Presidents Update | Feb 2026

11 Feb 2026

Dear All,

Welcome to Season 2026 — I hope you all enjoyed a great Christmas and New Year.

A quick update on all things Iggies. There has been plenty happening over the off-season, and it’s terrific to see the players back on the track and working hard. We are now entering our fifth week of pre-season and the group is flying. The coaches and support staff have put together an excellent program with some new initiatives and there is a really positive vibe around KRO.

Below is a summary of the key points for our first communication of the 2026 season.

New Players

Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed a strong group of first-year footballers from the school, along with several new players attending training. We extend a warm welcome to all new players and look forward to seeing you pull on the Iggies guernsey.

Committee Update

As we begin the 2026 season, I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Liv Ryan and Sam Winter, who are stepping away from the committee. Both have made valued contributions to the club, and we thank them for their time, commitment and service to Iggies.

We are also pleased to welcome several new faces to the committee: Molly Ingram, Lulu Bailey, Jack Manson and Will Ferrari. We thank them for putting their hands up to support the club and look forward to their involvement across the season.

High Performance Program

We are delighted to welcome back Kev Whitford as Head of High Performance for the 2026 season. Kev was instrumental in the club’s 2021 premierships and brings a wealth of experience having spent over 25 years at AFL level with the Adelaide Crows. His knowledge and professionalism will be a significant asset to our football program.

Club Survey – Summary of Results

As part of the Club’s strategy, there was a commitment in 2025 to engage with the broader club community through a survey to understand how we are travelling as a club. This provided an opportunity to seek feedback from players, family members, supporters, sponsors, coaches, and support staff across club culture, social events, fundraising, communication, and committee performance. On-field performance was addressed separately.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. We received approximately 40 responses, with the largest proportion coming from players (42%), followed by family members and supporters (31.6%).

The Committee was very pleased with the overall results, while recognising there is still work to do to continue building our club culture and community involvement. A snapshot of the feedback is outlined below:

• Club Culture – 8/10

  The majority of comments were extremely positive, with strong acknowledgement of the One Club approach across men’s and women’s programs and the cohesion within the club. Suggestions included greater engagement of past players and their young families, as well as improved planning around Bath events.

• Social Events – 7.5/10

  Feedback was largely positive. Suggestions included locking in the social calendar earlier, particularly Bath nights, considering lawn bowls events on a Friday or Saturday night, hosting more events or after-game drinks at KRO, and exploring the possibility of a Club Ball.

• Fundraising – 7.5/10

  Fundraising efforts, including wine offerings, social memberships, events, and sponsorships, were well received. Suggestions included greater promotion of the wine offer, exploring funding opportunities through the College, hosting a business breakfast, and broadening the player auction to include more players.

• Game Day Amenities at KRO – 8/10

  Game day amenities, including the BBQ and bar, were rated very positively. Opportunities for improvement included expanded canteen offerings such as coffee, pie warmers, and a broader BBQ menu.

• Committee Performance – 8/10

  Feedback reflected a view that the committee is committed and well organised, with some respondents noting that greater visibility around what the committee does behind the scenes would be beneficial.

• Club Communication – 8.2/10

  Communication received strong feedback, with positive mentions of Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram updates from coaching staff, emails from the President, and The Droppie, which remains well loved. Improvement opportunities included better engagement with ex-players and older members, and providing more advance notice for social events, particularly Bath-themed nights.

The Committee thanks everyone for their feedback and will continue to use these insights to guide improvements across the club.

Team Building Day – Saturday 21 February

Our Team Building Day will be held at Adelaide Indoor Sports Centre & then onto the Tennyson Dunes on Saturday 21 February. This day is designed to strengthen connections across the playing group, integrate our men’s and women’s programs, and continue building a strong club culture ahead of the season. The day will wind up at The Grange Hotel around 4pm where our generous sponsors the Franzon family are putting on drinks specials for the club.

Lawn Bowls Night – Friday 6 March

We are pleased to confirm our Lawn Bowls Night on Friday 6 March from 6.00pm at Toorak Burnside Bowling Club. This event is open to the broader club community, including players, parents, members, sponsors, supporters, and friends of the club.

Tickets are $20 per person and include lawn bowls and a pizza dinner. Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar.

Bookings are essential and can be made via the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1538629

Training & Trial Matches

Trial matches for the season are scheduled as follows:

• Saturday 21 March

  Men & Women v Nuriootpa – Nuriootpa Oval

• Saturday 28 March

  Women v Broadview - Cornerstone College, Mount Barker

  Men v SHOC – Cornerstone College, Mount Barker

Further details regarding exact times and match formats will be communicated closer to the dates.

All training will continue on Monday and Wednesday nights at KRO until the March long weekend, after which training arrangements will be confirmed and communicated.

C Grade Coach – Expression of Interest

We are still seeking a C Grade Coach for the 2026 season. This is a vital role within the club, playing a key part in the development of our younger players and emerging talent.

If you are interested, or if you know someone within the community who may be suitable, please contact Tom Sexton (football.director@oifc.com.au).

That’s all for now. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Regards,

Bevan Ferrari

President