2019 Statewide Super Volunteer of the Year

An icon of the Hills Football League and a dedicated member of the Bridgewater Callington Raiders Football Club, Andrew Frazer has been recognised for more than 20 years of service to community football with the 2019 SANFL Statewide Super Volunteer of the Year Award.

Andrew was named the winner last night at the Magarey Medal and Hall of Fame Dinner at Adelaide Oval, where he featured alongside seven other impressive finalists who were nominated by their respective clubs for their outstanding contributions to grassroots footy.

Andrew is currently a committee member and Facilities Manager at Bridgewater Callington Raiders Football Club and is also a 300-game player, club legend and a life member. After his playing career ended in the mid-1990s, he turned his attention to helping the club off the field, investing significant time into junior development and demonstrating strong leadership when the club needed it most.

Andrew worked tirelessly following the devastating flooding of the Bridgewater changerooms in 2016, leading a campaign to transform the joint facilities at both Bridgewater and Callington ovals. The transformation of the facilities into modern clubrooms has enabled increased utilisation by men’s and women’s teams at all levels, ensuring that the Bridgewater Callington Raiders Football Club continues to flourish.

SANFL Community Football Manager Matt Duldig said Andrew’s efforts embody the spirit of community football in South Australia and that he was a deserving winner of this year’s SANFL Statewide Super Volunteer of the Year Award.

“Andrew has invested a huge amount of time, blood, sweat and tears into his beloved local club for well over 20 years,” he said.

“His contributions to junior development and leading the charge when the club needed it most have no doubt made a significant difference to both the club and the wider community.

“Andrew embodies the true Aussie Rules spirit in everything he does and should rightfully be considered a local legend.”

Andrew is both humbled and honoured to receive the award, and said he is driven by his passion for Australian Rules, mateship and his community.

“I was very surprised to be named the winner. I love my club and working with the community every week to ensure the doors remain open and even more kids can get involved in the sport,” Andrew said.

“I love being involved in football, it is my passion. Volunteering comes easy but it is not without sacrifice.”

Andrew runs his own successful landscaping business so there isn’t a lot of spare time after his business, volunteering and caring for his family.

In addition to steering the club through its time of crisis in 2016, Andrew has also been a key facilitator in increasing participation numbers at the Bridgewater Callington Raiders Football Club. He started the first Auskick centre at Bridgewater in the 1990s, which continues to this day and had more than 35 kids enrolled in 2019, and the club now has more than 300 registered players, officials and coaches at all levels.

As the winner, Andrew has also been named the South Australian AFL State Volunteer of the Year and acknowledged for his achievement with two tickets to the Toyota AFL Grand Final, including two return flights, accommodation in Melbourne and the opportunity to walk in the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade.

Presenting the award last night, Statewide Super Chief Executive Tony D’Alessandro said Statewide Super and SANFL are proud to celebrate the local footy heroes who make the game great on and off the field.

“It’s important to recognise and reward volunteers like Andrew who dedicate their time and energy to help create engaged communities, enduring friendships and enriched lives,” he said.

“To those who coach, umpire, cook the weekend BBQ and aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, we thank you for your efforts, all of which don’t go unnoticed.”

CENTRAL DISTRICT ZONE

SMITHFIELD FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 3

• Types of service: Junior Delegate, Fundraising Coordinator, Auskick Coordinator, Women’s Football Captain, Club Registrar.
• Kristie has always assisted with managing both the women’s & men’s senior teams. This has included washing guernseys, printing team sheets, ensuring all fees paid, players are registered, running BBQs and all club social events.
• This year was the first women’s season for the club. Kristie was instrumental in recruiting players, scheduling trainings and ensuring the team was well organised in its inaugural year.
• Kristie manages the Men’s C grade and B Grade. She is also the first to step up and manage A Grade when needed.
• Kristie joined the club committee with the goal of establishing a junior competition at the club. Kristie became both the Junior Delegate and Auskick Coordinator, organising every aspect of the junior members involvement in the club. To help establish the juniors, she organised sign up days and fundraising events. To retain juniors, she organised Team Managers, Coaches Accreditations, guernseys and equipment.
• Smithfield Football Club did not have a Junior team for over 10 years. This push to re-establish juniors has had a positive impact on the club’s culture, creating a fun and safe environment for community kids to come out and be active.
• Kristie organises all fundraising events for the club including Bunnings BBQs.
• Kristie manages the club website and social media pages.

