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Mercantile Rowing Club 140th Annual Report – 2019-2020 The premier high performance club in Australia When you can do something well, it's almost your responsibility to see how far you can take it. James Tomkins, member since 1984 Previous: Mercantile open women’s and men’s eights off the start at the State Championships before the lock down. Both crews won. The last races for Mercantile in the 2019-20 season Office Bearers -2019-20 PRESIDENT ASS TREASURER Anthony L Johnson Andrew Phillips VICE-PRESIDENTS PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR N Philippe R Batters (and previously Chairman of Selectors) David E G Colvin David E G Colvin to Jan 2020 P Henry C Edgar Peter Somerville to Apr 2020 Andrew M Evans Tom Courtney Warwick B Hutchins Jeffrey J Lawrence SOCIAL MANAGER John Leeming Jenny Fraumano David Pincus James B Tomkins OAM BOATHOUSE AND Roger B Wilson OAM EQUIPMENT MANAGER David J Yunghanns Tom Courtney to Apr 2020 Simon Morrison CAPTAIN William H Webster COMMITTEE Madeleine Farrar to Feb 2020 VICE-CAPTAINS Hamish Fitzsimmons Meghan Hester Sebastian Jenner Angus Maloney Julie Orr Gemma Sibillin HON SECRETARY Peter Somerville from Apr 2020 Andrew N Guerin HON SOLICITOR Robyn Selby Smith HON TREASURER Duncan MacKinnon President Anthony Johnson addresses the Christmas luncheon Christmas lunch guest speaker Drew Ginn with some of the younger members President’s Report Anthony Johnson Barely a day goes by without some form new and improved club website. My of challenge appearing for us to sincere thanks goes to all those overcome. However, it would be fair to committee members for their hard work say that 2020 has presented us with the on these important initiatives. Now our most difficult of times. The entire master’s rowers, of which I am one, world has felt the impacts of COVID 19 have found this time difficult as well. and in the Australian context Without the ability or desire to spend Melbourne has had a particularly countless hours engaged in alternative challenging experience. land training sessions that have kept our elite rowers busy we have, in many At the time of writing this report, we cases been forced to spend additional are in the middle section of stage 4 time around the home completing that restrictions. No access to the long list of chores we never wanted to boathouse, no club social activities, no do. rowing and no coaching on the water. My heart goes out to our athletes, our Recently a special general meeting was coaches and supporters. It is so very conducted to vote on the amendments hard and frustrating to train and to the club constitution. Once again the prepare for racing without being able to spectre of COVID 19 resulted in this row. I am full of admiration for meeting being conducted remotely in our coaches and athletes. For place of the traditional gathering at the club. It was with some trepidation that I their willingness and ability make began the meeting fearing the remote do in these times with creative format would rob this event of any thinking and flexibility. There have spontaneity or fun. I was thrilled to see been online physical challenges to a good turnout to the meeting and that measure meters rowed, kilometres so many “hung around” for a chat and ridden on bikes, and sessions of some light hearted banter after the running completed. The road bike skills business of the day was concluded. As of our rowers have also been has been the case in the past at the club challenged and extended during the meetings James Tomkins took the floor earlier lockdown period to include to ask the difficult questions and had track cycling at Brunswick velodrome. Michael McKay outline his coaching philosophy and methods. Michael gave The lockdown has not just affected our us all an insightful summary and was coaches and younger rowers. Our judged by one at the meeting as having committee members and volunteers answered this question better than who are usually involved in planning anyone before. Well done Michael. and coordination of social functions, logistics at camps, regattas and We are in good hands with a fine fundraising events have seen these coaching team. I look forward to the activities on hold for much of the year exciting results we will all see in the and the foreseeable future. These coming months and years from our challenges and restrictions, however, coaching team. have allowed the committee more time to focus on formalising annual and Whilst we are primarily a rowing club, strategic plans, review and we are very pleased to have kayak amendments to the club constitution, members who are also achieving great changing to a new membership things. For the rowers, you will find the database system and the roll out of a report of Geoff Moss of great interest. Our kayakers have purchased a new K4 every turn. It is hard to think of a part in Mercs livery and we look forward to of Mercantile that he has not been the naming of that boat along side the actively involved in. naming of some rowing boats. It will be a grand affair. Bill has been a wonderful source of information and advice in my first two After 4 years of fine service as Captain, years as President and I know all Bill Webster has taken the decision to Mercantilians will agree that his step down. Bill has done a fabulous job contribution to our club has been most leading the club during this time and significant. I thank Bill for everything he has calmly and diligently led us through has done for Mercantile and I am the cold winter months of training, the comforted in the knowledge that he is detailed work and planning for rowing staying close by and will continue to be camps and regattas plus getting deeply a visible and positive influence both involved in the planning and running of inside the boathouse, along the river our social functions. bank and at future regattas. Bill has been at the helm during the Finally, our new website is a vast changes of head coaches, presidents and improvement and gives us all a clearer committee members. He has worked as window into our fine club. I draw your our delegate to Rowing Victoria and has attention to our strategic plan under taken the difficult phone calls from the Documents tab. It contains four other clubs when we are seen to be significant objectives with ambitious doing too well at their expense. targets that we will achieve. I welcome your input and assistance wherever you A captain needs to be seen around the think you may be able to assist. club and seen to be active. Bill has done just that and in fine style. He has been We have an exciting and on the river bank coaching, behind the challenging time in front of us. As bar helping with Saturday breakfast a united team of coaches, athletes club, behind the bar serving drinks on Thursday nights, in the boat coxing in and members, Mercantile will masters training sessions and regattas. push forward strongly in the next Bill has loaded boats, towed boat trailers 12 months and beyond. and been there to lead and assist at Victorious men’s and women’s open eights celebrate together at the Victorian Championships Captain’s Report William Webster Last season threw many unprecedented destiny and it’s why I would always challenges at the Club. For each rather be at Mercantile. challenge, your Committee and coaches have risen to the task of keeping the Our new structure splits the Club’s rowing into two streams: Club & High Club thriving. The Club values of Performance. The High-Performance Excellence, Respect, Friendship stream comes under the direction of the and Health were always at the High-Performance Director who sits on forefront of our decision-making the Club Executive. This replaces the and continue to serve us very previous position of Chairman of Selectors. The Club stream including well. Despite the pandemic and the masters and coastal is under the accumulated time off the water, the direction of the Captain assisted by the Club is in a stronger position and better 2 Vice Captains. placed for success and growth than a year ago. Tom Courtney in his high-performance report delves into the rationale for this In October last year Nick Mitchell change in more detail. stepped down from his position as Head Coach. Whilst this was a very unsettling After a rigorous international time for our athletes and the coaching search for our new senior high group, the Committee acted swiftly to fill the void. Paul McGann was performance coach, we were appointed as Performance Director thrilled to announce that one of through to the conclusion of the season our own, Mike McKay was the at the end of April. This appointment outstanding candidate. Mike did two things, first it put an commenced work in June and Alistair experienced and enthusiastic person in Matthews was appointed as a charge of our program. Secondly it performance coach in July. bought the Club time and enabled a thorough review of our rowing and Whilst Mike’s rowing achievements are coaching structure. Thank you Paul. well known, he impressed us with his thoughtfulness, intellect and his desire This structure of a Head Coach and to take Mercantile forward. Despite the some part time assistants had basically challenges of the pandemic and a been unchanged for 20 years and had second lockdown, it is fantastic to see come to the end of its life.

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