Opens March 2009 Plus fashion, food, homewares & services Opening early 2011 Plus over 50 iconic retail experiences February /Tiger CQS086 designcollision/ Major Sponsor visit: claremontquarter.com.au CQS086 TigerTalk A5 LS Press R1.indd 1 9/2/09 3:34:00 PM The Sash is Back Claremont Football Club(Inc) Claremont Oval, Davies Road Claremont WA 6010 PO Box 59, Claremont, WA 6910 Phone 08 9384 9200 Fax 08 9384 5563 President’s Report BROWNE, BRABAZON AND FOSTER TO BOOST MIDFIELD Claremont’s midfield for 2010 has received On behalf of the Board of Directors I take this opportunity a significant boost by the signings of former to wish each and every one of you a healthy, happy and AFL players Andrew Browne, Ryan Brabazon and Andrew Foster, who are excited at the successful 2010. prospect of entering a new phase in their It is that exciting time of the year again when the football season we have all been looking football lives. forward to is almost upon us and our senior coach, Simon McPhee, reappointed for the next two seasons, has been coordinating the most impressive pre season training sessions since Club supporters are delighted by the return full scale training resumed on January 4. of Browne and Brabazon and they will offer a warm welcome to Foster, a former East Simon has the utmost respect from the player group having coached the Colts since 2007, Fremantle league player who has been on the when he took them to a Grand Final and won the Colts Coach of the Year award, until he senior list of the Fremantle Dockers for the was called up after round six last year to replace Roger Kerr as senior coach. At that stage past three years. the Colts had won their first five games and he accepted the daunting task with style and finished their season with a 50% win loss ratio. Simon is a stern taskmaster, demands a Their presence will help to offset the loss strong work ethic and preparation from his players and has faith in youth. of stalwarts Jaxon Crabb and Tom Matson (retired) and Trinity Handley (working in Claremont Quarter, the $450 million joint venture project being undertaken by Brookfield Victoria). Also returning to Claremont this Multiplex and the Hawaiian Group in the heart of Claremont’s retail precinct will again be year are David Crawford, Jesse Laurie, Nic our major sponsor for 2010. Todd Shimmon and I are currently holding discussion with St Chidgzey, Tom Lee, Gabe Orr and James George Bank recording a new sponsorship partnership for this season. Read. It is with pleasure that we welcome John Holt to the Board this year. John is a former North Melbourne player and has been involved for a number of years coaching our Junior The 25-year-old Browne is a dynamic, pacy Development squads he is also a successful businessmen and we look forward to his rover who was taken by Fremantle in the 2001 contribution this year. national draft after being the WA under-16 vice-captain and an all-Australian player in John’s portfolio will incorporate talent and country development, the Kimberley and Great 2000 and a member of the WA under-18 side Southern accommodation houses, the Great Southern development squad and our newly in 2001. proposed Football Academy, which is a separate entity to our existing development squads. He was a schoolboy, just turned 16, when he The Board has re-co-opted Keith Rowe who was co-opted last year for his business made his debut for the Claremont colts in expertise and we have co-opted Ian Haggerty, a retired farmer from Kojonup who is a 2000, against Peel at Rushton Park, starting former President of our Southern Country Zone the Upper Great Southern Football League. on the bench and then, somewhat nervously Ian’s portfolio will be director of facilities. He is a heavily involved in and a great contributor entering the fray after two minutes while a to the Tuesday maintenance group (Dads Army). teammate, knocked unconscious, was being taken from the field on a stretcher. The board has also appointed one of our favourite sons, Tony Evans, a dual West Coast Eagles premiership player as Chairman of our Football Affairs Committee. Tony will report Browne made his league debut, against Peel to the board on all football matters. at Claremont Oval in April 2002 and has made We are very excited this year about the club’s future both on and off the field and we all 64 senior appearances for the Tigers, as well should be able to look forward with confidence to the 2010 season. as playing 29 AFL