As with last year, I begin this report with a huge thank you to everyone involved with the club for another immensely successful and enjoyable year. One which reflects the tireless work and dedication by all involved and is rewarded by an atmosphere of wonderful community spirit.
St Marys GJFC not only allows us all an avenue to get our “footy fix”, it also allows us to get involved in an array of social and community activities. It especially allows us to get involved with our children, and what a great environment we have for that to occur.
Our Players, Parents, Relatives, Friends, Coaches, Volunteers and Committee Members, whom collectively number over 2,500 people, come together on a weekly basis to participate, support and volunteer. This fact should never be taken for granted because as an organisation that serves our local community in such a large way, each and everyone of you can take pride in the way you all go about achieving this.
After two years “in office”, I’d hoped things might get a little easier. However with 23 teams this year, things seems to get a little more complicated in the life of a Secretary but there are always a number of people ready to assist where required.
In it’s second year of operation, our website continues to be a huge success. Updated on most Mondays and Tuesdays of each week, it keeps us all abreast of the latest results and news of the past and coming week(s). This is largely due to the fabulous work by our website operator Lynne Yeates, as well as weekly updates by Phil Cattenazzi. A big thank you to you both for helping us to be the envy of all club websites.
Additionally this year, I have had the assistance of Liz Mace helping out with various administrative work not to mention the important task of minute taking at all our monthly Executive Meetings. Thank you Liz for a great effort and we will miss your valued support.
The club social activities are generally covered in the President’s Report. I cannot however neglect to mention that our annual Dinner Dance was HUGE. To paraphrase Juan Antonio Samaranch in the closing ceremony of the 2006 Olympics,
“…..this was the best Dinner Dance ever”.
I hope that next year all those people that could not attend are able to come and see for themselves what a fantastic and fun night it is (Well done Steve Driscoll and support staff). Let’s try and make it even bigger and better next year.
Last year I mentioned that together with Riverside Cricket Club we are continuing to negotiate with Banyule City Council over the public access areas around the clubrooms including the immediate surrounds, pathways and spectator areas. On a larger scale, we have also held formal discussions with the Mayor of Banyule and other council representatives regarding the overall redevelopment of the clubrooms. This is proving to be long and tedious process, however we have made some progress this year.
We have engaged the services of an architect to put together some concept sketches for the redevelopment as well as had the scope of works costed by a Quantity Surveyor.
Subsequently both clubs have met with Banyule City Council to formerly commence talks regarding funding and to seek advice on how best to present the proposal moving forward. We are still a couple of years away from seeing this exiting new era, however it is fair to say we are closer than we have ever been before in seeing this come to fruition.
Fantastic news is on the horizon with recent confirmation from Council that we will have a new and third ground for the 2007 football season. A.K.Lines Reserve in Watsonia will be available to us next year. With it’s great location, and still close by to our main home ground and clubrooms, it will serve as an excellent venue for Burra football.
From a club perspective, we continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with the Yarra Junior Football League. We are always well represented at all the various League meetings which enables us to be a vocal contributor in the affairs of the League, not to mention a focal point for new initiatives such as the Kids First Program.
We have also been well represented by many of our players and coaches fortunate to be selected in Inter- League games in 2006. Congratulations to you all on a great individual performance, but congratulations also for continuing to represent the St Marys football club in excellent fashion.
Again, we say farewell to some of our hardest workers and Committee people around the club.
To Jan Nanni, thank you for all your dedicated years on the committee, including the last four as Registration Secreatary. Congratulations also to yourself and Joe on being awarded Life Membership to St Marys GJFC.
Also retiring this year is our Football Manager, Paul Millett. To say Paul is one of the hardest working members around the club, not to mention dedicated, is understating his involvement immensely. Paul has elevated the role to great heights and has brought about significant change for the better that will benefit the club for years to come.
Unfortunately, due to work commitments, Paul can no longer give of his time as much as he would like. He will still be very much around the club and I am betting somewhere he won’t be able to stop himself getting involved in someway in 2007 such is his nature. Thanks Paul on an outstanding job.
To Phil Cattenazzi, what can I say? What a great first year as President In case any of you hadn’t noticed, Phil is always at the club, even when no one else is. The amount of work and long hours he puts in around the club is incredible. With the Cricket Club now the tenants of the clubrooms over the Summer, Phil has reluctantly had to move his Pillow and Doona back home but I am led to believe next year he is moving in a whole bedroom suite (another rumour is he is considering selling up at home and moving the Family in !).
Finally thank you to everyone who has given me assistance during the year and to the members who make the club the great club that it is. For anyone who is considering helping out around the club or getting involved on the committee, I urge you to put your hand up and see first hand the many rewards and benefits of participating in the greatest football club in Australia.
Tom Chapman
Secretary
St Marys Greensborough Junior Football Club
2006
