2022 REPORT – AARON BAILEY

Thank you to the hard-working Outer East team who have continued to deliver outstanding support to our clubs, volunteers and participants and have shown significant resilience through Covid 19. Thank you to Greg Heinrich, John Howarth, Lachlan Shaw, and Sebastian Mueller-Schmuki for their service to the League and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Thank you to Greg and his team at Inspire Netball who have played a major role in growing Netball over the past five years. The administration team, led wonderfully by Cameron Hutchison are committed to keeping Outer East football and netball accessible and affordable for all participants whilst maintaining service levels. Andy Gibbons and Sheryn Harbert continue to provide outstanding support to clubs in their roles and Matt Blanchard and Georgia Chisholm have been terrific inclusions to the operations team. Matt, in particular, has provided Netball teams, volunteers and players with a level of support that matches what football has received for a number of years.

Thank you to our Club Presidents, Committees, Coaches, Team Officials and volunteers for your efforts in getting your teams back onto the field. The resilience and commitment shown through the most challenging period since the world wars cannot be undersold. I have been immensely grateful for the opportunity to work with the Outer East community over the past six years. It has been a privilege and I look forward to seeing the league grow from strength to strength over the coming years.

After two seasons without both Football & Netball and it was pleasing to finish off our season 2022 with a great final’s series post COVID 19. The past two years has placed a massive social strain on all levels of society, and it was great to witness everyone enjoying themselves at our weekly games and finals series. The board has always placed our weekend games as a priority for our all of community’s health and wellbeing, community sport and events play such a critical role of our members communities.

During these tough times, we choose to waiver the player registration and refund clubs for the amounts received prior to winding up season 2020. These funds were either credited to club accounts or clubs handed the money back to their players. Our competition was the only competition within AFL Victoria not to charge any fees for the 2020 season. We were extremely concise of the financial strain on all clubs during these once in a lifetime tough time, and hopefully beyond 2022 we will not experience things such as COVID again. Our sports are vital to all our close communities and townships, and we are committed in ensuring all our clubs prosper from 2022 and beyond, however, we need to continue to work together as member partners within both our football / netball communities. We might be in battle on the field / court, but we are one unit moving together and help each other prosper and survive.

Outer East Football Netball Competitions Limited will continue to strive to grow as a competition with the encouragement of club development through increased junior teams and netball juniors and senior football/ netball teams. We are focused on ensuring continued improvement of both football and netball competitions and give each club the opportunity in finding its own level, within our proven divisional structure.

I wish to again acknowledge and thank the magnificent work being undertaken by our office staff during these tough times under the management of Aaron Bailey our former CEO, General Manager Operations Cameron Hutchison, Junior Football Operations Andrew Gibbons, Accounts Administrator Sheryn Harbert, Director of Umpiring John Howorth, Matt Blanchard Netball Operations and Greg Heinrich Netball Development & Coaching.

Our staff are committed in servicing all clubs needs and they have proven their value during these tough times with each league employee continued support for our member clubs with all facets of football and netball, inclusive of business models and committee and club development programs. Good luck for season 2023 and beyond.

We also wish to welcome Hallam Football Netball Club Inc to our family and wish them all the best of luck for the coming season.

I would like to pass on my special thanks to my fellow board members through their support, many sound ideas, strong debates and most importantly their continued commitment and focus they have given our clubs to ensure our football and netball competitions continues to be sustainable, grow and develop.

Many thanks our Deputy Chair Graeme Tuplin, Mark Sargent, Leo Groenewegen, Ryan Ford, Lauren Bourke, and Josette O’Donnell, all board members are committed to the direction the competition is heading and I am incredibly grateful with their continued support.

Our members continue to focus on participation, retention, growth and provide a safe family environment. We as a competition are here to provide opportunities for our youth and most importantly, provide a safe environment for our children and families in enjoying our great games.

Some real positives during COVID are the re-development of some of our grounds. Gembrook’s new pavilion being completed, new ground being developed at Seville, Officer having a new function area being built, Mount Evelyn’s pavilion well under construction, Powelltown receiving a new function and change rooms in the initial stages of redevelopment.

I just ask we work together, stay strong and abide by the future COVID 19 plans as we direct you, AFL Victoria, Netball Victoria and local councils do, we need to work together stay focused and strong to ensure we all prosper in 2023 and get back on track for our players, committees, parents and supporters wellbeing and mental health.