games for the Dockers in a career blighted by hamstring, foot, hand Just a reminder that our initial fundraiser for 2010, the Annual Corporate Classic, will and shoulder injuries. As an AFL-listed player, be held on Thursday March 11th. Should anyone be able to assist in directing new (and Browne had not taken part in a pre-season existing) participants to the draw, please contact Penny on 9384 9200 who will be delighted preparation at Claremont until this summer. to follow up. “I’ve really enjoyed the pre-season at Best wishes, Claremont and getting to know all the players Ken Venables much better,” he said. “I certainly will relish PRESIDENT the opportunity of being more of a leader and being able to help some of the younger guys and pass on a bit of knowledge. “The change from being a full-time footballer to a part-time footballer where I’ve got a lot more going on in my life seems a lot better BROWNE, BRABAZON AND FOSTER TO BOOST MIDFIELD Andrew Foster, Andrew Browne and Ryan Brabazon balance to me. There is pressure from fewer He has been delisted after making three AFL “It’s disappointing to be delisted, but life goes avenues in WAFL football and I’m enjoying appearances, the first against the Western on and now it’s back to the real world, and I’m that bit of freedom.” Bulldogs in Canberra in round 18, 2008. He enjoying it, working (with Emco Building) and remembers fondly the first of his 14 disposals being here at Claremont with a good bunch of Browne said he felt honoured to take over the that day, an unerring pass to the chest of Barry blokes,” he said. “It’s a new life, really.” No. 8 jumper from Crabb. “I’ve got the utmost Hall. Brabazon’s two matches last year were respect for him and he’s been the ultimate against Adelaide at Football Park and North A back injury, with a prolapsed disc, was a team player for Claremont,” he said. Melbourne at the SCG. major setback at the Dockers for Foster, who managed only one AFL game in 2008. This Of his eight years with the Dockers, Browne For the rest of his time with the Swans came after an operation at the end of 2007 to said: “It’s been a terrific experience and even Brabazon played with the club’s reserves side cure some problems in his right shoulder. though things didn’t turn out the way I once in the Canberra AFL competition under coach hoped, I don’t have any regrets whatsoever Brett Allison. He learnt a lot, particularly about Foster’s highlights were his AFL debut and I’d be naïve to think I haven’t learnt a lot the defensive part of his game, from Allison against Essendon in front of about 46,000 of life lessons and become a stronger person and from the club’s midfield coach John fans at Subiaco Oval and a game against from my hardships.” Longmire. Collingwood at the MCG. He also enjoyed the experience of being matched against the Brabazon (23), from North Albany in “It is obviously disappointing to be delisted,” powerful Geelong midfield trio of Joel Corey, Claremont’s Great Southern zone, is back at he said. “But I’m looking at it as more of a Jimmy Bartel and Paul Chapman as well as the Tigerland after winning the Jack Clarke Medal new opportunity and being able to show off challenge of opposing Port Adelaide’s dashing as the fairest-and-best player in the WAFL my wares over here. It’s exciting to be a part duo of the Burgoyne brothers. colts competition in 2005. He then was taken of football at Claremont again.” in the 2005 draft by the Sydney Swans and has By Ken Casellas spent the past four years in Sydney. Foster (24) is a hard-running, creative midfielder who somewhat surprisingly was “It was a great experience and being drafted delisted by Fremantle after three years with by a premiership-winning club was a really the club and nine AFL matches. A friend of good opportunity for me to learn a lot,” he Browne’s, Foster sees his move to Claremont declared. “Limited opportunities and being on as an exciting opportunity to join a young the fringe for so long made life frustrating and group with the prospect of playing finals a bit tough at times. football. McPHEE WELCOMES NEW COACHING STAFF Everyone at Claremont is bubbling with unbridled enthusiasm and optimism for a successful 2010 season when the Tigers will go back to wearing jumpers with a bold gold sash and league coach Simon McPhee being joined by some exciting new coaching talent. “It’s stimulating,” declared McPhee when welcoming Adam Lange, Brad Dodd and Phil Matera to his coaching staff.