With the 2023 season done, many thanks to all those that contributed and shared in the success of Mulgrave Football Club this year.

For the first time in a very long time, all three of our teams made it into finals. We didn’t get as far as we wanted, but each team played to their potential and gave us everything they had. Finals is now our standard and our benchmark for continued improvement and success.

Our two marquee signings, Lin Jong and Fletcher Roberts, didn’t complete the season through injury but created enormous momentum on and off the field and set new performance standards. They have helped Mulgrave become a destination club.

Our coaching staff, under the guidance of David Rowland and Matt Richards, performed well and continued to learn and develop during the season.

As important as our on-field performance has been the growth and development of our club culture. We have some outstanding young people involved within our club.

I would like to especially thank our junior affiliate, the Glen Waverley Rovers Football Club, who stepped up and made available some outstanding young men to assist us in fielding an Under 19.5 team each week. Without them and the support of their parents and the Rovers committee, we would have been without an Under 19s side this year.

We had our challenges with the new pavilion being a work in progress until midway through the season, however the committee and our volunteers worked our way through the ever-changing landscape to host all of our home games and events at the club this season.

Of course, we could not do any of it without the support of our sponsors. This season we added a new major sponsor in GJK Facility Services, one of the largest facility service and commercial cleaning companies in Australia. This relationship has come about thanks to George Sarkissian, who is the head of one of our key family groups within the club. Thank you George and GJK for your incredible support. 

Particular thanks this year also goes to Community Bank Pinewood (our Bendigo Bank branch). Robert Davies and his team at Pinewood support us each year, but this year also funded new lounge furniture in the new pavilion, and a new (soon to be completed) trophy cabinet. On top of all of this, the Pinewood team also worked the BBQ at one of our home games to round out an extraordinary contribution to our club and community.

Season 2024

We now move on quicky and start to plan for season 2024. Our committee will stay largely consistent, with some new additions to be announced soon, but also the retirement of Vice President Gail Hewitt. Gail and her family have served the Mulgrave Football Club for decades and will continue to be a part of our family. Thank you Gail for all the support over the years, hopefully you can now enjoy a more relaxed association with the club!

While our foundations are very solid and our strategy documents and business plan are in place, we remain a club that relies too much on too few volunteers. Our recruiting this summer needs to be as focused as much on off-field talent as those that will play a role on the field. Please reach out to me and let's discuss how you can play a part in our future success.

Monash Council

As members of a community club we are reliant on council to provide our facilities. In return we create a wealth of social value for the community. Well-managed sporting clubs produce 4.5 times the value of their revenue in social, health, community and other benefits. This is why we continue to work with Monash Council and hold them accountable for the investment we require to service the community and produce a significant return on that investment. 

We believe all Council investment requires accountability. This extends beyond our own pavilion and facilities, as our responsibility as part of the Monash community extends beyond our own needs. As a club we are an educated and engaged group that reflect our community and its needs. When we have the opportunity to engage with Council and steer their decisions on infrastructure investment, we need to voice our opinions.

An example of this is the current undertaking by the Monash Council to spend over $110 million on the redevelopment of the Glen Waverley Library Precinct. As Monash residents, I would implore you to please read through the documentation provided by Council and voice your thoughts regarding this use of our city's funds.

Information on this proposed project is available here and all feedback should be sent to the GWCP Project Coordinator at mail@monash.vic.gov.au or 9518 3555.

A library is certainly a valuable asset to a community and offers not only access to publications, but also study space. Personally I support the need to upgrade the library, however I have questioned this unprecedented level of investment on a single project, compared to what this amount could deliver across our community. To give some perspective, the cost of the rebuild of our pavilion at Mulgrave was $4.5 million, compared to a budget of over $110 million on this project.

Please be active and voice your thoughts based on the information provided. It's important, no matter what your views are, that we are engaged. Being community leaders needs to be part of our culture at Mulgrave.

For now, let's all take a deep breath, recharge our batteries and get ready for what will be a huge and successful 2024 season. Stay tuned for the date of our 2023 AGM.

Scott Davidson
President
sdavidson@tlaworldwide.com