Dear All,
A quick update since our last correspondence. There has been plenty going on, numbers on the track have been building and we consistently have over 100 training over both the women's and men's programs. Our teams competed in a trial match last weekend. A combined women's A/B squad took on Pembroke & men's A grade squad played Nuriootpa. Both teams acquitted themselves well and there were many positives to take from both games. We look forward to another hit out for all teams next Tuesday evening vs Tea Tree Gully in preparation for round 1. Fair to say all players and coaches are pumped about getting into the season proper.
Off the field, we are thrilled to announce The Bath Hotel has committed to another three-year term as our major sponsor. The Franzon family has been a huge supporter of our club over many years and we would not be in the strong position we are in today without their support. I would also like to thank all those club sponsors who have committed to supporting the club for season '24. We have had an enormous response from our community, which is greatly appreciated. We will begin promoting your companies within the network prior to the season opener.
We are launching our club membership offering over the next week, our goal is to achieve a membership of 100 this year from parents, supporters & past players. The offering includes some club merchandise & a game day drink card, it will be priced at $150 per membership or $125 for two or more from the same household. We look forward to a strong response as part of our ‘relationship’ pillar in the strategic plan.
We held our first social event two weeks ago. Our annual lawn bowls day was very well supported with over 70 in attendance and all had a great time. What was extremely pleasing - apart from beating Spence on the green - was the feedback received from the Toorak Bowling Club, who were very impressed with the politeness and behaviour of our members. Congratulations to all on living our club values, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
We have two social functions coming up to put in the dairy. Below are the details:
Season Launch Thursday 11th April from 6 pm. This is a new concept, inviting parents, members and supporters to attend training at KRO on the Thursday before round 1. The club will provide some food and a bar will be open for refreshments. We will introduce the leadership groups for each team and it will be a great opportunity to get the whole community together to kick off the '24 campaign.
Player Auction Sunday 21st April. A staple of the Iggies social calendar, along with being a vital fundraiser for the club. Organise a table and get along to KRO for a sumptuous two-course lunch with bar facilities provided. Put together a syndicate or two and bid on your favourite players. Click the link below to secure your spot!
Round 1 is fast approaching, with our women playing Lockleys at Lockleys from 1.15 pm and the men playing Athelstone from 10.15 at KRO. We would like to see as many supporters and parents at both locations to cheer on the teams. To ensure the best possible game day experience we require volunteers for the BBQ roster. Below are the games and thank you to those who have volunteered so far. We only have five games to fill, so please reach out if you can help out with any of the below dates.
Below is a follow-up on items from the first communication of the season:
Registrations. As of last night, we have 16 player registrations. Many thanks to those who have completed this task, but we need to get cracking on registration numbers. As you should be aware, if you are not registered by Wednesday 10th April you cannot be considered for selection.
Merchandise Portal. The bulk order from Nelson's is due to arrive late next week, which we will bring out to training for collection the week prior to the first game. We will also have shorts and socks to purchase for those who missed the initial portal. Congratulations to all who have bought into the One Club strategy, enabling us to present as a cohesive unit on game day.
School Relationship. Julia Grant, Megan Leydon and I will be attending a meeting with the new Principal Lauren Brooks and Rector Father Peter Hosking SJ. We see this as an excellent opportunity to further strengthen the relationship with the college.
Aquinas Relationship. We attended the Aquinas open day last month and had an immediate uptake in players the next night at training in particular in the women's program. Welcome aboard to all Aquinians.
New Players. We have seen a terrific increase in players over the last month - a good crop of players from the school, some returning faces, along with new ones who are friends of current players. Great to see our members living the 'every member is a recruiter' objective.
The club is still searching for a Women's B Grade Coach. If anyone is interested or has any leads please contact the club so we can follow up.
That's all until the next update. If you have any queries please don't hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to seeing you at the Season Launch or round 1 games.
Regards,
Bevan Ferrari
President president@oifc.com.au