PAST & PRESENT PLAYERS’ & OFFICIALS’ MEMBER NEWSLETTER AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION How did Strawba became an employee FROM THE ALUMNI CONNECTION of yours? ecently, we told you the story in Big Strawba was in a spot - like many CHAIRMAN R the newsletter of Steve ‘Strawba’ others through this COVID year. We O’Dwyer, who was looking for were fortunate enough to have work - ROD GRINTER employment opportunities. Since that and a position available in Contract time, he has Management on some of our Sports Field elcome to connected Redevelopment projects - good timing in another W with a ‘mad the end. informative newsletter from the MFC Demon’ – Peter The role Strawba has in your business P&PP&OA. Rahilly – who All the hard work our community has runs building He’s currently working at home !!...like faced over the last six weeks, especially company everyone else. His role is to assist with those living in Victoria, means that we 2Construct, the Project Management of three projects are reaping the reward, with positive and now has (two large Sports Field and Pavilion COVID-19 cases decreasing. It has been Strawbs as a Developments in Casey and Cricket Peter Rahilly a tough few months, I feel we have all new employee. Practice Facility at Toorak Park). learnt a lot about each other over this Strawbs was delighted to respond, even period, and I would like to take this while checking the security fences at opportunity to thank all our members, Toorak Park, saying: families and friends for all the support Here’s what Peter had to say: I’d been out of work since they have shown our Association, and Why and how long you have been a mad December, and when I reached the support they have given throughout Demon out to Peter Rahilly, he came back, saying these trying times. Thank you. “ Since I was born (I blame my father!) Used ‘I’ve got something if you’re interested.’ As always, our thoughts are with those to throw the ball back from the Ponsford I’d met him in Darwin a few times before. members who are struggling. Don’t ever Stand most Saturday afternoons – only I’m part of contract admin, helping out, forget that we are here for anyone who went to see the great Robbie Flower play being on site, keeping an eye on things, needs someone to talk to, so just pick (more often than not he was a one man sorting out tendering. I’ve been working in up the phone or flick us an email, we are band). I do recall Stan Alves, Greg Wells construction for 25 years. It’s a bit difficult here to support you. and Gary Hardeman back in the black and white TV days. being at Stage 4 A big thank you to all those who have right now, but I’m What your business does contributed to our monthly newsletters, quite excited, and none more so than our own Lynda 2Construct are a Building Company that looking forward Carroll for pulling them all together. generally work in the Tier 2/3 construction to everything with space. We do a lot of Education, Sports, 2Construct. Keep an eye on our website and Industrial, Retail, Aged Care and Civil Instagram, and feel free to pass on this projects, mainly in the Melbourne metro newsletter to help ensure constant area but also some in some regional areas. communication among our members. We employ around 70 people to manage As always, stay safe and healthy. the projects and generally have around 20 to 25 projects running at any one time. Regards With our sub-contractors on board, we Rod Grinter would have up to 400 people on our jobs each day. Our website is MFC P&PP&OA Chairman www.2construct.com.au Steve ‘Strawbs’ O’Dwyer PAST & PRESENT PLAYERS & OFFICIALS MEMBER NEWSLETTER will bring a smile to your face, and RUSSELL ROBERTSON the beautiful thing is that you will bring a smile to someone else. f you caught a snippet of Russell This is the new direction of the I Robertson in the Herald Sun recently, MFC Past and Present Players’ and here are some more interesting and Officials’ Association. We ‘meet’ once expanded thoughts that he has shared a month, not to chat and reminisce, with us. but to seek out and find all of those who played a part in the story of ‘Welcome to the strangest party the Melbourne Football Club. We are baby’ trying to raise funds along the way Those of us who know 80s and early to give where there is nothing but 90s music will know the reference, hopelessness. We are trying to help and certainly those of us who our extended family to be ‘ok’ when appreciated decent music will also there are hard times, and we are know it. charged with the duty of bringing Russell Robertson - first season headshot, 1997 together those who were once front Although this song by INXS - of mind for the red and blue faithful, arguably Australia’s greatest but now may have drifted to other international band - refers to the our own eco-systems to ask a mate places or been forgotten. band’s lifestyle during their boom if he is going OK. We are all acutely years, when sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ aware that our friends may have We won’t forget, and we will do our roll were as common as breathing issues, but we don’t like to burden best to make sure you are included. and more than likely the tamest them with our own, or create That is why I am part of the MFC part of their day, it also speaks to emotion when there is enough P&PP&OA. I am a small part of a change and how one person holds already. Our youth was spent very large group of extraordinary his or her fate in their own hands. ‘toughening up’ and ‘not crying’. We people, and it is an honour and I find myself singing the opening knew we had to lead our families, always a privilege to be involved. line to their song almost three protect and support them - that’s a We are superbly led on this charge times a day. Like a square meal, I lot, and there isn’t much left over to by our Chairman, Rod ‘Balls’ am constantly reminded that we give our mates, much less ourselves. Grinter. He has been nothing short are living in unprecedented times. But that was a year ago, now we of phenomenal in his efforts to Everything is different, and nothing have to change, and change we have. explore every avenue to provide that support to his fellow comrades will be the same for quite some I am part of an amazing group of time, but we are getting used to it. of the red and the blue, without the men, the past players and coaches desire for anything in return. Our day to day has changed in of the Melbourne Football Club, and ways we could never have imagined we are taking control back. We who So now, in this different world with a year ago, and we are forced to played in and around the same era all its challenges, we are finding change our perspective of what have all joined a WhatsApp group new ways to connect and, if I put is normal, for if we do not, we are or two, and we talk to each other my positive hat on, maybe I believe going to find life very hard. For daily. It’s mindless chat, it’s political, there will be some good come out myself and my circle of friends, hilarious, sometimes sad, but always of this…maybe we might connect on checking in and asking ‘are you OK?’ wonderful. We call each other when a deeper conversational level than has become the new normal. As a we read something that concerns us, ever before. man, I can categorically say that is and we actively try to find as many Like Stephen Tingay once said to not normal. people as we can to get involved. us (those who were there will know As men, we tend to keep our We have time now, because we are exactly what I am talking about): emotional conversations brief forced indoors and forced to do ‘Welcome to the strangest and a long way between. We get less. We have time to think, and party baby, everyone’s got their caught up in our own worlds, our that can sometimes be dangerous. invitations, hoping that you’re own families and our own work. I encourage people, especially you gonna come, yeah!’ We have an intense singular focus, blokes, to take the time to think of problem solving by nature, and find others, start a group chat or be part Stay safe, and Go Dees! it difficult to look too far outside of a video conference. I guarantee it AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020 WELFARE/PROACTIVE PASTORAL CARE espite the ongoing challenges of D lockdown, Paul ‘The Rev’ Burnham has again been the key correspondent of the P&PP&OA community, estimating contact with nearly 30 people a month. In his own words, The Rev is ‘still touching base with many of our players, and Allen Jakovich and Cam Butler – ex chaplain of the MFC – both send their regards to all.’ *Please note, this group can only be support, job seeking services and mental A note to all Association members who joined via LinkedIn and is available for all health and wellbeing navigator services.