PORT ADELAIDE DISTRICT HOCKEY CLUB INC 1934 – 2019 (Celebrating 85 years) 2019 ANNUAL REPORT CLUBS SA – CLUB OF THE YEAR 2019 (Small Category) PORT ADELAIDE DISTRICT HOCKEY CLUB INC 2019 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Introduction 1993 The Club won its first female Premier League Located at the John Hart Reserve Ethelton the Club operates Premiership and has won 16 premierships since that from a wonderful facility comprising a Clubrooms and synthetic time, having competed in the past 16 grand finals playing surface. winning 12 premierships (5-in-row from 2012-2016) A The Port Adelaide District Hockey Club had its beginning in 2012 The Club won all four grand finals on “grand final March 1934 with one team. From this humble beginning it has day” - Premier League Men and Women, Metro 1 grown over the years to be one of the largest and most Men & Women. successful Clubs in South Australia. 2018 The Club fielded 11 senior teams and 9 junior teams. Whilst the Club has many milestones there are a few that stand The Premier League Men & Women won the major out: premierships with the women recording its 7th consecutive flag (18 consecutive Grand Finals). 1956 The Club built its first Clubrooms with volunteer Teams in 12 grades participated in finals, with the labour, using an old Nissan hut and bricks from a club winning 5 premiership flags and 4 runner-up condemned house. In 1972 the Club built new flags. Clubrooms and these were extended in 1984. 2019 The $650,000 new change room complex (named 1967 The Club won its first men’s Premier League the Dennis Meredith Pavilion) was finished, a project Premiership. Since that time the Club has doing since 2017. The new facility will provide for accumulated 20 premierships. users of all ages, gender, ability and cultural background. The facility includes: 1987 The Club installed a basic synthetic turf pitch with - unisex athlete change rooms, unisex floodlights. This has now been upgraded to an FIH umpire/technical official change rooms, Category 1 ‘wet’ turf. The synthetic playing surface accessible toilet with baby change table. is now on its third cycle in the original position - privacy screening at entry of all change rooms, thankfully due to good financial management at the individual toilet cubicles, no urinals, individual Club and state government funding to assist with the lockable shower cubicles with change seats capital cost of replacement. inside each cubicle. - Multifunctional disability toilet which includes a fold away baby change table. 1988 The Club amalgamated with the Inlanders Hockey Club (a club formed originally in Alice Springs with a The new facility is fully compliant with FIH strong indigenous background and a club without a requirements and the Club is now the only venue in ground or facilities. As a result of the amalgamation South Australia that has the required 4 change rooms the Club fielded 9 female teams (6 senior and 3 per one synthetic turf. junior) The Club facilities are used on a community wide basis with stakeholders including Henley High School, Portside Christian College, Independent School Girls Hockey, local Primary Schools, Grange Royals Hockey Club, SA Men’s Masters Hockey Association and SAPSASA. The Club is affiliated with Hockey SA and participates in the Adelaide Metropolitan Competition. Port Adelaide District Hockey Club is proud of its history and when visiting our Clubrooms in Ethelton, people can view memorabilia of this history throughout the Clubrooms, including premiership photos, premiership flags and other historical events that has helped shape the Port Adelaide District Hockey Club. The new change room complex – officially opened on 31 August 2019 1 PORT ADELAIDE DISTRICT HOCKEY CLUB INC 2019 ANNUAL REPORT 2 From the President 2.1 President’s Report • Clubs SA awards • Club of the Year 2019 (Small Club Category) Firstly, I again congratulate and thank all members on the • Crystal Morrison (Honourable Mention Volunteer of success of the Club in 2019. The Club continues to set the the Year) standards in South Australia. Whilst the club was not successful • Dennis Meredith (recognised for lifetime of in winning a premiership in 2019 (5 Runners-up) a club is volunteering) measured by its success in all aspects both on and off the field. Key Issues for 2019 However, a club such as ours cannot afford to be complacent and rest on our laurels. We must strive to continue to improve (a) Hockey SA and provide the best possible environment for all members. I reported last year that Hockey SA incurred a loss of nearly The club has recognised that it must do more to improve player $300,000 for the financial year 2017. This was followed up with recruitment (particularly juniors). Provision has been