A word from the Chairperson

Transcription

1 newsletter EDITION 1, 2014 A word from the Chairperson Nine Lives Geelong has recently enjoyed an enthusiastic and lively launch to the 2014 Season at its exclusive Members only evening in March Over 100 Nine Lives Members attended the event at Lord of the Isles and we heard from David Johnson, Player Development Manager, and Geelong s Rookie and Nine Lives Sponsored Player, Michael Luxford, about his new journey as an AFL Footballer. A full report is contained in this Newsletter edition. In 2014 we will be focusing each of our Newsletters on a theme, and this publication is the History and Tradition edition. Many of our Members have been part of the Geelong Cats family for decades and have fond memories of their time at games and shared experiences with family and friends. We share some of those special moments throughout the year and are delighted that the Geelong Cats Vice-President and Chair of the History and Tradition Committee, Bob Gartland, has also contributed to this edition. Nine Lives Geelong was founded over a decade ago by former Geelong Cats Director, Ms Helene Bender OAM. The vision of Ms Bender and the Nine Lives Geelong Committee of that time was that a special experience in football could be created for the women of the Geelong Football Club, and we are proud to continue with this tradition today. The Nine Lives Geelong Business Plan has come to life with a growing Membership base of passionate Geelong women and men; our focus on supporting the Cats in the Community Program remains firm; Nine Lives is a critical part of the Club s Respect for Diversity Framework and our events are enthusiastically celebrated by our supporters. At the Geelong Cats and within Nine Lives Geelong, we celebrate and honour the past and also look forward to the future. Nine Lives welcome Fernwood Waurn Ponds as their new partner for 2014 Fernwood Waurn Ponds, Geelong s women only gym, is Nine Lives Geelong s Major Partner in 2014 and we are delighted to have the support of Tom Hanley and his team. Fernwood will be attending all our events and we look forward to reciprocating the support of the business and also to improving our health and wellbeing in 2014! Our Breakfast Function event is fast approaching on Thursday 17 April 2014 and we are very pleased to have the Geelong Cats CEO, Brian Cook, in attendance and to speak at this event. The Nine Lives Geelong Committee has worked hard to recognise the support of our loyal Members, and in addition to the gift of an exclusive scarf or tie, all Members have been entered into the competition to be drawn at the Breakfast on 17 April 2014 with the prize of a day in the VFL Coaches Box with Cats Coach, Matthew Knights. Our signature event, the Nine Lives Geelong Luncheon, will be held on Friday 4 July 2014 and hosted by our wonderful No. 1 Female Ticket Holder, Rebecca Maddern. We look forward to welcoming all our Nine Lives Members and Geelong Cats supporters to these events and on behalf of the Geelong Football Club and the Nine Lives Geelong Committee, thank you for your ongoing support. Best wishes Diana Taylor Chairperson Nine Lives Geelong Director Geelong Football Club FOLLOW NINE LIVES ON INSIDE THIS ISSUE > FERNWOOD WAURN PONDS PAGE: 2 >THE MISSING YEARS PAGE: 3 >NINE LIVES 2014 SEASON LAUNCH PAGE: 4-5 > NINE LIVES MEMBERS INTERVIEW PAGE: 6 > INTRODUCTION TO michael luxford PAGE: 7 > CATS MEMORIES PAGE: 8 > Favourite recipe - DAWSON SIMPSON & TAYLOR HUNT PAGE: 9

