As always, the start of a new season brings with it much excitement, a few nerves and the anticipation of great things! It is also the culmination of a lot of hard work and planning. I could not be happier with where our great club sits as we enter another campaign, and it is thanks to the tireless efforts of many. Our coaching team, led by Antony Keely, has been exceptional. Pre-season has been incredibly well organised, focused and fun. The energy levels around the group have been high and the sense of optimism and belief is ever present. Congratulations to Keels and his team for getting us to the starting line in such good shape, both physically and mentally.
One thing I have admired now for some time is the ownership our playing group takes for setting and then maintaining standards and values. I can already see that this season will continue that ethos. The collective responsibility the group takes on for living the values that they articulate is why we will be successful and, most importantly, why will be so proud of what we achieve.
One of the values I especially like is that of being humble and respecting others. In a Club context, the respect the playing group shows to traditions, our facilities and especially to the people who get them on the paddock every week, is a measure of who we are. We have been exceptional at this and I fully expect that this will continue.
I want to add my thanks to all of our great staff and volunteers, who have worked so hard over winter to prepare us for the season ahead. In particular, I want to call out our GM Jean-Luke, VP/Chairman of Selectors Nic Brian and to all on Committee who continued to meet and work hard during the off-season.
We have achieved a great deal in the last six months and I would like to highlight a couple of these achievements:
- Thanks in part to the fundraising efforts of players, accumulated surplus funds and the generous help of MU Sport, a major renovation of our turf practice wickets has been undertaken during the off-season. This has been a $50,000 capital program and will deliver significantly improved practice facilities for our players.
- We are always enormously grateful to our generous sponsors, and are pleased to confirm the re-signing all of our current sponsors:
- McGrathNicol;
- Trevor Main Group;
- CRA;
- Kieser Training;
- The University of Melbourne;
- Melbourne University Sport;
- Melbourne Business School; and
- The Clyde Hotel.
- I am pleased to conform we have added two new supporters in Butler Freight and The Resilience Project. A huge welcome to those organisations and their leaders, former MUCCer Adam Arkinstall and of course, life member Hugh Van-Cuylenburg
We head into this season in terrific shape and with some real belief. To the players, all I can ask is that you work hard, play and live by the values that you have been a part of defining and enjoy every moment that you have at MUCC. To all of our loyal supporters, sponsors, volunteers, staff and Alumni, all I can say is get on board and enjoy the ride. Something tells me this is going to be MUCC’s year in many ways!
Go Uni!!!
Derek Bennett
President, MUCC
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