December 2010 2011 Fixture & Leagues Championship Cup Williamstown Football Club On behalf of the Williamstown Football Club I apologise for the delay in sending a newsletter to our sponsors and members. Since the conclusion of the 2010 season a number of changes have taken place which will include an P.O Box 307 Williamstown 3016 initiative by the AFL and Foxtel to instigate a Leagues Championship Cup involving 16 state league clubs throughout Ph: (03) 9391 0309 Australia. Fax: (03) 9391 5497 This competition will run in conjunction with every state league and I can assure all members and supporters that the E:[email protected] Williamstown Football Club is thrilled to be one of three VFL Clubs invited to participate in this competition in 2011. The 16 clubs competing comprise 3 from the VFL - North Ballarat, Northern Bullants and Williamstown, 3 from the WAFL - Swan Districts, Claremont and East Perth, 3 from the SANFL - Central Districts, Norwood and Woodville West Torrens, 2 from QLD - Morningside and Labrador, Tasmanian Premiers Clarence, Sydney Premiers East Coast Eagles, Canberra Premiers Ainslie, Northern Territory Thunder and Greater Western Sydney. The competition will be a knock out format with all games played as a curtain raiser to AFL games and the games will be broadcast live on Foxtel throughout Australia. Our first game will be played on Saturday 9th April when we travel to Subiaco Oval to play the WAFL Premiers Swan Districts before the West Coast Eagles vs Sydney Swans game. If we are successful in Round 1 our quarter final game will be on June 4 / 5 and more than likely be against powerhouse SANFL Premiers Central Districts who are opposed to Ainslie in Round 1. Details are still being finalised as to prizemoney, travelling expenses, sponsorship of the competition, etc and these will be announced shortly by the AFL. This competition has impacted on the 2011 VFL fixture which is now over 22 rounds with every club playing 18 home and away games and having 4 byes. For the 3 clubs in the Leagues Championship Cup our VFL byes are the rounds when we play in this competition eg. VFL Round 2 bye on April 9th but we play Round 1 vs Swan Districts in the Leagues Championship Cup. If we are beaten by Swan Districts we are out of the competition and we will have 3 byes during the VFL competition. If we were successful in reaching the Grand Final of the Leagues Championship Cup we would play on the weekend of all of our VFL bye weekends and as such would not have a break during the season. This would obviously be a challenge for our coaching staff to manage the load of our players during the 2011 season. Our 2011 VFL fixture is outlined in the Newsletter and our 9 home games will be played at the following venues - Torquay Football Ground on Easter Sunday 24th April Vs Geelong Keilor Football Ground on Saturday 11th June Vs North Ballarat - Queens Birthday weekend Wangaratta Football Ground on Sunday 17th July Vs Collingwood 956 1958 1959 1969 1976 1986 1990 2003 Our remaining 6 home games will be played at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee Football Ground. The Williamstown Football Club was keen to play 5 home games at the Whitten Oval and this will only be possible if the Western Bulldogs are able to satisfy AFL Victoria with the facilities required to host VFL football - erection of coaches boxes, interchange benches, timekeepers box, statisticians box, etc. Next year will be challenging in regards to playing our home games and it is very important that all sponsors and members are kept informed of all details in relation to these games. Brendan Curry (General Manager) Peter Faulks drafted to Fremantle Williamstown key defender Peter Faulks has been drafted to the Fremantle Football Club. Under new rules involving the Gold Coast FC, Peter was pre-selected by the Gold Coast who then on traded him (and pick 61) to Fremantle in exchange for pick 55. Peter will now line up for the Dockers in season 2011 after an outstanding VFL season for the Seagulls in season 2010. Faulks was ecstatic about the opportunity to ply his trade at the highest level. Faulks came to the Williamstown Football Club in season 2010 and cemented himself as WILLIAMSTOWN FOOTBALL CLUB a key member of the Seagulls side. Faulks speed, athleticism and hunger for the contest http://williamstown.aflvic.com.au http://williamstown.aflvic.com.au saw him impress many during the year. Faulks is rarely beaten in a one on one contest and beat many AFL listed forwards throughout the 2010 season. Peter was selected as Full-Back in the VFL Team of the Year and was considered by many extremely unlucky to miss out on the Fothergill - Round Medal, awarded to the young player most likely to be drafted by an AFL club. Faulks came 3rd in the Williamstown Best and Fairest, ESTABLISHED 1864 PREMIERS 1939 1907 1921 1945 1949 1954 1955 1 finishing just 5 votes behind winner Brett Johnson. Faulks was also a member of the VFL state side that The Word From Williamstown — December 2010 2010 December — Williamstown From Word The comprehensively beat Western Australia in the VFL State