The Community Football Department of AFL Victoria is taking nominees for the Community Club of the Week and Volunteer of the Week.
To nominate for the Club of the Week and Volunteer of the Week awards email Darryl Collings at darryl.collings@aflvic.com.au. The Volunteer of the Year and Community Club of the Year will be selected from the weekly winners and announced at AFL Victoria's Members Dinner in February 2009. The Community Club of the Year also receives $1500 from AFL Victoria.
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Our first volunteer of the week for 2008 is Ross Gould, president of the Murrumbeena Football Club.
Ross has been involved with Murrumbeena since starting in its under-15 team in 1964. Ross’s playing career spanned more than 40 years and he only hung up his boots in 2005. Off the field, he has held nearly every position at the club in the past 20 years, including treasurer and secretary, and was named president in 2005. The success of the Murrumbeena Football Club in creating an environment that is fun, safe, fair and inclusive, has seen the club build an even stronger link with its junior affiliate, the Murrumbeena Junior Football Club in the MSJFL. A life member of the club, Ross has given his all to the club in every capacity and, even today, has a spring in his step as a new season gets under way, heralding his 44th year at Murrumbeena.
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Kevin Aitchison from the North Dandenong Junior Football Club in the Dandenong and District Football League (DDJFL) is AFL Victoria’s Volunteer of the Week.
Kevin first became involved at North Dandenong in 1997 when his son joined and was elected president the following year. At the time, the club had only one junior side and was about to close its doors. Even after his sons graduated from junior ranks, Kevin continued on as president until last season, serving on the club’s committee for more than 10 years. During that time, the club has grown and now fields four sides in the DDJFL. Its clubrooms have also been upgraded, providing a better environment for players and families alike. While president, Kevin also supported the DDJFL with its representative sides, making his club’s facilities available for training and ensuring players’ parents were catered for on training nights. Despite his retirement, Kevin remains a tireless worker for the club and continues to assist with its match-day activities. Kevin’s efforts have ensured North Dandenong’s survival, providing a quality environment for youngsters in the area to enjoy their football.
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Jim Chetcuti from the South Morang Football Club in the Northern Football League (NFL) is AFL Victoria’s Volunteer of the Week.
Jim is in his 27th year with South Morang having joined the club in the late 1970s after playing 74 games at Mernda in the Panton Hill Football League. He initially came to the club to see VFL Fitzroy legend Kevin Murray but within 10 minutes Arthur Griffin had signed him up to play. From there, Jim played a total of 386 open-age games, 69 senior games and 317 reserves games. Remarkably, he captained the reserves for more than 150 games, including the 1994 Grand Final side that was a gallant runner-up against a very powerful Northcote Park side. Jim then joined South Morang’s general committee in 1988, where he was in charge of sponsorship. In addition to short stints as the club’s president, vice-president and secretary, Jim took on his most critical role then he became treasurer in 1992, at a time the club was in debt to the tune of $35,000 and facing possible extinction. Jim walked the local streets with fellow committee members collecting donations to raise the money required to pay the club’s Diamond Valley Football League registration fees. Through the hard work of Jim and others at the club, its debt was subsequently erased and since then South Morang has been debt free. Jim has had a myriad of other roles at the club that have included running the club’s bar, canteen, raffles and other fundraising events, while he was assistant coach in 2002 when the reserves won the premiership. He has also been a team manager, runner, water boy, umpire escort, interchange steward and statistician.
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Graeme Cocking, President of the Eastern Football League Trainers’ Association is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
Graeme has been associated with the Mitcham Football Club for more than 20 years. He began as a trainer in 1980 and became head trainer in 1992, with his outstanding service recognised when he was named a life member of the club. Joining the EFL Trainers Association in 1991, Graeme was a committee member from 1991-98, before becoming president in 1999, a position he holds to this day. In 2000, Graeme was awarded the Australia Medal for achievement in sport. But he continues to work tirelessly, organising trainers’ courses within the EFL, liaising with the league’s clubs during the pre-season to help them find trainers and fielding questions about trainer accreditation. And every weekend Graeme observes trainers during matches, ensuring they perform their vital role to the high standard expected throughout the league. AFL Victoria would like to congratulate Graeme for the enormous contribution he has made, and continues to make, to the EFL Trainers’ Association.
