Ashburton Willows

On behalf of Ashburton Willows CC; heartfelt condolences to all our neighbouring local sporting and community clubs feeling the loss of Stu Hamilton this week. He was an epic contributor to local sport be it junior Boys, Girls and Seniors. A wonderful family man who will be sorely missed. We pass on our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

60 Years Young for the club champion! Happy Birthday Mr Peter Marshall. Thanks for all you have contributed over the years on and off the field. Here’s to many more years of great fun, frivolity and mateship.

The new AWCC website is just a gift that keeps on giving during these long winter months. Slide through for a look around as you start getting warmed up for the season ahead!

Ashburton Willows Cricket Club Ashburton Willows Cricket Club is an inclusive, warm and friendly cricket club based at Ferndale Park in Glen Iris and Ashburton Park in Ashburton.

Dear members,

We hope everyone is keeping warm during the winter season, however things for the upcoming cricket season are hotting up. After an amazing 2023-24 season for our juniors girls and boys, we are looking forward to the upcoming season.

AWCC JUNIOR PROGRAM NEWS:

I am delighted to share that Club life member Tom Harrington will be helping to lead our Junior Program this season and will be brilliantly supported by AWCC Committee members Mandeep Sahni, and our club Diversity & Inclusion leader Anne Renwick. Tom and the Harrington family are known to many of you and are wonderful contributors to our community. As a club we are always looking for great people to lean in and support so a big thanks to Tommy, Mandeep, Annie and the whole commitee for their involvement and positive engagement.

Feel free to get in touch with Tom on 0419006014 or Mandeep on 0403496377 to discuss specific plans for your child.

We also wish a very best to the Wilhelms, who are off for a new adventure in Kuala. Emily, Oli, Sophie and Alex will be all be missed this season.

JUNIOR COMPETITIONS 2024/25:

Based on the feedback received from our members, we will be putting teams in u11 and u13 ISEC comp. This will provide opportunities to play on a Friday or Sunday to avoid clashes with other sports. It also provides those juniors who are super keen to play across 2 competitions and gives them 2 games a week.

Our girls cricket has gone strength to strength and to fast track cricket progress for our girls, we will be offering girls opportunity to play in Mixed ECA teams over and above girls only cricket.

AWCC is pleased to offer the following programs for the 2024-25 season:
1. Woolworth Blasters - Friday afternoons
2. u10 (ECA) - Match Sunday morning
3. u12 (ECA) - Match Saturday morning
4. u14 (ECA) - Match Friday evening
5. u16 (ECA) - Match Friday evening
6. Junior Development Squad - Junior & Senior mix squad to play on Turf on Sunday
7. Stage 1 and Stage 2 Girls
8. u11/u13 (ISEC) - For juniors wanting 2 games a week.

Training days will be finalised after consultation with coaches and team managers. Whilst the fixtures are not out, we would expect pre-season training to commence in September with the matches starting in October.

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN AT:
ECA comps (u10, u12, u14, u16, u18) at https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/dd351f

ISEC comps (u11, u13) - https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/194896

Girls EGWC comps (Stage 1, Stage 2) - https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/45d643

MEMBERSHIP FEES:
The junior season fee for season 2024-25 will be $250. Juniors wanting to play an additional game/grade per week are requested to pay an additional $100 to cover costs for the season.

MERCHANDISE:
Get in early to order new kits at https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/org/ashburton-willows-cricket-club/55f5bdce/shop

STAY IN TOUCH:
Keep up to date with all key information, dates and events via the below channels:

Our club Facebook is here:
https://www.facebook.com/ashburtonwillowscricket?mibextid=LQQJ4d

And our club app is here:
https://ashburtonwillowscc.teamapp.com/?_webpage=v1

And our new club website is here:
https://www.ashburtonwillowscricket.com/
Ashburton Willows Cricket Club
Ashburton Willows Cricket Club is an inclusive, warm and friendly cricket club based at Ferndale Park in Glen Iris and Ashburton Park in Ashburton.
www.ashburtonwillowscricket.com

THANKYOU:
Thanks for being part of AWCC. We are looking forward to another terrific summer; our 148th season! If there is ever anything we can do to help ensure you and your family's experience at AWCC can be improved, feel free to reach out.

