In my role this year I have been amazed by the number of volunteers that work week in week out for the Foster Football Club. We have a huge number of volunteers and most simply do their bit week after week with very little fuss. Thursday night meals are cooked, the canteen is stocked, the bar is open, the website is updated, we have articles in the follower, players are strapped and massaged, and then there is the gate roster, the time keepers, umpires, runners and team managers. We also have ground maintenance, cleaning of the change-rooms and many more tasks that must be completed to ensure we have a successful football club.
A big thanks to all who have worked on the committee this year and to everyone who has given their time to support the club. Our major fundraising events have once again been very successful and I would like to mention Dale & Robyn, Michael & Naomi, Darren & Lisa, Dean & Susie and Ando for their efforts to ensure this success.
I would also like to give special thanks to Mal Davies, Marilyn Flett, Dawn Allan, Geoff Sparkes, Susie Green and Ian Lyon for the huge amount of time they contribute to the club during the season. Ian was a fantastic support for me as President and happily stood in for me on several occasions this year when I was on holidays.
Our year finished in a flurry of activity as we prepared to cater for the Grand Final at the Wonthaggi football ground. The success of this day is due to the quality of those involved in the Foster football Club. The planning was completed with military precision by Marilyn and we did indeed have any army of workers both in the lead up and on the day. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this day as it provides a very positive financial reward for the club.
Our club is also very well supported by the wider Foster community, and this year has been no exception. We are fortunate to receive some excellent corporate sponsorship, along with weekly awards, trophy donations, raffle prizes and the donation of trophies for our end of year awards. Thank you to all of the businesses, families and individuals who support the club in this way. Your generosity plays a significant role in ensuring the success of the Foster Football Club.
Shem Hawking is to be commended for his first year as Senior Coach. The focus of the season was to develop our younger local players and build a foundation for a successful future. In this regard the season was successful although I’m sure Shem would have liked to have recorded a few more wins. Unfortunately injuries created some issues for the side and we were at times undermanned. The Senior team finished the year in ninth position after recoding six wins for the season.
Buddy Prain did a terrific job of attracting more numbers to the Reserves this season which created some real pressure at times at the selection table. After a successful season the Reserves finished in fifth place. They battled hard all day in their elimination final against a very experienced Tarwin side but could not match them on the day.
A big thankyou to Mal Davies and Mick McGlead who both put in countless hours on the phone talking to players and potential players in preparation for the season. They also spoke to many players each week discussing injuries and availability to ensure that Shem and Buddy had as many as possible to select from.
Under the guidance of Gary Hamilton the Thirds team developed into a very professional and competitive unit this season. They worked very hard throughout their pre-season training and went very close to making finals. They finished in seventh position and should be very proud of their efforts during the season.
Dale did a great job again this year with the Fourths team. It was a battle for him to have enough numbers each week and we were well supported by a number of very keen Stingrays players who helped us field a team each week. There are some excellent young footballers developing at this age level and Dale is to be commended for his positive attitude towards the boys.
The Stingrays were again very successful this year with both teams making the finals. The Under 13 side won their Grand Final and all involved should be proud of the success they have had since the club began.
Finally I would like to offer my best wishes to the 2014 committee and President. I will not be continuing in this role in 2014. I feel I have been unable to give enough time to the role of President and as I am planning to pursue some further study in 2014 feel that this would be even more difficult next year.
Thank you to the committee, and to Dawn & Ian in particular, for the support that I have received throughout this year.
Wayne Chester
President