National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and will be held on 16 – 22 May 2022.
Volunteers are the backbone of a sporting club. Volunteering brings people together. It builds communities and creates a better society for everyone, and sports clubs would not function without them.
This week we thank all of the very special volunteers throughout the SFNL, and give a special shout out to three amazing individuals in particular.
Jodie Reiger - Doveton Eagles
Jodie is a person that kept the Doveton Eagles hearts beating and is a major reason why the club was saved.
A club that certainly has faced some rough times, Jodie Reiger is Treasurer, Bar Manager and Fund Raiser for the Eagles.
Not only does Jodie do the all of the above, but Jodie is also partially blind and still manages to ensure that the bar fridge's are stocked and that all tickets/numbers are sold in all fundraising draws.
Jodie runs the home game membership draw and also the home game lucky number draw, she also manages the monthly lucky number draws.
If Jodie had not introduced these draws to our club then financially the club would still be in trouble.
Jodie is also a Life Member of the club.
Michael Kane - Skye
"Mickey" is as passionate as they come for his Skye Bombers.
The 2021 SFNL Administrator of the year, he works three-to-four hours every night on his football role to make sure the club runs.
The hours he puts in to keep the club functioning is more valuable than any numbers a player could produce on-field.
Not only does he open and close the rooms four nights a week for club training but he is also there on game day at 6:30am to prep for the day - week in, week out.
He volunteers in the bar and canteen, he sells meat raffle tickets and cleans the rooms after the game.
The club simply would not function without the countless admin and labour that he does.
Colin Austin - South Mornington
"What doesn't the man do? First one there on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays and and the last to leave."
Colin is the lifeblood of the South Mornington Tigers and will put his hand up for any task for the benefit of the club.
Whether it is pumping up balls, filling in the rabbit holes, putting out the goal post pads, cleaning the changerooms, running water on game day or many other countless tasks, Colin Austin is your man.
He will even still put his hand up to play a game for the yellow and black if the club is short, despite being in his 60s.
An incredible person that gives his soul every week to help the club and the people in it and deserves all the recognition possible.