2 NINE LIVES SPONSORSHIP The Benefits of Fernwood Personal Training Did you know muscle mass matters? Up to two thirds of all the energy we utilise each day comes down to our body composition (the amount of muscle we possess). Your muscles don t just sit on your bones; they participate in every physiological process that keeps us alive and functioning. Unfortunately as we get older, we lose the capacity to maintain muscle mass. In fact, the older we get, the easier it is to lose and the harder it is to rebuild muscle mass. After the age of 30, on average, a woman will lose around two kilograms of muscle every decade. After the age of 50, the loss of muscle mass can increase to half a kilogram per year. A lot of research suggests this process triggers accelerated ageing. On the other hand, building and maintaining muscle mass appears to trigger all the physiological responses that keep us young and supple. It s the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth! Doing bouts of cardiovascular exercise will increase your fitness and certainly has many health benefits, but it does not build lean muscle or sustain weight loss. The benefits of strength training include: - Increased muscular strength and endurance - Increased lean body mass (muscle) - Increased metabolism - Decreased percentage of body fat - Improved posture and reduced incidence of lower back pain - Increased bone mineral density - Improved blood glucose control aids in the prevention of Type II Diabetes. - Positive effect on self-confidence and self-esteem - Increased abdominal strength - Increased energy levels - Better sleeping patterns - Improved Cholesterol levels and Blood pressure - Injury prevention At Fernwood Waurn Ponds we have a strong commitment to strength training and we continue to deliver a program based on multi-joint (entire body) exercises. These deliver the best results for women in the shortest amount of time. The best way we provide strength training to our Members is via Personal Training. Research shows that the majority of women who train unsupervised in gyms select weights that are far too low for progression in muscular strength. Whereas women who train under the guide of a Personal Trainer report working harder, regularly hitting personal bests and having far greater strength outcomes over a shorter period of time. Our Personal Training program is cost effective and time efficient making it much more accessible to everyone. Call or us today to enquire more about Fernwood Waurn Ponds Personal Training. COMMUNICATION Nine Lives Geelong uses to communicate with its members, so we ask that you please provide your address if you haven t already done so. This will assure that you receive Newsletters, Event flyers and all other information pertaining to Nine Lives Geelong promptly. Phone Nine Lives on or ninelives@geelongcats.com.au We realise that a few members may not have access to an address and we will continue to post out relevant material to them. NINE LIVES MEMBERS As promised when joining Nine Lives in 2014 all members names would be displayed on the screens at Simonds Stadium during the 2014 home games season. If you would prefer not to have your name as a Nine Lives member displayed can you please inform the club ASAP by - ninelives@geelongcats.com.au Thank you 2 NINE LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER

3 INSIDE GEELONG CATS HISTORY & TRADITION THE MISSING YEARS On 10th July 1858, Tom Wills, the co-founder of Australian Football, wrote to the Editor of the newspaper, Bell s Life. In that letter he suggested the formation of a football club, a committee and a set of rules. And so..the idea of Australian Football was born, largely as a sport to keep cricketers fit during the winter months. The following year, Geelong Football Club was formed, and today, our great Club takes its place amongst the two oldest continuous sporting Clubs in the world the other being the Melbourne Football Club. 33 years after Geelong Football Club was formed, Liverpool Football Club in England was created. 42 years later Manchester United came along, 42 years later the Boston Red Sox were born, and 101 years after Geelong Football Club had its first meeting, the Dallas Cowboys arrived. If you look up the AFL website today, it will give you a detailed account of the history of our game, and its players, but only from the formation of the VFL in there is precious little mention of the game, its history, and the great players of the early days from 1859 to it s like the game didn t exist prior to Organised football started as we know it in The formation of an official competition took place in 1877, with the creation of the Victorian Football Association.. or the VFA. In the period from 1877 to 1896, we played against 10 of the teams that would ultimately make up the VFL but we have chosen not to remember the great players of that era.. or the great teams.. whether they be Geelong or someone else. In 1897, political strife tore the competition apart, and 8 teams broke away, and formed the Victorian Football League. Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda. Fitzroy were later to be known as the Gorillas! and St Kilda were the Seagulls. Richmond joined in 1908, North Melbourne, Footscray and Hawthorn came later in 1925, and the VFL competition was complete. We have forgotten to honour some of the great achievements of players and teams from 1859 to 1897, but more particularly from 1877 to Geelong s Peter Burns was considered to be the greatest player of his era. The AFL records will tell you that he only played 89 games, from 1897 onwards.. but he was 30 years old in 1897! He actually played for 12 years before that date, 5 years at Geelong, and seven years at South Melbourne. He was Player of the Colony in 1888 and 1891, today s equivalent of the Brownlow Medal, but we have forgotten him. Carlton s George Coulthard, was three times Champion of the Colony, the equivalent of a three time Brownlow medallist, yet we have rarely heard his name mentioned. His history should be remembered and honoured, as one of the great players of our game. Our own Club excelled during the 20 years of this forgotten period. Some of our greatest players in history, feature during this time, yet they have been forgotten. George Down, Ben Hall, John Kerley, Hugh McLean, Dave Hickinbotham, Harry Steedman, the Mc Shane brothers, and of course, the great Peter Burns. Charles Brownlow was honoured after his death in 1924, in a letter to Mrs Brownlow, from the Secretary of the League, Mr Wilson, who announced to her, the creation of the Brownlow Medal in his name. The game will remember Charles Brownlow as the greatest administrator of his time, and one of the greatest ever. Very few will remember Brownlow as a three time premiership player, or the captain of two premiership teams in 1883 and back to back premiers. Not many people will remember James Wilson, who was three times Champion of the Colony, in 1880, 1881, and I never hear the name of Ben Hall spoken, yet he was a five time premiership player! The missing 20 years from 1877 through to 1896, was truly one of the greatest, if not THE greatest period in the history of Geelong Football Club. We were blessed with all of the champions I have mentioned, and many more, who rewrote the record books with their great achievements. We were undefeated Champions in 1878, and Premiers in 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1884, and undefeated Champions again in What an extraordinary achievement! We were Runners up 4 times during this Golden period, and we were undefeated in 44 consecutive games! On August 8, 2011, our Club, under the leadership of our President Colin Carter, lodged a submission to the AFL, to reclaim the forgotten 20 years of the history of our competition... not just our history, not just Geelong Football Club, the whole competition. A special working group was formed and much work, research, and consideration has been undertaken around our request. When the VFL became the AFL in 1990, we didn t just wipe away the previous 100 years and start again, but for some reason, we have done just this with the Missing Years. In the new Players Stand, you will notice there is an Honour Roll that mentions the 1605 players names who have played for Geelong, from 1859 to the current day. We, as a Club, will remember our full history, and the great deeds of the boys who played in that Golden Era, of the Missing Years after all, history cannot be changed, it can only be recoded correctly. We are hopeful, that the AFL will support our request, that history be recorded correctly, and that Geelong s record will be reinstated, as part of the acknowledgement of this period. If our submission is adopted, we will reclaim the seven Premierships we won during the Missing Years, and we will rank second on the all-time table alongside Collingwood But it s not about Premierships, it s about people.. it s about our Club, our players and the great things they did.. It s our history, and the history of the game. We are Geelong! And we will take our rightful place as one of The Greatest Teams of ALL! Bob Gartland Vice President Chair, Honouring the Past Committee. Nine Lives Member NINE LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER 3