made in a loss of $70,000 in 2018. Club Presidents were advised at a the 2020 budget to commence a new exciting primary school Presidents’ Forum that an anticipated loss of $120,00 will be development program, targeted all the primary schools in our incurred in 2019. region. The Club has been nominated by Hockey Australia to be Hockey SA is basically bankrupt and has sought a loan involved in this program and funding will be available to assist. guarantee from Hockey Australia to enable it to be operational for the next few months, until such time as they have a cash flow Highlights for 2019 again from competition fees. • The major highlight for 2019 was the completion of the new Strong decisions must be made by the Board of Hockey SA to $650,000 change room facility, comprising 4 uni-sex ensure that bankruptcy does not become a reality. The Board change rooms, 2 umpire change rooms and an accessible over the past few years have not been prepared to work on a toilet with baby change facilities. This facility is now the yearly plan but merely continue with a model that is doomed to bench mark for all hockey facilities in this State. The project failure because of the overheads involved. was funded by the State Government, through the Office for Recreation and Sport female facilities program ($500,000), Currently we have an Interim CEO, the CEO of Hockey Victoria! the City of Port Adelaide Enfield ($90,000) and the Club However, we continue to have programs being maintained that ($60,000 – both monetary and in-kind). are ineffective and costly. Clubs have been assured for the past 3 years that Hockey SA The new facility is a shining example of what can be would not participate in the Australian Hockey League unless it achieved through State and local government working was cost neutral. In 2018 a significant loss was incurred by our together with a purely volunteer based club – an amazing participation in the AHL. With the introduction of Hockey 1 by group of volunteers with expertise and experience from all Hockey Australia in 2019, we have incurred another loss walks of life. (estimated at this stage between $70,000 and $100,000). On behalf of the Club I would like to acknowledge the The current model of home and away fixtures, without free to air incredible support and efforts of all those volunteers who television is a non-sustainable model. It is a model that was used have been involved in this project over the past 2 years. in the 1990s and used up all the reserves of the majority of States in Australia. Year 1 of the new Hockey 1 competition has I would like to acknowledge and thank our Facilities incurred a loss of approximately $1m throughout Australia. Manager, Trevor Stockley for the countless hours he spent as Project Manager for the Club on this project. Trevor is Hockey in this State is in crisis. Participation numbers continue standing down as the Facilities Manager and on behalf of to drop – many players (seniors and juniors) just find the cost of the Club I say ‘THANK YOU’ for all your work over the past participation is now out of their reach. 3 years. Your contribution has been immeasurable. The Club will continue to be a strong advocate for a new business model for Hockey SA. The Board must realise that they • The club continued to be well represented in the various cannot continue to run the existing development, high State and Australian teams (Seniors, Juniors and Masters) performance and national competitions. Cuts must be made, in 2019 (players, coaches and umpires). This continues to and they must be made now. be a strong indicator of the strength of our club. (b) Financial Management • Ongoing accreditation for Level 4 StarClub – the highest level of accreditation in sport management awarded by the In completer contrast to Hockey SA, the Club has had a very Office for Recreation and Sport. strong year from a financial management point of view. (see Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statements). • Ongoing accreditation for Level 3 Good Sports Club – again the highest level of accreditation. We continue to provide a The payment of fees in a timely manner has been greatly safe, fun and inclusive environment for the whole family. improved in 2019. The Club appointed Nicole Szkolik as the Club’s Membership Coordinator. With her skills, knowledge and • Yet another amazing social program throughout the experience Nicole put a new regime in place for the payment of season. Thanks for the Social Committee (Sarah Harrison, fees by players. The amount of fees outstanding as the close of Crystal Morrison, Tess Mayes and Brigette Belton) for all the financial period for 2019 is minimal. Thank you Nicole for the work they did throughout the year. your superb work in this area.