Kind Regards

Tim Murphy
President - AWCC
Ph - 0402 038 514

It’s time to get AWCC ready for summer!!! Jump online now to pre order everything you need- Seniors, Juniors and Social members…. the AWCC online merch store is open!

https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/org/ashburton-willows-cricket-club/55f5bdce/shop

Pre Season Training - Tuesday 13th August…..can’t wait to catch up with everyone ahead of another great summer at AWCC!

Happy Birthday to one of our greats both on and off the field- Mr Paul Ewart!

It might be cold outside right now, but summer is just around the corner!
AWCC Pre season Training at Hawthorn Cricket Centre kicks off on Tuesday 13th AUGUST at 8pm……

There’s never been a better time to review your home loan. Book an appointment for your home loan health check today.

A home loan health check looks at your rate, term, repayments, and equity, giving your loan a full check-up to make sure it’s still right for you and your current needs. New or existing customers welcome.

Get in touch with your local lending specialist now.

Happy birthday to club legend Ron Salkowski! Looking forward to your continued care and contributions this summer old mate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SKIPPER!!!!

A huge AWCC congrats and good luck to our very own Shray Sahni who will represent Victoria in Indoor Cricket this July!

Fantastic to check out a new book by local historian and friend of AWCC Sarah Craze who documents the incredible history of Ashburton. Including some brilliant stories involving our beloved cricket club and the incredible role we have played since 1876!
Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy today….

www.sarahcraze.com/online-store

DAVE SHARP SERVICE- REMINDER
Hoss’ service will be held today 11am (Saturday 15th June) at Le Pine Burwood Chapel- 339 Warrigal Rd Burwood.

Hoss’ service will be held this Saturday 15th June at Le Pine Burwood Chapel- 339 Warrigal Rd Burwood.

VALE DAVE SHARP - A TRUE CLUB GREAT

A great man and a legend of the Ashburton Willows / GIEKs Cricket community. Dave did so much both on and off the field over many many decades. It was so great to see Dave down at the club supporting the boys on a number of occasions last season and always following the clubs performances online. Prayers and thoughts with the wonderful Sharp family and friends near and far. RIP to a truly wonderful gentleman.
More details will be shared in coming days and we look forward to the chance to celebrate ‘Hoss’ and his incredible contribution to our club.

Happy birthday to the great Thusith De Soysa!! One of our favourites and an absolute star both on and off the field!

Happy birthday Roddy!!! We can’t wait for another huge run making season for you at AWCC!

Reminder - PLEASE HELP ONE OF OUR OWN!

Our two time Club Champion Hetti and his wife Nethmini need our club community’s help!!

Hetti and Nethmini are desperate to stay in Australia and over recent years have set up a fantastic life with family and friends here in Melbourne.

Nethmini is an accomplished and very qualified professional in the architecture, draftsmanship and construction space. She is extremely learned, and would be a brilliant addition to any business in this scope of industry. Her cover letter is attached to offer some further insight.

Given the scale of our club community and our intent to help out great people like Hetti and his family, it would be so appreciated if everyone can have a think about potential opportunities for work for Nethmini. Any ideas or connections will be extremely valuable and helpful.

Please reach out to Hetti on 0451 405 455 or [email protected] or Tim on 0402 038 514.

Thank you AWCC family- let’s all get behind this one.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2023/24

***Extract from Annual Report (available on team app or via [email protected])

My ninth season as President of AWCC was probably the most enjoyable and rewarding of all. It coincided with a period where I was professionally much more available than usual, and this allowed me the space to be more present than ever before. Involvement in the Friday night Junior Blasters Program, and the opportunity to play cricket with old and new mates of a weekend was also cherished.

The summer of 2023/24 will be remembered fondly. My family made new friends, spent quality time with old friends and thoroughly embraced once again just how positive and powerful a club like AWCC can truly be.

