OIGFC Newsletter

April 10, 2024

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** OIGFC Newsletter #4
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** Round 1 – Let’s Go!
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**
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On Saturday 6 April the U/19s commenced their season. The reason for the earlier start for the 19s is so that the VAFA can stagger the finals series for the many grades of football and ensure that similar fixturing woes which befell OIGFC on Semi Final day in 2023, where we had the Reserves playing at 9:30am and then the Seniors playing at 2pm, doesn’t occur to other clubs. As you can imagine this type of fixturing places unnecessary strain on volunteers who are the cornerstone of community football.

The 19s had strong showing against St. Bede’s Mentone Tigers, leading at halftime by 24 points. Unfortunately, they fell away and lost narrowly by 7pts. Despite the loss, the team have demonstrated that they will be competitive in U/19 Division 2 and fingers crossed they can open their account against Old Camberwell this Saturday at Chelsworth Park.

Like the U/19s the reserves and the senior teams are playing Old Camberwell. It promises to be an absolute ‘monster’ of a day with three games, back-to-back-to-back, against our AGSV rivals of more than 100 years, and last season beaten senior grand final opponent.

In addition to 6 hours of football, Saturday 13 April will also see the presentation of the three premiership cups won in 2023 – one before each game, with that same number of premiership flags also being unveiled. This festival of OIGFC football commences at 9:15am!

Chelsworth Club Lunch: The Best Afternoon Tea in the VAFA

If you really want to make a day of it at the King Edgar’s gift, make sure you grab one of the last remaining tickets to the Chelsworth Club lunch. The doors swing open at 12pm with guests taking their seats at 12:30pm. Tickets sales are close to our ‘sellout’ number of 100 so make sure you head to www.oigfc.com.au to spend $40 on a two-course lunch with drinks at bar prices. As has been the case for the past 20 years, our Chelsworth Club lunches for this season’s home fixtures will be catered for by Spitting Image caterers. Spitting Image is owned and operated by Alumni, current parent of the school and eternal Open Hurdles record holder, Mark Longmuir. To book a ticket you can also reach out to club vice-president Sienna Whiteman at siennawhiteman@y7mail.com (mailto:siennawhiteman@y7mail.com)
13 April Old Camberwell
27 April St. Bede’s Mentone Tigers
18 May De La Salle
1 June Old Haileybury
29 June Old Geelong
20 July Old Trinity
3 August Beaumaris
17 August Williamstown CYMS
24 August Caulfield Grammarians

If you are one of the unlucky ones who cannot make the Chelsworth Club lunch, be sure to be in the Harris-Stevens room at halftime for what is the best Afternoon Tea in the VAFA. $10 will get you more food than your body can realistically handle, and then some. If you are wearing OIGFC merchandise then the cost of entry reduces to only $5, which is close to robbery, a fate the club unfortunately suffered on Sunday night. Thankfully nothing of value is missing, but for a few hours we had feared the Reserves Premiership Cup had been stolen, only to learn that Jake Erman had taken it home after Saturday’s Reserve Squad Intra-Club match to enjoy a few large glasses of red wine with his recovery meal!

If three premiership cups, three premiership flags, three games against a traditional rival, an amazing lunch, or an afternoon tea of such value it is close to stealing can’t get you down to Chelsworth, then maybe the words “Bar Open All Day” will be the straw which breaks the back of your stubborn resistance!!! That is right, the OIGFC bar will be open from 12pm until the formalities of the after match have been wrapped up by Tarz – here’s hoping that Hoer’s win and that ‘grumpy Tarz’ doesn’t make an early appearance.

Help Needed!

So that we can be as well run as possible off the field we require further off-field assistance. Having people in these roles will not only ensure that our club is as professionally run as possible but also reduce the load on our existing volunteers. If you have an interest in giving back to the Club, please have a look at the roles available and should you have any questions reach out to the President, Chris Branigan at chris.branigan@ivanhoe.com.au (mailto:chris.branigan@ivanhoe.com.au)

Additional Reserves Team Manager

Most reserves and senior team management is already handled by Brett Jensen and Craig Flenley; however, the club would benefit from an additional member to this team of outstanding volunteers, to oversee the management of the reserves team when Brett and Craig are required organise the senior team. This is typically from halftime to full time in the reserves match.

Bar Manager

With previous bar manager Jeremy Branigan moving down to Rye, would love to add a new member to our bar service team. Typically, the OIGFC Bar is open on a Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm and on a Chelsworth Club lunch day from 12pm. Throughout the year we have four home games where the bar will be open all day but for the other five home fixtures the bar is open from 12pm to 2pm and then again from 4:30pm to close. If being the face of the football club and working in close proximity to Tarz is a role you have always dreamed of, then search no more!

