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'The wait is finally over.'
Well, it seems like an eternity since we returned back to the club for the 2020 season, and it will clearly be remembered in the future for all the wrong reasons. What promised to be such an exciting year ahead for the club as we transition out from our original headquarters, which have provided so many fantastic memories over the years, and into our brand-new state-of-the-art facility, was significantly impacted by the current Covid 19 pandemic.
Overcoming all the setbacks from last year, the club, our fantastic members, and more importantly all the players have dusted themselves off and have hit the ground running in preparation for what shapes up to be a fantastic season for the club. Our numbers training have been fantastic and we are looking at a playing list of around 220 players over 7 teams within the senior arm of the club. These teams consist of a senior men’s and reserves men’s team, a senior women’s reserves women’s team, 2 Under 19 teams, and a senior men’s 3rd 18 team. None of this could have been achieved without the tremendous drive, enthusiasm and dedication of our senior coaching staff for 2021.
Our coaching staff for the season ahead are as follows;
- Senior men’s coach - Adrian McBean,
- Senior men’s reserves coach - Matthew Mitchell,
- Senior men’s assistant coach –Peter Turley.
- Senior women’s coach - Al Gailey,
- Senior women’s reserves coach - Joey Remman,
- Senior women’s assistant coaches – Lachan Worthy & Belinda Ousley.
- Senior men’s 3rd 18 team coaches - Joel McKee & Fin Neaves.
- Under 19 Division 1 Coach - Caine Groves, Assistant Coaches Adrian Hale & Steve Taylor
- Under 19 Division 4 Coach - Tighe Chandler Assistant Coach Evan Ryder.
I would also like to welcome onboard Joe Galati, who has been appointed as our new junior club Director Of Coaching. Joe comes to the club with a wealth of football knowledge and experience and also has a son playing at the club which is fantastic. Through Joe’s tremendous work ethic and vision to grow the club from the ground up, he has put together the club’s new elite training program called the Tiger Football Academy / TFA. This will allow the club to attract talented players from right across the southern region and grow their skills into hopefully becoming AFL footballers as they progress through the ranks.
Alexandra Danckert heads up our senior training and medical staff co-ordinator’s role taking over from Kristy Lee Clark who has done an amazing job in providing the various teams with trainers, for the last 10 or so years. We welcome Alexandra into this role and sincerely thank Kristy Lee for years of great service to the club.
Fitting out our brand-new facility has been carefully planned and I guess as a result of the pandemic, it has given us additional time to properly furnish the clubrooms to a high standard. The person who has led all this work so amazingly well, with so many weekends of his own time donated to the club is Andrew Whitelaw. All this work hasn’t been done alone and I would also like to sincerely thank Mick Atherton, Shaun Napier, Steve Zagame, Peter Davis, Samuel Browne, Matt & Tim Beasley, Bill Dunstan, and others, who have all given so much of their time in putting together such an amazing new social club for everyone to enjoy.
Our major sponsor is The Bendigo Bank, Parkdale/Mentone East, headed up by Board director Stephen Budge has kindly donated $40,000 towards our brand-new facility, which is an amazing result and we are so fortunate to have such a wonderful member of the community always there to support us. Special thanks again goes out to Ron and Marg Gordon for their amazing support and sponsorship of the club. Another long serving sponsor of the club in Steve Richards from SL Richards & Co, has generously donated $20,000 towards the new facility as well which will allow us to help provide a high-quality fit out inside our new clubrooms. To Steve, and all of our club sponsors, and partners, we greatly appreciate your continued support of our club and look forward to the partnership between both parties growing further in the future. We are also excited to announce our new senior men’s jumper sponsors in Barry Plant Bayside, and Carter Grange, along with our existing senior women’s jumper sponsor in Geschke Plumbing. To Michael Care, Gerald Stutterd, and the Geschke Family, thank you all for your support of the club.
I would also like to acknowledge our House Committee in Shaun Napier and Tim Beasley who have worked tirelessly in putting together our new facility, along with sourcing a new sponsor for the bar in 2 Brothers. Thanks very much guys and well done once again. Our other current Board members in Louise Prichard/Nicholson, Peter Davis, Craig Howe, Shaun Napier, Jason Schultz, and our recently appointed finance director Jonathan Kane, have all been amazing behind-the-scenes in carefully planning for the club’s future. Dale Collins, Mick Atherton, and Matt Beasley, all former club Presidents of the club, have also been working hard behind-the-scenes in assisting both the Board and junior and senior committees in a number of various roles.
I would also like to introduce our 2020/21 VAFA senior committee made up of the following club members; Mark Dance, Club Vice President and Social Membership Co-ordinator, Kara Betts, VAFA secretary, Richard Stacey and Lyle Horsnell the VAFA Treasurers, Carolyn Goodchild and Deborah Hughes, Apparel / Merchandise Co-ordinators, Samuel Browne, Social Media Co-ordinator, Chris Dee and Sharan Talbot, Women’s Football Delegates, Glen Goodchild, Football Operations Manager, and Stephen Clarke, Senior Men’s Player delegate and Sponsorship Co-ordinator. Each person has done such an amazing job in their individual roles, especially considering the uncertainty, and constant changes to the Covid 19 pandemic, and I can’t thank you all enough for the tremendous support that you have given to me over the last 12 months. Other people who weren’t on our VAFA committee, but contributed to the club in providing ongoing support of both myself and our committee over the course of the season were Tom Brain, as our Covid 19 safety officer, David Kinsella, Rebecca Dee, Stephen Browne, Wendy Garside, Chris Mangoni, Tom Tyquin, and Peter Duffy. I’m sure that there are other people that I may have forgotten, who have contributed so generously of their time to the club over the last 12 months in preparation for the season ahead, and please forgive me if you haven’t been mentioned.
The club is so grateful of all of our players, families, and supporters/members who make our club such a fantastic place to be around, especially considering what with all been through over the last 12 months. I’m really excited not only for the season ahead, but the future of the club as it is in really good hands. Round 1 commences on Saturday the 10th of April at Brindisi Reserve and we would really love to see as many families and supporters at the club to celebrate our new beginning.
Cheers to you all and go Tigers.
Paul O'Toole
VAFA President - 2021
St.Bedes Mentone Tigers AFC
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