Caption: “Participant organisations are also a key part of the greyhound family and need to be embraced in joint discussions.” (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Greyhound Clubs Australia Executive Officer TROY HARLEY

The start of a new year always brings plenty of hope of good things to happen and that should be the case in all facets of greyhound racing in 2023.

While an organisation the size of ours will always have challenges as things change and evolve on a daily basis, there is no doubt that this sport is in the midst of a stellar period.

Almost all of our KPIs show growth and positivity.

One area that I look forward to seeing continue to grow is the wider community’s understanding and appreciation of what greyhound racing really is.

It is not just a sport or a betting platform. It is a way of life.

And only when that story is told, with complete accuracy and transparency, do people outside of what we do actually understand and trust greyhound racing.

A large step in that direction has been taken recently with the amount of free-to-air interest in our major races.

Obviously the big dollars on offer is the carrot here to attracting wider interest, but during these telecasts to a wider audience many of the off-the-track stories are told, giving true insight into why we love this industry.

I am confident of seeing a lot more of this in 2023.

One of the key messages that we need to keep reaffirming is that taxpayers’ money is not used to support this industry. It is a very simple formula: the money gained by State governments through betting turnover on our sport more than covers the costs of greyhound racing – an industry that employs thousands of people.

Greyhound racing is more than self-sufficient. We create a surplus of money for the national economy.

This is a black and white argument and one of the messages we will continue to push in 2023, especially through our very informative website – www.greyhoundfacts.com.au

This messaging will certainly work much better if all greyhound bodies work more closely together. I certainly saw this happening in 2022 and it will happen a lot more in 2023.

The relationship between Greyhound Clubs Australia and Greyhounds Australasia has never been better. We are now organising our major meetings to be around the same time and location so that delegates from one organisation can be represented at the other.

This happened in Hobart around the Hobart Thousand and will continue to happen through the new year. But it is not just these two organisations that need to work together. In recent times GCA has been closely aligned with State bodies during major carnivals.

During these liaisons discussions don’t just centre around that particular carnival, but also many other aspects of interest to both organisations.

Participant organisations are also a key part of the greyhound family and need to be embraced in joint discussions.

And I understand … the people who make up greyhound racing are passionate people. They care deeply about their animals and the sport. So certainly, on occasions, there is the potential for a flare-up between different bodies, who will each have their own agenda.

But what I am seeing more and more lately is a holistic approach. The influencers within these many organisations are realising that we cannot work in isolation. The greater good is important.

This sport’s trajectory can climb even steeper if we move in the one direction.

A very important indicator of a joint approach was GA and GCA recently giving the thumbs up to the criteria surrounding Group races, especially prizemoney. This is an example of where one size will not fit all and flexibility is required.

OK, it will take three years for all the criteria to fall into place, but most of the new stakes levels will be in place in the 2024-25 financial year.

Information on this will be distributed by the State bodies in early 2023.