GLENELG ZONE

PENOLA FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 23

Types of Service: Club Committee Member, Secretary, Team Manager roles

• Secretary for 23 years – a club record.
• Secretary duties including meetings, minutes, agendas.
• In addition to this, Tanya manages the clubs Sports TG, registrations, acts as a league delegate, collates the club’s votes, works on the gate and completes bar work when required.
• Tanya is involved in organising all club social and fundraising events.
• Tanya is a Life Member of the clubs.
• Tanya’s long-standing service has given the club administrative stability that has attracted people into the committee without fear of having to take on major roles and responsibilities.
• The example Tanya sets within the club has a positive impact on others who give time to the club.
• Tanya’s extensive experience has seen her assist with the Penola Sports Club in the off season with functions and events, contributing to the club’s profitability. This is integral as the club plays an extremely important role in the country town.
• Due to the club’s efficiency and professional nature (thanks to Tanya) the club has been able to grow its player base due to the efficiency of the club in a smallish town.
• Tanya is also the secretary of the Penola Show and is the Team Manager of her daughter’s netball team.

NORTH ADELAIDE ZONE

FITZROY FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 50

1959 First played for Fitzroy U/14
1963 Played one year with Kilkenny Cats – now known as Woodville South
1964 Played until 1978 for Brompton FC “A” Grade
1979 -1980 Played B Grade as Captain/Coach
1974-1978 Committee Member for two years as Club Secretary, this included two years on Sub-committee to push for the new club rooms.
1982-85 Coached school boy football & cricket for Maddison Park School
1987 Assistant Coach for Gumeracha U14s
1989-1990 Goal Umpire for U17 Eudunda Football Club
1993-2009 Junior Coach at Fitzroy Football Club
1995-2016 Fitzroy Junior Football Club Committee Member
1997-2016 Fitzroy Junior Football Club Delegate for NEMJFA Junior Football League
2015-2019 President Fitzroy Junior Football Club
2007–2019 Responsible for ground set up and line marking for junior football matches
Auskick Coordinator

• Currently volunteers at the club canteen, BBQ, bar & kitchen. He also volunteers time at Meals on Wheels.
• Danny’s service to the club has seen growth and development in junior players for many years. His support has contributed positively to the well-being and success of the club, culminating recently with the attainment of Junior Club of the Year in the North Adelaide zone.
• Runs successful recruitment drives, player days and coach development sessions.
• Has brought many new families to the club through promotion across various sports carnivals, school sports days and educating grandparents on Auskick and other ways to get kids involved with the club.
• His ability to increase the club’s junior participation numbers has allowed the club to reach growth targets each year.

NORWOOD ZONE

TEA TREE GULLY FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 9

Types of Service: Junior Club President, Coach, Auskick Coordinator

• Coordinates a committee membership of 13 and a junior club of 28 teams.
• Instrumental in coordinating and implementing an Auskick program which brings together four local community clubs. This collaboration has successfully seen 250+ Auskickers participating in a round-robin competition, exposing the kids to the game and allowing them to represent their own club. Paul was also involved in the training of these young players, taking to the field each Sunday to instruct, teach and encourage. He also umpired throughout the carnival.
• He is also heavily involved in guiding the junior committee and ensuring the smooth running of the football club.
• Coaches the Under 14 team.