Merchandise Manager

Currently our best attempt at a merchandise manager is a 9-year-old girl…fingers crossed there is someone within the OIGFC network who can relieve her of this role. The key aim of the role is to oversee our merchandise stock and ensure that it moves from storage and onto the bodies of our players and supporters – all for an excellent price! This means being at Thursday night training, particularly early in the season and in and around the clubrooms on home game Saturday – you will have the assistance of that 9-year-old girl.

Fitness & Rehab Coach

Being as professional as possible is an important aimfor our club and is a great way for us to re-invest into our entire playing group, rather than just a small few, like most of the clubs to the north of us. To that end, we require the services of a keen and knowledgeable individual to lead the fitness training of the entire playing group and the rehabilitation of injured players. Typically, our injured players are working through programs provided by medical professionals, so the function of this role is to ensure that these programs are being worked through correctly.
To ensure that the needs of the U/19 cohort are also being captured in this role, we are hoping to have this role in operation from 6pm to 8pm every training night. For each training session the role will attract $100 which when tallied up over two training nights a week, across 20 weeks of the season ends up being a very healthy $4K.

Committee Member

Old Ivanhoe would like to thank Michael Bacskos for his contribution to the committee over recent years.
Michael has decided to step away to spend his valuable time on his various other roles.

As a result there is an opening on the committee for someone with passion for the Club and a willingness to help out.

If you or someone you know is interested please contact Chris Branigan
Old Ivanhoe Football Club’s Gala Auction Night: A Night to Remember!

I’m pleased to report that tickets to the 60^th Anniversary Gala Auction Night on April 20^th are selling strongly. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet be sure to head to www.oigfc.com.au or reach out to Sienna Whiteman at siennawhiteman@y7mail.com (mailto:siennawhiteman@y7mail.com) to make your purchase.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the State Library, this event promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with excitement and celebration. Including the acknowledgement of the 1994 Premiership Team led by the irrepressible John Stevens. John wants the microphone. Will John get the microphone? Can John be trusted with the microphone? Be at the State Library to find out!

The Gala Night is also a major fundraiser for the club by way of the auctions throughout the night. With a wide array of items to bid for, at a variety of price points, there really is something for everyone. Even at this late stage, if you have any items, experiences or opportunities you would like to add to the suite of auction items, please contact Denise Bradley denise.bradley@philips.com (mailto:denise.bradley@philips.com) Denise has done an amazing job putting together the auction list for this year’s Gala night and she will make your item(s) are generously received and that you receive the level appreciation you require.

Certificate of Merit Award

The Club would love to congratulate Lawrence Tutton affectionately known as Tarz for recently being awarded the Certificate of Merit by the VAFA

Lawrence is now the only person to have ever won the award twice!

Please join us in congratulating Tarz next time you see him

** Become a Member Today!
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Memberships for the 2024 season are now available for purchase, so make sure you visit www.oigfc.com.au to purchase your membership today, or get in touch with a committee member, potentially this Saturday!

For the Platinum Club membership, there will be a draw each week, beginning with the 60^th Anniversary Gala Night on April 20. The Gala Night draw will be for $2000, so grab your Platinum membership ASAP so your name has a chance of being drawn on this night. All subsequent draws on a home game weekend (made during the Chelsworth Club lunch) will be for $1000 and draws during an away game weekend will be for $500 and will take place at Thursday Night Dinner prior to the weekend’s away game. All draw winners will be notified via phone, email and social media.

** Sponsors
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A recent sponsorship development has been the addition of FIVE Vinyard to the family of organisations who support OIGFC and ensure that the cost to play football for the club is a small as possible, even though the environment is as professional as possible…not withstanding the changerooms! FIVE Vinyard will be supplying all the wine sold from the OIGFC bar for season 2024 free of charge, so every supporter is encouraged to buy a glass and sample what FIVE Vinyard has to offer. Owned and operated by the Vella family, including 2013 Premiership superstar, Alex Vella, FIVE Vinyard is located at 280 Bridge Inn Road, Mernda. The property includes a restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner as well as being available for special occasions including weddings and possibly premiership celebrations for our more genteel supporters!

** Sponsor Spotlight
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Brenta Meats Fairfield is a cornerstone of culinary excellence in the heart of Fairfield. A local institution renowned for their premium quality meats and dedication to traditional craftsmanship, Brenta Meats has been serving the community with pride for over four decades. With a commitment to sourcing only the finest ingredients and delivering unparalleled taste, Brenta Meats has earned a reputation as a trusted name by all who shop there. As a member of the local community, I only hear positive words about Brenta Meats which are typically along the lines of “I wouldn’t buy my meat from anywhere else”.
Brenta Meats are the proud supplier of our traditional Meat Tray raffle which is run and won after every home fixture. They also provide meat for our player and supporter BBQs throughout the season, as well as meat for some of our ‘player and supporter’ Thursday night selection dinners – all of it free of charge.

Make sure you head into Brenta Meats in the heart of Station St. Fairfield and tell Andrew that OIGFC sent you!

Thank you to all readers for your contribution to the Old Ivanhoe Grammarians Football and see you at the football.

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