubs are often charging $700 on top of that.

"For a lot of clubs what they will do is they will utilise SAP to generate additional money into acquiring first graders and pay them substantial amounts of money and that dare I say is the measure of their success - winning first grade.

"Ours is more a collective scenario. If we can get it right from a youth perspective we can then provide opportunities for older grades, such as the careers program we run for our 18’s through to our 24’s.

"We provide them with opportunities to meet CEO’s and other senior business people so they can start to learn about the industry they are in or ask questions about how they got into those industries.

"Some clubs really invest in youth and some clubs might not necessarily see that as a major focus.  Our priority is obviously to invest in our youth and to remove those financial barriers.”