LEAGUE COACH REPORT

Beau Wardman

What a year 2020 has been. The unprecedented unforeseen event of COVID threw our season and wider community into the greatest change in behavior we have seen, right on the eve of our first practice game at East Fremantle. After a grueling four-month preparation, the eight week hiatus challenged us like nothing before, the uncertainty, the perspective and the resolve with which our club and the community responded will provide great learning for years to come. Despite an almighty effort from all of our staff and the players to get through this season, amongst the uncertainty, the seemingly unrelenting pre-season and eventually a truncated eight-game season, we unfortunately weren’t able to get the wins we needed at the end of the season. And it hurts.

We didn’t get what we wanted, and in essence it was an unacceptable year - there is no doubt about that. Whilst we can look to some injuries or club restrictions which may have impacted on those results, we make no excuses, that’s not who we are or what we are about. This game makes you pay - and if you’re not at your best you will pay and you’re going to get beat as we found out a number of times this season. But it’s not a wasted season if we take the learnings. 2020, has however provided great opportunity for players to step up and accept responsibility. At league level we played 35 players across eight-games, the most of any club, we had seven players debut at league level and those players will give us greater growth in the year to come for the experience. To match we had 41 at reserves level including five players through colts transition who went back and won a premiership. Through this opportunity some of our up and coming players started to understand their role in the team a lot better. I am excited and confident about the depth of players we have and the colts coming through we will be in a very strong position for the years to come. For as difficult as the year has been for the players on-field, there is no doubt the ripple effect flows down to the players and coaches partners, families and friends. We know you ride every bump with us and I want to acknowledge and thank you for the support and care you give throughout the year and the time you give up to allow us to do what we do. Our supporters and members are critical to our club, you demand excellence, you hold us accountable and we strive to deliver all the time. Our major sponsors Holman and AE Hoskins plus all our other loyal sponsors, you have never wavered in your commitment to the club, in the toughest and challenging financial times thank you for standing by the club. I would like to acknowledge our Board and CEO, through all the off-field challenges we faced with COVID-19 and the uncertainty of football in 2020, the players welfare was always of paramount importance. Even through adversity, the unity of the board and wider club has held firm.

On-field we had some great success with our colts showing the spirit, the energy and the ruthless Subiaco way in winning the 2020 Premiership. Well done to Chayce Creedy and Kristian Dicton in this program. Our Subiaco Women’s team - whilst falling agonisingly short in the Grand Final, it was another great year and I know the team will be back bigger and stronger in 2021. Our senior development side, led so well by Paul Vines, you continued to show the Subiaco way throughout the season. With injuries at league level it challenged our depth but it’s exciting to see how much talent we have coming through our ranks. Well done to our development coaching team - Matt Cavedon, Brent McPherson, Scott Stanton, Brent Irving and Chaddy on the Bench. Despite some off-field uncertainty this year, the resilience of our people to stay involved, and support is a reflection of the quality of people we have at this club. • Our on-field support team, Scott Flood, James Hughes,

Jason O’Malley, William Neil-Smith. Stats team led by

Hosko, Ryree, Team Manager Ron Tester, and special mention to the boys in the property room Alby, Mick and

Rocket. • Our High Performance team Matt Olds and the army of assistants. • Our medical team, Kristelle, Kent and Tanya with all of our trainers. Our League coaching group, FM - Michael Farmer, Coaches - Nigel, Ryan, Jason, Andrew, Martine and Kellie, your contributions to our players and this club is unparalleled. What is not often acknowledged or recognised is the support you provide our players above and beyond the call of duty. I thank you also for the support you provide me, always searching for improvement on and off field. To our players. You are a remarkable group of young men, whilst we were challenged this year, you never stopped looking for resolutions. It is an absolute honour and privilege to coach you and I challenge you all to believe in your abilities, to believe that through hard work anything is possible, to believe that if we are united we will achieve ultimate success again. To acknowledge a couple of players who have decided to hang up the boots at Subiaco. Ben Newton, whilst only at our club for a short time, you have made a lasting impact. You are one of the hardest workers, disciplined and driven players among our group. Your level headed thinking and leadership remains consistent through success and adversity. Rhys Waters - will go down as one of the modern-day legends of this club, you have made a massive contribution on and off-field. A threetime premiership player, 108 games and 134 goals in a career coming through the Subiaco development pathway. Your competitiveness, your will to win and mercurial work around goal has been a trademark, but it is the support and care for your teammates off -field which will be a lasting legacy we will hold for years to come. Well done on your careers and great contributions to this club!

2021 is exciting and bright. With our colts winning a grand final, our reserves, with a heap of youngsters playing, making the preliminary final and playing a great Subiaco brand. We were able to get several more senior games into the future of our footy club. The growth of these players, with the help of the experience we already have, our recovery will be fast. With the hard work and support of each other, this is going to be a

very good journey to be on. BUT Every single person involved in our program has got to drive each other to improve, I’ve got to become a better coach, our coaches have to become better educators, our players have got to get fitter and stronger, helping each other get better. As the great Neale Daniher said, “When it’s all said and done, more is said than done and the mark of a person or group is not what they say but what they do.” The outcome this season won’t define us, what will define us is implementing the lessons we have learnt through action. The WORK required, the LEADERSHIP required, the CONNECTION required and the DEVOTION required is very clear to have success. Use the pain of disappointment into a pain for change. I am committed to our players, our staff and this great club to drive us back to the top, to Restore the Roar.