Presidents Message

We are now well and truly past the half-way mark of season 2024 and it is timely that all members are provided with an update regarding the club.

Firstly, about our on-field performance – we have had some devastating losses recently, both in the men’s and women’s leagues. Our women’s team narrowly missed finals and should be congratulated on their performances with some very close matches. They played this year with key absences, injuries and yet still represented the club at state level with selection in the SA team that took on WA and in the Advertiser Team of the Year.

Our senior men’s team have faced some significant challenges, including three losses in the last three rounds. However, the team remains committed to developing our young, home-grown talent and building the foundation for long-term success. We will always play with passion and a determination to win across all grades of football – it continues to be our expectation that each team who pulls on the black and red guernsey will do so as part of a competitive, fully committed and united team.

With that in mind, I want to assure all of our members that the Board, executive and playing groups are committed to achieving our vision of being a ‘destination club for football talent in South Australia’. In practice, this means that we will continue to innovate with a view to securing long-term, continuing success for the entire club. Following on from extensive reviews conducted over the last few years, we continue to be proactive about ways that we can improve and grow our beloved club.

It is with a heavy heart, however, that we share that the senior mens team will be saying farewell to Josh Ryan. Josh has been a part of our leadership team, providing invaluable support to our junior talent both on and off-field. Whilst Josh is stepping away from playing, he will continue to work at the club. Josh will be farewelled in a manner befitting his worth and roles at the club, and whilst we regret that this time has come, we part ways wishing him all the best with his future, and knowing that he will always be a part of our West Adelaide family.

As you may recall from my President’s message in March, the Board established a number of committees to work on the priority areas for the Clubs development. It is my pleasure to announce that the Board is now calling for nominations to the Strategic Planning/Sustainability committee (chaired by Alison Surjan) and the Community Engagement committee (co-chaired by Kristen Demetriou and Daniel Rosetto). Specific details of how to nominate, the terms of reference and closing dates will be published on the West Adelaide website; but we encourage all those amongst our membership with relevant skills to nominate.

Additionally, we will be holding a members’ forum at a date to be announced shortly – as part of our ongoing commitment to engagement with all members. Please keep an eye out for those information bulletins and contact us if you would like to be more involved.

Finally, the redevelopment of Hisense Stadium (Richmond Oval) continues to be a topic of interest amongst the football and local government communities as the Adelaide Football Club and the SANFL progress their substantial infrastructure plans. It is important for me to reiterate that the West Adelaide Football Club is fully committed to ensuring that our legacy and history is honoured as we progress towards being a sustainable club; this includes redeveloping our home at Milner Road, Richmond.

We thank all our partners and sponsors for their continuing support of the Club, and we thank our legions of loyal fans for their unwavering support and belief.  We look forward to seeing you all at our next games, the members forum or one of our many upcoming events.

United and together we can, and will, achieve great things.