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David McWilliam from the Essendon District Football League is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
David has served for more than 40 years as a community football volunteer. He first became involved as a club delegate with the Riverside Stars Football Club, a role he served in for seven years before he became an Essendon District Football League (EDFL) umpire. David was then elected to the EDFL’s league executive in 1972, which he continues to sit on to this day. Since 1975, he has also been the league’s clearance secretary/registrar for its senior and junior competitions. David has played a key role in some of the EDFL’s major achievements, which have included the growth and development of its junior competition, and converting a card-based player registration system into an online system. Along the way, he has also helped train new club volunteers. Since retiring from the workforce in 2003, David has also devoted countless hours at the league offices volunteering to assist with the competition’s administrative duties.
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Geoffrey Morgan from the Sorrento Football Club is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
A life member, Geoffrey has been involved with the club for 50 years, both on and off the field. He has been the treasurer since 1985 and is team manager for the seniors. He has also served as team manager for the reserves and under-18s, and has been the major organiser of fundraising events. Still as active as ever, Geoffrey attends training every Tuesday and Thursday night, and every home and away game. He is held in high esteem by past and present players as well as committee members and, in 2004, a plaque was placed at the Sorrento Sports Club’s entrance in recognition of his service to the Sorrento Football Club and the Sorrento Cricket Club. Geoffrey is a great ambassador for both clubs and is highly respected by the presidents from all opposition clubs and the governing bodies of both competitions.
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Mick ‘Gum’ Barker from the Woodend-Hesket Football and Netball Club is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
Dubbed Gum by a scribe from the Woodend Star during his cricket days, he has since gone on to become a life member of the Woodend-Hesket Football and Netball Club. Gum retired from playing for the club in 1988 and in 1998 was the team manager, when he started taking stats – a role he still performs for the club. Over the years Gum has served the club in a number of different roles, including as a committee member and property steward. Significantly, he has also had an award named after him, with the ‘Gum Award’ presented each year to the player judged to be the best team player and clubman. Additionally, Gum has organised the club’s ‘Last Man Standing’ fundraiser for the past six years, raising more than $15,000 for the club.
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The Montmorency Football Club is the AFL Victoria Community Club of the Week. I
Montmorency Football Club is an affiliated member of the reformed Northern Football League and is the first senior club in that league to have achieved accreditation in AFL Victoria’s Quality Club Program. The club has also produced a code of conduct in line with AFL Victoria’s guidelines. Located in the northern growth corridor, the club’s history spans more than 80 years. They have won four senior premierships, and have appeared in five of the last six senior Division 1 finals campaigns, making it to two grand finals. Meanwhile, their reserves have played in five of the last seven grand finals, winning two, and their under-19s played in finals from 1991-2006.
Over the past 10 years the club has financed projects including a first-floor extension, a gymnasium giving 24 hour access to all members, flood-light poles and a scoreboard. It is now looking to include an indoor child-play area with exclusive mid-week access to members. It has also secured funding from the AFL Facilities Development Fund, State Government and Local Government for pavilion renovations. As well as these off-field projects, the club is undertaking a feasibility plan to investigate a third senior side and a second under-19 side in 2009. This will provide greater opportunities for the local community to get involved in football in a club environment.
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Peter ‘Snake’ Stephens from the Camperdown Football and Netball Club is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
Peter has been involved with the club for most of his life, having commenced his playing career at Camperdown as a 16-year-old. He played 147 senior games and was a member of the 1968 and 1970 premiership sides. He also won the club’s best and fairest in 1972 when he was captain and again in 1975, and was an inter-league representative for the Hampden Football league on 13 occasions over six consecutive years from 1969-1974. Since retiring at 25, he has coached the club’s under-14s and under-18s.