Side. Faulks will hope to follow fellow VFL draftees in Liam Picken, Michael Barlow and Alex Silvagni who have all had an impact at AFL level. Follow us on : www.twitter.com.au/williamstownfc www.facebook.com Staff Changes in the Football Department for 2011 DEVELOPMENT / RESERVES COACH The club congratulates Adam Potter (WFC 2010 Development Coach) on his appointment as the Senior Coach at Coburg Football Club for the next 2 years. The Club thanks Adam for his great work in 2010 and would like to wish him all the best in his new role Justin Plapp is our new Development Coach - The 33 year old Plapp has had a highly decorated playing and coaching career and first came into prominence when he kicked 98 goals with the Burnie Dockers in 1996 under the coaching of Peter German. Plapp was selected as pick 8 in the 1996 Rookie Draft by Richmond and went on to play 44 AFL games and kicked 30 goals between 1998 and 2002. At the completion of his AFL career Justin played in the SANFL with the Port Adelaide Magpies and also the Tassie Devils in the VFL. Justin was appointed playing coach of the Burnie Justin Plapp Dockers in 2008 - 2009 where his side finished runners up in 2008 and preliminary finalists in 2009. In 2010 Justin Development Coach joined the Box Hill Hawks as the Development Squad Coach and his side ironically defeated Williamstown in an epic grand final by 17 points in a high quality game. MIDFIELD COACH At the completion of the 2010 season the Club decided not to renew Ross Fisher’s services as Midfield Coach. Jeremy Barnard has accepted the role as Senior Assistant Coach - Midfield Line Coach - Jeremy has coached the Sandringham Zebras Reserves for the past 2 seasons (2009 - 2010) where they were Grand Finalists in 2009 and Preliminary Finalists in 2010. Jeremy is a three time Premiership Captain with WAFL Club East Perth (2000 - 2002) and then returned to Melbourne where he coached a Premiership with EDFL Club Strathmore. Jeremy has close ties with our Senior Coach Peter German from their times in Western Australia and Peter believes that Jeremy will be an important acquisition to our coaching ranks. Jeremy Barnard Senior Midfield Line HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER / FITNESS ADVISOR The club congratulates Luke Boyd on his appointment in a role with the Hawthorn Football Club’s Fitness Department. Luke was Fitness Advisor for the Williamstown Football Club for 3 years and did an outstanding job in that period. Former Jets Fitness Advisor Jesse Campisi has been appointed as our new High Performance Manager - Jesse comes to us having a wealth of experience across AFL, VFL and TAC Cup Level and has no doubt benefitted from working closely with Luke Boyd over the past 12 months. Jesse has a very strong academic background and his experience with working with young AFL footballers will be of great benefit to our young and developing playing list. Jesse Campisi Fitness Advisor HEAD TRAINER The Club congratulates Head Trainer Sophia Samartzis who has been offered a full time job with the Geelong Football Club in their Fitness Department whilst also completing her Honours. Sophia impressed everybody at the Williamstown Football Club with her professionalism and organisational skills and we wish her all the best in the future. Existing Trainer Nancy Di Grande will take on the Head Trainer role for the 2011 season and Lauren Chapman will be her Assistant. Lauren Chapman Nance Di Grande Assistant Head Trainer Head Trainer FORWARD LINE COACH Veteran Bulldog Mitch Hahn who was delisted by the Club has been redrafted as a mature aged Rookie for the 2011 season. Part of his role will be the Forward Line Coach for the Williamstown Football Club and the Club has continued its recent policy of funding mature aged Western Bulldogs Rookies by contributing $20,000 each for both Mitch Hahn and ex-Sydney Swan Ed Barlow. This follows our contribution in 2009 of $20,000 for Liam Picken and 2010 of $20,000 each for Patrick Rose and Brodie Moles. Mitch Hahn Senior Forward Line THE WORD FROM WILLIAMSTOWN— DEC 2010 Page 2 Check us out at williamstown.aflvic.com.au Burbank Oval Redevelopment Williamstown Football Club CEO Brendan Curry is pleased to announce that the Hobsons Bay City Council have appointed Behmer & Wright as the builder for the Redevelopment of Burbank Oval Grandstand which will include the following as part of the $7.5 million project: * Renovated change rooms (includes communal spa and individual cold/ice baths, theatrette, video room, locker room and coaches room) * A new community room at ground level * A public Function Centre / Restaurant for up to 260 people with views of the oval and the bay * Work has commenced on the grandstand with the Barry Round Room already removed * The total redevelopment is due for completion in February 2012 Other features of the Burbank Oval Redevelopment includes the installation of a 1 million litre tank which has already been installed under the WFC oval (Morris Street wing) to store stormwater rain for irrigation of the oval, the spectator areas and part of the adjacent Cyril Curtain Reserve.