At the start of the season we welcomed some brilliant new members to our committee. Dan Nguyen who led the challenging transition from MyCricket to PlayHQ. Anne Renwick who is championing our Diversity & Inclusion initiatives. Sonali Sharma who brings endless energy and ideas for social events and has established a wonderful NFP partnership with St Kilda Mums. Jasmine Sahni whose diligence and strategic mind cannot be undervalued. And Lachlan Baird whose incredible experience in community sport will be critical as we map our clubs next 150 years.

We refined a 3 Year Plan on a Page and presented it to club members at our Season Launch (see back of report for Plan summary) This simple plan offers a guide for the areas we need to focus on and gives clarity to members as to the key initiatives and activities we want to drive over the coming years to ensure we achieve our winning ambition:

AWCC will be a safe and fun environment where any cricketer will be given the best chance to compete and develop. We will strive to win and always play with pride representing our club’s remarkable history.

I want to thank our returning committee members. Paul Ewart who as Treasurer is trusting, approachable and professional. His impact on our club on and off the field continues to astound. Mandeep Sahni, who pours countless hours ensuring our Junior Boys and Girls have an environment that is positive, organised and fun. At times, leading a Junior program can be very challenging and there are increasing stakeholder management complications. Mandeep – thank you for your efforts, your energy and your tolerance. Liam Sharp whose communication and marketing expertise is imperative. Our new club website is testament to that!

https://www.ashburtonwillowscricket.com/

We welcome new members to join the committee or play a role on a sub-group. We are clear as to what a strong club leadership framework should look like and would love to chat with anyone interested in learning more. I always say it, but you will always get more back than you put in at AWCC.

Our Club Coach Muditha Fernando did an incredible job this year. He was organised, communicative, available and keen. He was also superb on the field once again making the ECA Wright Shield Team of the Year. Our 1st XI Captain Chris Barr, our culture king and one of the competitions most fierce and feared players, led from the front again. Our other senior skippers; Andy Ellis, Nish Kothari, Jake Falkenberg and Justin Samlal were all fantastic and their approach to selection, managing player availability and working together was as positive and collaborative as I have seen in many years.

Our Junior Coaches are the best in the association. Its that simple. The safe, fun, positive environment we provide our players and families is something we should all be extremely proud of. I know I am.
Nothing reiterates this than seeing Juniors make their senior debuts. And even more so when Fathers and Sons play together. We had a lot of this in 2023/24 - special moments and memories for life. Surely it doesn’t get better than that!
3 of 4 Senior sides made Semi Finals this season. And whilst it was shattering to not progress to GFs, we must remember the winning seasons, the wonderful individual and team performances (see back of report for all award winners) and the momentum we have going forward. We also had Junior Sides enjoy amazing seasons, highlighted by the mighty U14B team coached by James Patterson who brought home the flag and are continuing to celebrate months later!

Its important to thank our sponsors. Bendigo Bank Ashburton continue to be a force behind our financial wellbeing. Our support of them means they support us – its that simple. MyClubFirst continue to contribute meaningfully. Our Many Team sponsors (see back of report) and of course The 1876 Club – our powerful coterie who offer financial, professional and strategic support for AWCC. Thank you, Gentlemen.

The cost of running our club continues to increase Year on Year. Equipment, Council, Association costs etc all rise. Support of our members through social income, community partnerships and donations are the key ingredients to a prosperous future.
This season Ashburton Park went under a full ground redevelopment. It will be wonderful to have our envied Turf Playing and Training facility back in 2024/25. And we will use it -a lot! We are committed to having more teams (Junior and Senior) play and train on turf. We are also working with council on the approved installation of an Electronic scoreboard.

The much anticipated Ferndale Park pavilion redevelopment plans are progressing and with Tom Harrington acting as AWCC’s representative at the table, we are excited about the outcomes for our club.

In 2023/24 AWCC had a thriving heartbeat. The social aspect of our club was alive and well. The on-field performances were strong and proud. Sunny Friday nights were festive and fun with Blasters taking over Ferndale. Our Junior Girls program shone brightly as does our Junior Indoor program through the winter months. Financially we are solid and future-proofed. We welcomed dozens of new families, new players and new friends into our community. I am proud to be the President of this great club.