In 2001 he was an inaugural member of the Leura Oval management committee and became the committee chairman in 2003, a position he still holds. The committee is responsible for maintaining the football oval, netball courts and surrounding facilities. In 2007 the Camperdown Football Club, in conjunction with the Leura Oval management committee, staged a facility redevelopment project costing $320,000, which included new home-team change rooms, a gymnasium and medial room, refurbished visitor amenities, male and female umpire change rooms and improved access to coach’s, timekeepers’ and press boxes. Apart from Peter’s dedication to the football club, he has also been recognised by his local community, being awarded a medal by the CFA and a 2008 Australia Day award by his local shire. Such honours reflect the high esteem in which Peter is held.
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Allan 'Rocky' Hardstone from the Frankston YCW Football Club is AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week.
Allan ‘Rocky’ Hardstone started his football career in 1959 playing in Seaford’s under-17s and by 16 as in playing in the seniors as a ruckman/full-forward. Rocky played a total of 63 senior games for Seaford before transferring to Warragul Football Club in 1964, when he played in the club’s losing Grand Final side.
In 1965, he transferred to the Frankston Football Club in the VFA, then in 1967 he was cleared to join the South Mildura Football Club, playing at full-forward in its 1968 and 1969 premiership sides. His involvement with the Stonecats began when his son, Damien, who would become one of Frankston YCW’s most distinguished players, joined the club. At first, Rocky was merely a parent watching from the sidelines, but he soon became team manager once his son began to coach. Notably, he was the under-18s’ team manager when they won the premiership in 1996 and the reserves’ team manager from 1997-2001.
As well as being the club’s senior team manager since 2004 – a job he shares with Col Carey – Rocky is also the club historian, trainer, property steward, website writer and editor, match-day photographer, merchandise officer, and committee member. Rocky has been named Best Club Person on two occasions (1998 and 2005) and was awarded life membership in 2007.
AFL Victoria would like to congratulate Allan ‘Rocky’ Hardstone on his ongoing contribution to the Frankston YCW Football Club.
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This week’s AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Week is Roy Rayner from the Quarry Hill Junior Football Club in the Bendigo Junior Football League.
Roy has been with the Quarry Hill Junior Football Club for almost half of its existence. He was secretary from 1998-2007, the under-12s coach in 1975 and again from 1995-1997, the club registrar from 2004-2008 and in 2006 was awarded life membership of the club.
The Quarry Hill Junior Football Club is a family-based club based around Roy’s belief that kids should have fun while improving their skills and is the only junior club in the Bendigo Junior Football League that is not officially associated with a senior club.
Not only is Roy a tireless contributor to the Quarry Hill Junior Football Club, his work has also been recognised by the Bendigo Junior Football League. He is on the league executive committee and is a life member of the League. On Saturday mornings Roy runs a 45-minute radio program, conducting interviews and previewing upcoming games.
AFL Victoria would like to congratulate Roy Rayner on his ongoing contribution to the Quarry Hill Junior Football Club.
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As most football clubs can attest, one dedicated volunteer is worth his or her weight in gold but the Wanganui Park Junior Football Club in the Shepparton and District Junior Football League is fortunate enough to have a double act among its dedicated helpers.
Trevor and Joanne Crowe have been involved with the club for 15 years, their association beginning when their only son Hayden commenced playing football. During their time at the club Trevor and Jo have performed a number of duties from coaching to serving on the committee, marking the ground before each game and sewing numbers on jumpers.
While their son Hayden is no longer playing with the club, Trevor and Jo continue their association. This year, Trevor is coaching the under-16 Division 2 team with Jo in the role as trainer and assistant team manager.
AFL Victoria would like to congratulate Trevor and Joanne Crowe on their ongoing contribution to the Wanganui Park Junior Football Club.
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