President’s Message – December 2021

Christmas Message 2021 – From President Murray Forbes

It’s fair to say that we are drawing to the end of a very difficult and turbulent year. Our resolve as a club has been tested through the challenges thrown at us in our second year of Covid-19 shutdowns and restrictions in South Australia. We have been able to complete a full season of footy, despite the difficulties. This is a testament to everyone involved, particularly the players and coaching staff. As I’ve said many times before, our football activities are funded in part by the generous support of sponsors and  members, for which we are extremely grateful. But we rely so heavily on the licenced club to turn a healthy profit in order for us to continue to run our football department. This year has seen severe disruptions to the earning capacity of our bistro, bar and function rooms, resulting in a shortfall of the amount required to pay for our footy operations. However, we are determined to continue investing into building great football for next year and beyond. We must find more streams of revenue and create more profitable activities in the future. This is a high priority for the Board of Directors, and the challenge has been laid before all management and staff to unite as a club to get this done.

There are several initiatives being explored for 2022 which are designed to address the need for more profitable activities. We have a lot to offer as a club and we need to exploit all opportunities. We will be broadening our links with businesses and clubs, both local and in our regional zones. And we will be offering more exciting functions and events to members and the broader community. It is time for us to widen our reach into the Riverland and Roxby Downs – we have several activities planned for those regions next year. You will also see many more people coming to Hisense Stadium in 2022 as we host functions that will raise our profile as a destination club. It’s going to be important that you keep an eye on our website to keep abreast of these exciting activities.

Next year will see the start of the transformation of our oval precinct into a facility which will be very inviting to our local community. We will be working with City of West Torrens as we begin to open up the oval perimeter for activities such as jogging, fitness, picnics, kids activities and general relaxation in an extremely well-planned environment. This will be the beginning of a larger development which is expected to provide upgraded state of the art facilities for playing and viewing football.

At the recent member forum event, our Football Director provided great insights into our player recruiting for next year and I know that there is a general sense of excitement around the club about the progress that has been made in this area. It was great to receive questions from members on the night about a wide range of topics and to take on board several suggestions for improvement as well. Feedback provided at the event will form part of our plans for 2022 and we will certainly continue with these important member forums to ensure everyone in the club has a voice.

As we approach the holiday season, I want to thank each and every one who has contributed to the club this year. And I want to acknowledge all the work done by staff and volunteers. We still have challenges ahead of us, but we’ve got all the right things in place to forge ahead. I know that we are united in our pursuit of premiership success, and 2022 will show the results of that unity. I wish you all an enjoyable and peaceful holiday period and look forward to catching up with you soon.

Go Bloods!

Murray Forbes
President