BUT I am not willing to be the boy who cried wolf for much longer. If I am to remain as President in 2024/25 it will be my tenth and final season. Definitely. For the well-being and security of AWCC, it is time for someone else to step into the role. I will never not be around. But it is time for a change.
As a committee, we are proud to lead this incredible club.

Our history is so rich, and our future is so bright.
So, as we approach 2023/24 our ~148th season of cricket, I encourage everyone to get involved. Play a small part. You will always get back more from AWCC than what you ever put in.

Tim Murphy

Dear AWCC members,

As you know, St. Mary's Salesian AFC, The Ashburton Redbacks and The Ashburton Willows CC all share Ferndale Park, Glen Iris and we are all community clubs in our area who require funding from donations in order to make things happen.

We have a new clubhouse coming on board in 2025 and with that we would love to upgrade our scoreboard to an electronic one. This will allow us to attract more sponsors, more players and obviously ease the burden on volunteers on game day.

We have put together a fully tax deductible donation program which will help us build this scoreboard and we would love to achieve our goal of raising these funds by June 30, 2024. Here is the link:

https://asf.org.au/projects/st-marys-salesian-amateur-football-club/ferndale-scoreboard-upgrade

We hope you will all be able to contribute. Once your donation is received, you will receive a receipt for your fully tax deductible donation.

We thank you in advance for your generosity and we look forward to continuing to make you welcome down at Ferndale Park.

Best regards
Rich (SMS) Dan (Ashy Redbacks) and Tim (Ashy Willows)

With the club AGM scheduled for tonight (Monday 13th May at 8pm via video link) please go to TeamApp to open and save a copy of our 2023/24 Annual Report.

Or email [email protected]

Join the AGM via video link here :
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MTY2NmQwN2MtODkxMC00NTBlLTk2ZWEtM2UwOTNiM2JlMjM5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a260625b-e4e6-4fdb-9ea3-8609938bd7f2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e69aa44c-0688-448b-96ed-98ef860a3db3%22%7d

If you haven’t completed our survey yet- there’s still time! Find a couple of minutes ahead of tonight’s AGM!

forms.office.com

The AWCC AGM will take place via ZOOM on Monday 13th May at 8pm.

Microsoft Teams- JOIN MEETING via below link

Microsoft Teams Need help?

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MTY2NmQwN2MtODkxMC00NTBlLTk2ZWEtM2UwOTNiM2JlMjM5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a260625b-e4e6-4fdb-9ea3-8609938bd7f2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e69aa44c-0688-448b-96ed-98ef860a3db3%22%7d

Meeting ID: 486 182 625 100
Passcode: py5RTq

Thank you to all the incredible AWCC mums who help make our club community so special.

Some big celebrations for budding young AWCC superstars! Here is our U14 ‘Navy Blue Planning’ Premiership team celebrating at the ECA Awards night and of course, the incredible Emily Pugsley and Hanna Sahni with their Stage 1 Girls Batting and Bowling Awards!! The future shines brightly at AWCC!!

AWCC AGM & OPEN COMMITTEE ROLES

As we approach the AGM (13th May 8pm on Zoom) it’s time to reach out to learn a little more about open roles on the committee. We have a fantastic, dedicated and diverse committee who represent our club community brilliantly. But we are always looking to welcome new members who are keen to learn more about possible involvement - be it in a formal role or a small contribution that helps let our club run as smoothly as possible.

Don’t wait to be asked- reach out to Tim on 0402 038 514 to have a brief chat ahead of the AGM!

AWCC VOLUNTEER SURVEY 2024

To all our wonderful club members and supporters, the AWCC Committee would love if you could take a couple of minutes to please complete our Volunteer survey. Don’t worry- we aren’t locking you in for hours of service - but we are trying to identify some key areas our club can work on, improve and continue to thrive within the local community ahead of the AGM on Monday 13th May.
Thank you in advance for your contribution.

forms.office.com

Ashburton Park starting to look a treat as the new surface settles in. It will be great to be back training on turf and playing home games on this beautiful turf ground in 2024/25!