On behalf of the club, a very warm welcome to Season 2022, especially to new players and families.
In this official Presidents’ welcome to Season 2022, we take the opportunity to mention a few important things as we look forward to what should be a great season ahead.

First and foremost, we have two senior club Presidents this year, Michael Hazell and Paul O’Toole. As the demands of running a growing club just continue to climb, we have embarked on something new this year using the adage “two heads are better than one”. Importantly, we have set up a clear demarcation of the roles between the two of us. Essentially, when it comes to public facing, Michael will look after Saturday match days and Thursday nights. So attending, hosting, and co-ordinating our Thursday night get togethers, selection after training etc. And on Saturdays dealing with everything that usually happens on match day public facing including hosting home lunches.  Behind the scenes (so the not so much public facing part of the role), Michael will work with Paul on all the usual things that a President does.   This arrangement will give Paul the opportunity to spend some much deserved time with his family, but allow him to stay very involved with the club so he can continue to progress the great work he has done over the past few years.

As we head into the season, yes success is important, but we must always remind ourselves about the need to create an enjoyable place for everyone involved with the club.  This enjoyment comes from our club being inclusive, safe and fun.  As President(s) we will be working hard to continue to make the club an enjoyable place to be at.

Thanks to our coaches for their ongoing dedication and hard work.   A lot of time and effort has gone into getting our teams off the ground and everyone should be very proud of what has been achieved so far with our player numbers.  With our senior women’s teams, three senior men’s teams, and three Under 19 teams, which is an amazing effort, everyone should be very proud.   This is exciting but also presents challenges logistically. But it’s a challenge we are up for. Thank you also to all of those who have already volunteered for roles such as Committee, Team Managers, Assistants, Trainers, etc. We strongly encourage more to get involved.

There are a number of key dates to keep in mind, especially as we lead into the commencement of the VAFA season on April 2, which includes a whole of club season launch that day.  Our club website will keep you posted on all of our upcoming lunches and events for the 2022 season.    Cheers all and we look forward to an exciting season ahead of us.

Go Tigers!

Michael Hazell

Paul O’Toole

VAFA Club Presidents 2022.

ST BEDES/MENTONE TIGERS AFC.