This week’s highlighted SBMT sponsor – Geschke Plumbing

Dear SBMT Community,

It seems that footy is nearly here! This newsletter will touch on 2 main areas for the club that concern all of us at St Bedes/Mentone Tigers as we navigate the return to football and eventually some sort of normal life – FINANCE and COMPLIANCE.

SBMT Finances

We have seen some changes recently in the finance department at SBMT with a change of Finance Director. We started the year with Drew Boaden in the role. Drew has worked on the SBMT Board over the past 2-3 years overseeing some new processes and procedures being put in place. The SBMT Board wishes to thank Drew for his tireless work through this time.

SBMT is pleased to welcome back to the club our new Finance Director Jonathan Kane.Β Jon joined the Club as an under 9 and played over 200 games, including being a member of the 2008 A Section Premiership team.Β He has previously been a volunteer at SBMT including roles as Committee member, Club Treasurer and VAFA Committee Treasurer.Β Jon’s full SBMT history is on the Club website here:Β https://stbedesmentonetigers.com.au/history/club-records/player-records/

Jon is a CPA and director of a financial services company. Β We are fortunate to have Jon back at the club during these difficult times.
2020 is proving to be a challenging year from a financial perspective for SBMT. In preparation for this season, the club had ordered and paid for merchandise, footballs and other equipment, as well as making significant financial contributions to the building programs at both Brindisi St and Southern Rd facilities. There are still affiliation fees to be paid, and other costs associated with any active return to footy. Financially we are better off with some footy in the club than no footy, but it is clear that without the subs already paid by club members for season 2020, we may not be seeing our beloved club still afloat. This COVID period is causing much financial strain for many community organisations, and may result in some grass roots football clubs folding. Clearly this would be devastating for any community, so the SBMT Board wishes to thank those players and families who have paid their 2020 subs. Without the ability to hold functions and earn funds through the use of our wonderful new facility as we had expected to do, the subs are the financial glue holding the club together.

We are expecting aΒ substantialΒ loss due to the COVID situation which risks the viability of the club so we need the support of our whole SBMT community.Β In the coming weeks and months, we will be coming to you all to support our whole SBMT community, with various fundraisingΒ initiatives and sponsorship opportunitiesΒ to raise further funds for the club. At the bottom of this email, the current fundraising links to support SBMT are listed.

SBMT COVID Compliance

With all the excitement of a return to training, we MUST not be complacent with all the rules and regulations. If we don’t comply, there will be a hefty $5000 fine as well as putting in jeopardy any possibility of an SBMT return to matches.

All players (and junior parents) MUST adhere to certain requirements:

  • Each player must register to train. It is not possible to turn up without pre-registering. (Contact your coach or team manager)
    Arrive no more than 5 minutes early for training.
  • Check with your coach/team manager which oval and which end of the ground you have been assigned to train on.
    Enter the oval from the end you have been assigned to train on:

    • Mentone Reserve: enter via either the Brindisi St side car park, or the Venice St gate.
    • Southern Rd Reserve: enter via the Acacia Ave car park or near the goals on the Broome Ave side of the ground.
  • Parents or observers are not permitted to enter or attend training. Only team officials required for training and the training group COVID Officer are permitted to attend with players.
  • All players must report to their training session COVID Officer on arrival at training.
  • All players must bring their own LABELLED water bottle and any other required personal items which are not to be shared.
    All players must sanitise hands prior to training and after (COVID Officers will have hand sanitiser).
  • No physical contact including high fives, hand shakes, tackling or bumping is permitted. Social distancing of 1.5m is required.
  • No entrance to clubrooms or changerooms is permitted. Players are required to arrive at training ready to train.
    All players must leave training within 5 minutes of the training session ending.
  • COVID Officers must sign their attendance forms, take a photo and send through to the relevant SBMT safety officer for the club to keep.

We have been advised that there will be spot checks, as well as likely to be members of the broader community report to authorities if regulations are not being met. In the event there is a breach, there will be a $5000 fine issued and training for our club will cease.

Please respect the COVID Officers. They are a requirement now at training and are doing a great job volunteering to help the club. I am sure our SBMT community will show appreciation and respect for the work they have to do.

Anyone wishing to volunteer as a COVID Officer, the 15 minute training course is via this link: Β https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covid-19-infection-control-training.

COVID Officers who have not returned their certificate to the club, please email through toΒ .

Any COVID Officer not booked into the training session scheduled for Monday night this week, please get in contact with Shaun Napier,Β Β .

I have every reason to believe that all our SBMT community will follow the guidelines as set out. It will be very exciting to see each other after so long, but we must remember to adhere to the rules regardless of the joy we feel about having football back!

Lastly, thank you for all the positive feedback we have had from our fabulous SBMT community members. The patience and resilience being shown by our club people throughout this difficult time has been wonderful. There is still a way to go and much to do, so if you’re able to volunteer in any way, get in touch with your team manager or a club contact.

Until we can all be back together, stay socially distant and keep safe.

Go Tigers!

Lou Prichard Nicholson

Club President
St Bedes/Mentone Tigers AFC

LINKS TO SUPPORT SBMT DURING COVID-19

Join our Good For Footy raffle, $5 a ticket:-
https://toyotagoodforfooty.raffletix.com.au/stbedesmentonetigers

Our online Tiger Shop:-
https://stbedesmentonetigers.com.au/shop/

You can receive a tax deduction by contributing to one of our projects:-
https://asf.org.au/projects/st-bedes-mentone-tigers-afc/

Southern Rd facility:

Projects

Or please consider taking out a Membership to back the Tigers:-
https://stbedesmentonetigers.com.au/supporter-membership/