4 NINE LIVES GEELONG SEASON LAUNCH NINE LIVES 2014 season launch What a great way to start Season 2014! On Thursday, March 6 close to one hundred Nine Lives Geelong members were welcomed to the Lord of the Isles for a special get-together to launch what we all hope will be another great year for both the Geelong Cats and Nine Lives Geelong. It was a night to mingle, network and socialise and being the great bunch that we are, the room was soon buzzing! Throughout the night, guests were supplied with a wide variety of tasty finger food and enjoyed drinks from the bar. Chairperson of the Nine Lives Committee and Geelong Cats Director, Diana Taylor, led the proceedings, firstly welcoming everyone and acknowledging special guests, including Tom Hanley and his team from Fernwood, Waurn Ponds, which is our major sponsor for Very special guests from the Geelong Cats included former player and newly appointed Geelong Cats Player Development Manager, David Johnson, and the Nine Lives sponsored rookie for 2014, Michael Luxford, accompanied by his mother, Mary. David spoke about the season to date, the new recruits and the progress of some of the players at present recovering from injuries. He explained why the Cats recruited Michael, having recognised in him the skills of an elite athlete as well as a positive attitude and commitment to constant improvement that would enable him to adapt to the Geelong way. In Michael s interview with Diana, he revealed his initial nervousness in coming to a club where he was not only new to the players and coaches, but to the game of AFL football itself, as he d never played competitive Aussie Rules football before. However, he emphasised that he was soon made to feel welcome and accepted as part of the team and now feels right at home in the Cats environment. Michael s mother, Mary, reinforced his comments, stating how glad she is to see Michael so happy. She confided that she had initially been a little unsure about Michael switching to AFL from basketball, as she was concerned about the possibility of serious injury. However, since attending the Cats induction event for new recruits and seeing how excited other parents were about the fulfilment of their sons dreams, and seeing how well Michael is being cared for at the Cats, she is feeling a lot more positive. As the proud mother of our sponsored rookie, Mary was awarded an Honorary Membership of Nine Lives Geelong for Another speaker on the night was Tom Hanley, owner and operator of Fernwood, Waurn Ponds. Tom spoke about the many services provided at Fernwood, including personal training, nutrition and a spa and encouraged all present to give it a go! The evening continued with the individual presentation of beautiful, specially designed Nine Lives dress scarves to the ladies (and exclusive Geelong Cats ties to the gentlemen) by Diana Taylor, assisted by committee members, Irene Bassett and Rachael Kelcey. Diana then wound up the formal part of the evening, thanking all who attended and reminding all present about the Nine Lives Breakfast, to be held on Thursday, April 17 from 7 am at Simonds Stadium. Earlier in the evening, Pat Mather had won Gold Class movie tickets when her name was drawn from all those who joined Nine Lives by Jan 31 and at the Breakfast there will be another draw exclusive to Nine Lives members, with the wonderful prize of a VFL Coaches Box Experience, including a seat in the Coaches Box with Cats VFL Coach, Matthew Knights, on match day! Many thanks go to all those who helped make our Early Season Function so enjoyable: Diana Taylor for her insightful and entertaining interviews, as well as keeping everything on track throughout the evening; David Johnson, Michael Luxford and Mary Luxford; Peter Burnett from Lord of the Isles and of course the Nine Lives Committee members, who give so much of their time, their resources and their talents to making Nine Lives Geelong the place to be! Thank you to all who joined us for this very enjoyable event and we hope to see you again soon. Marie Ford (Nine Lives Committee member) 4 NINE LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER Don t miss Nine Lives Breakfast - April 17

5 NINE LIVES GEELONG SEASON LAUNCH 2014 season launch Don t miss Nine Lives Luncheon - July 4 NINE LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER 5

6 NINE LIVES GEELONG MEMBER INTERVIEW NINE LIVES GEELONG MEMBERS INTERVIEW - JADIE & JACINTA Where do you live? We both live in Palm Beach, Gold Coast about 5 minutes from each other! I did grow up in Melbourne and have supported Geelong since I was 7 when they won the 1963 flag! Jacinta has supported the Cats since she was 3 (now 33) What is your occupation? Jacinta is a teacher and Jadie is a director in business with her husband How did you first hear about Nine Lives Geelong? Jadie - In an from the Cats about membership and I thought it was such a great idea for us to be involved. Jacinta - Through my mum she reads EVERYTHING associated with Geelong What do you like about being a Nine Lives Geelong member? It makes us feel that we have an added connection to Geelong. This is particularly special for us because living on Gold Coast can sometimes make you feel like you miss out on being a part of the Geelong Footy Club community. Who is your favourite Geelong Cats player and why? Jacinta-Stevie J!! Jadie- Joel Selwood!! As a Cats supporter, what is your all-time favourite moment? Jacinta Geelong - Collingwood Preliminary Final. It was a Friday night game and Mum and I travelled to Melbourne on Friday afternoon. We were uncertain as to whether or not we would be able to make it due to my work commitments. When we finally made the decision to go, our plane was delayed, we arrived in Melbourne just before the game started, rushed to the MCG and arrived just after the first bounce! We were in standing room only, surrounded by a bunch of Collingwood supporters who were all taller than us so we stood on tippy-toes and ended up watching most of the game on the tiny screen above our heads. They announced the crowd, mum and I decided we were definitely the 2! The closeness of the game, the massive crowd and knowing this could be finally be the year made the preliminary final the most incredible experience. As a Cats supporter, what is your all-time favourite moment? Jadie - First game under lights. Jacinta and I came down to Geelong for the game for one night! Never like to miss a milestone game. As we walked around the new stand it was wonderful for us to see how far our club had come and even more emotional watching the big screen with the past players and our history!!! We found it quite overwhelming. It was the perfect time for us and the perfect game - we were playing the Suns and Gary was there too. What more could we ask for? We were in a magnificent stadium filled with fellow Cats supporters! 6 NINE LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER

7 NINE LIVES GEELONG SPONSORED ROOKIE MICHAEL LUXFORD Australian junior basketballer Michael Luxford joined the Geelong Cats as a Category B Rookie last November. The 19 year old from Hoppers Crossing began training with the team in late 2013 after making the switch to AFL with no prior football experience. After making the Victorian basketball team for the first time at age 11, 186cm Luxford, boasts an extensive junior career which includes being selected in Australia s under-17 and under-18 teams. After a successful 2013 which saw him named the Most Valuable Player in the Under-23 Big V League while playing for Werribee, Luxford has elected to try his chances at AFL rather than pursue a career on the court. Luxford officially finished off his basketball career in late February, winning an U20 national championship for Victoria and played his first VFL match for the Cats last week, kicking an impressive two goals National representation has also led him overseas, Luxford travelled to Lithuania in June 2012 as a member of Australia s FIBA Under-17 World Championship team who went on to claim the silver medal. NINE-LIVES NINE GEELONG LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER EDITION NEWSLETTER 1,

8 NINE LIVES GEELONG WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE cats memories BY MARIE FORD I remember camping at Kardinia Park to get Grand Final tickets in Some players came down after work (no full-time footballers in those days) and chatted with some in the queue. There was a party atmosphere with lots of music and laughter stretching into the night. We slept in sleeping bags and were lucky the weather stayed dry. In the morning there was a sudden surge and we found ourselves packed like sardines and moving at snail s pace for what seemed like a long time. But all worth it! We saw three Cats teams play and win on Grand Final Day. One of my greatest Cats memories is the 2006 NAB Cup Final against the Crows in Adelaide. My daughter had won an audition to sing the National Anthem pre-match (which she did beautifully). I was away working in Thailand at the time so my husband called just as she was about to sing so that I could hear it I remember being in the hotel with the phone up to my ear and a few tears rolling down my face as I heard her sing. And then the Cats went on to win 92 points to 84! BY THERESA BEST I remember when AFL football was ONLY played on Saturday afternoons (and every second game was a home game) and I would head to Kardinia Park as a teenager with a group of friends after playing netball on the adjacent courts and cheer our Cats on to not so many victories in those days (70 s)!!!! BY SUE BURKE Send us your Cats Memories (100 words or less) for inclusion in future newsletters All Day Dining 7 Days a Week 11:30am until Late Outdoor Courtyard with HUGE LED TV Screen Private Board Room / Function Rooms Lord of the Isles Tavern 3 West Fyans Street Newtown 3220 Entertainment Lounge 8am - 4am daily info@lordislestavern.com 8 NINE-LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER EDITION 1, 2013

9 NINE LIVES GEELONG PLAYERS RECIPE dawson simpson & taylor hunt recipe Raspberry and Almond Cake Ingredients 2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed 6 eggs 1 cup caster sugar 2 cups almond meal (ground almonds) Method 1. Step 1 Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease a 22cm round springform cake tin. Line base and side with baking paper. 2. Step 2 Place 2 cups raspberries in a bowl. Using a fork, mash to combine. 3. Step 3 Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes or until thick and glossy. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in raspberry and almond meal, alternately, until combined. 4. Step 4 Pour into prepared tin. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden and firm. Cool in tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with remaining raspberries. Serve. yum!!!! NINE-LIVES NINE GEELONG LIVES GEELONG NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER EDITION 1,