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Presidents Message - End Of Season
It’s hard to believe, but another season of Football has come and gone.
And what a season it has been! It was “book ended” with the sad passing of Darryl Ogg who was taken by prostate cancer at the beginning of the season and then the equally sad passing of Steve Bertocchi (many of you would have known him as the Vic Park Player everyone nicknamed ‘tick-tock’)at the very end of the season.
Steve was diagnosed with asbestosis about two years ago. He fought a very brave fight against the disease but finally succumbed on the very day that Geelong and St Kilda were battling it out for the AFL Grand Final.
It was somewhat ironic that he passed away at around the same time that our travellers were arriving in Cairns for the 2009 National Carnival. Steve traveled to the last Carnival that was held in Cairns in 2004, thoroughly enjoyed himself while he was there and played some bloody good football.
The 2009 Season was by and large a successful one with the majority playing their games in the Spirit of “Football for Kicks”. There was as usual the odd ‘Neanderthal’ that had difficulty in adjusting to the concept and the usual complaints from all clubs pointing their collective fingers at each other over rough play while at the same time espousing the virtues of their own players and their respective attitudes toward our game and the way in which it should be played.
Overall, it was pleasing to see throughout the year that increasingly clubs were coming to the realization that the discipline that is required on the field to maintain and play our game in the right spirit starts with the clubs themselves ensuring that each and every one of the players in their sides is aware of the way in which they are expected to play the game.
On behalf of the Board of Management I would like to congratulate and thank all clubs, both in the Metropolitan and Country areas that held home games throughout the Year. They were all very well run and just as pleasingly were very well attended.
Some of the Country games that I was fortunate enough to attend were nothing short of magnificent, one of which even had a Scottish Pipe Band to Pipe the players out on to the ground. Congratulations must also go to the organizers of the two Country Carnivals that were held this year. The football was great and everyone that attended had a wonderful time.
The 2009 Season culminated in a record number of teams travelling to Cairns to play in the National Carnival that was held in early October. Western Australia this year took the largest contingent of any state to the Carnival. In all we fielded seven teams and had some 326 Travellers in our group.
All of the Western Australian Teams performed admirably, and as would be expected some with greater success than others. Congratulations to all the Players, Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Team Mangers, Runners, Trainers and Water Boys for all of the ‘hard yakka’ that was put in, not only in the lead up to the Carnival but also for a magnificent effort whilst in Cairns. For all of the Western Australian Teams results at the Cairns Carnival the please go to the Carnival Section of the State website, www.wamastersfooty.com.au
The 2010 Carnival is to be held in Canberra. Even at this early stage I am able to advise that the accommodation for the Carnival has already been arranged. It is without doubt some of the best Carnival accommodation that W.A. has ever managed to secure, it is within easy reach of all the proposed Carnival facilities and a short three minute walk from the centre of Canberra.
2010 will see all of the Western Australian Contingent staying in the same facility, something that has not happened in a long while.
Michael Hamling, who did such a great job for us all on the Cairns Carnival, will again in charge of the preparations for Canberra. Both Michael and I, in conjunction with the Board are determined that the Canberra Carnival will be the best that those travelling to Canberra have ever experienced.
Contrary to the opinion of some there is a lot to do in Canberra and I am aware that Michael Hamling is currently working his stubby little fingers to the bone gathering information about some of the magnificent attractions in Canberra and that shortly he will be in a position to relay that information to you all.
This year there will not be any “Expression of Interest Forms” released to prospective travellers as was the practice before the Cairns Carnival.
This year there will be a CANBERRA CARNIVAL APPLICATION FORM issued with all the information required for you to make an application to travel, purchase clothing etc. There will be an opening and closing date (these dates are yet to be determined by the Board) for all applications and applications will be accepted and numbered in the order that they are received.
Limits will be set to the number of teams travelling (the number is yet to be determined by the Board) and to the number of players that will be listed with each respective team (this number is also yet to be determined by the Board)
If a team fills before the closing date for applications then any player registering to play after the numbers have been reached for that team and before the closing date, will be placed, in order, on a reserve list in the event of a cancellation.
The application form will be emailed to all in advance of the opening date for applications and a copy will be available for download on the Website. It is vitally important that you all ensure that your email addresses are up to date by making sure that you advise either Michael Hamling or myself of any changes in that regard.
So here we all are again counting down the days and “no football” weekends waiting for the next season to commence so we can all do it over again.
In the meantime on behalf of the Board of Management I extend congratulations to you all on the effort that you all made in making the 2009 AFL Masters Season a successful one. All of us on the Board thank each of you for your assistance, patience and understanding throughout the Year and we all wish you and your families the very best over the summer break, an especially Merry Christmas and a Happy and very prosperous New Year.
See you all in Season 2010
Robert Smith