SOUTH ADELAIDE ZONE

WILLUNGA FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 53

• Started playing for the club in 1966, retiring in 1987 but continued to fill in when needed.
• A Grade team manager since 2003.
• Worked on committees since the mid 1970s to work on new clubrooms, change rooms, oval lights and behind goal netting.
• Since the late 1980s, he has taken on the responsibility of Grounds Manager. He has line-marked the oval since 1985. His other duties include match day set up, washing football guernseys, mowing the oval and surrounds, painting, general maintenance and irrigation repairs.
• Steve sets the grounds up for all sports including cricket, tag rugby and all modifications of football.
• He spends his RDO from work every second Friday at the club.
• Steve is a Life Member of the Willunga Football Club, Cricket Club and Recreation Park.
• The oval is used by Willunga Primary School, adding to the ground’s maintenance of the space.
• Steve’s hard work to maintain the grounds has allowed the club to host several finals and a few grand finals for the Great Southern Football League.

STURT ZONE

BRIDGEWATER CALLINGTON RAIDERS FC

YEARS OF SERVICE  – 20+

Types of Service: Current Committee member – Facilities Manager, match day set up, junior coaching clinics, Auskick coordinator, canteen and merchandise support. Life Member, 300 games played.

• In the mid 1990s, when Andrew was nearing the end of his playing career, he started the first ever Auskick Centre at Bridgewater which has continued to this day, with over 35 kids enrolled in 2019.
• He also became Junior Football Director which formed the basis for future success of the club and for the development of club juniors who have gone on to play at SANFL and AFL level such as Craig Evans and Tom Sparrow.
• As Facilities Manager, he is responsible for the smooth functioning of the ovals at both Bridgewater and Callington. He has been instrumental in the completion of renovations at both grounds. Week-to-week he prepares both ovals for match days as well as assisting with merchandise and the canteen.
• He also assists with junior coaching clinics at primary schools in the area.
• His work in upgrading and renovating facilities following devastating floods at Bridgewater and outdated facilities at Callington, resulted in the club having the best facilities in the HFL. This allowed the club the opportunity to host Grand Finals – a first for the club. Andrew volunteered to project manage upgrades and renovations at both ovals, working tirelessly to secure funding and support. He has been involved in the redevelopment of a new kitchen, canteen and bar facility, oval seating, umpire facilities, storage and an upgrade of the oval lights. Facilities were also developed to be unisex. Andrew’s countless hours of work and voluntary efforts to improve the facilities at both ovals has led to an increased number of registered players at the club.

WEST ADELAIDE ZONE

WAIKERIE FC

YEARS OF SERVICE  – 10

Types of Service: Club Secretary, Under 6/7 Auskick Coach, Social Media Manger, Merchandise Manager, Kitchen helper

• The Waikerie Football club would require 3-4 people to replace Jacki because of the extensive time and effort she puts into the club.
• She looks after all social media accounts for the club, all club merchandise and often assists with kitchen duties.
• She works tirelessly as the Club Secretary and also coaches the Under 6/7 Auskick team.

WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS ZONE

UNITED FC

YEARS OF SERVICE – 51

Types of Service: Club Committee Member, League Committee, Coach, Interchange Steward, Club Equipment Coordinator, Club Grounds Manager/Curator, Building Committee organiser, cleaner, Grounds curator, ball boy, timekeeper

• Harvey’s dedication and time spent servicing the club has enabled an isolated, rural club to continue operating, bringing pride and joy to the local community, with envy from clubs in surrounding larger towns.
• Harvey has worked hard to contribute to the club’s strong supporter base and healthy country community atmosphere for families. He has worked tirelessly to improve club facilities and has made the club a great family-oriented place. As such a community hub for the small town, the club has hosted everything from weddings to funerals.
• His service has also inspired others within the club to contribute, including his own son who is following a similar path.
• Many ex-locals still travel back from the city on weekends to give their own children the wonderful family-friendly sporting and social experience the club offers, thanks to Harvey’s wonderful efforts.
• Harvey is currently the club historian updating the player records (e.g. number of games played) since the club’s inception back in 1964.