SAFC Newsletter – January 2025

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SAFC Newsletter – March 2025

SAFC Newsletter – April 2025

SAFC Newsletter – May 2025 

SAFC Newsletter – June 2025

SAFC Newsletter – July 2025

South Augusta Newsletter 2025  August

2025 Yearbook

 

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PRESIDENTS REPORT 2025 SEASON

2025 was an interesting year for the South Augusta Football Club. We appointed a newA Grade coach, new president, started a new football committee, got an ex AFL Player to come and play for us, started utilising a drinks van and BBQ at all home games throughout the year, had a few on field incidents that created some angst, some great nights up the club and some very quiet nights, it was very up and down.

It was in many ways, a year where we tried to implement some changes and tried to improve upon things that we have done in the past. All the things we have tried to
implement are aiming to keep the club going strong and remain viable in the current  climate, which is a difficult task.
The footy side of things and finishing ladder positions were probably not as we were all hoping when the year started, especially in our senior grades, but there were lots of things that we can be proud of. As mentioned previously, we had multiple people doubling up for games each week to help the club out and try to help their teammates get some more wins, which is a huge effort. We blooded a heap of talented young kids in our senior sides, which will only benefit them in years to come.
We need everyone to stick together and continue building. The disappointing thing was some peoples lack of dedication and respect to their coaches. It seemed every time we played in Port Pirie, Adam or Stuey were running around at the last minute chasing additional players because others hadn’t turned up, hadn’t even let them know.
This needs to change! If we are to be a successful club on the field in the coming years, we need everybody on board and that needs to start with the players. It was great to see good numbers throughout our junior grades and the successful inclusion of additional girls teams to our club banner. Hopefully we can continue to build on this and we may even see a senior women’s team in future years.
Thanks to all of the coaches, team managers, trainers, runners, coordinators etc for your dedication throughout the year. Thanks especially to outgoing B Grade coach Stuey Beaton on a stellar effort throughout not only this year but previous years. That coaching position is the hardest of all and you have done such a great job. Thanks mate.
The club has hosted or been a part of many successful events again this year, with none greater than the Footy Frenzy day. With Auskick through to A grade played on the same oval on the same day, it was awesome. The inclusion of Mitch Robinson and the show afterwards with him and Ricky Nixon was amazing. It was so great to see the crowd this game brought in and how much everyone enjoyed it! It was like the Central Oval games of old and something we should be striving to get back to. The Club’s Red & White Ball, Day at the Races, Golf Day, netball and basketball after parties and other events we hosted were all great successes and something that the many volunteers who dedicate their time to, should be very proud of.
To all the people that have helped out in any way this year we thank you! From working in the kitchen, running water, cooking BBQ’s, setting up for club shows, coaching, running, being part of Committees, there are an endless number of tasks that need to be done to make this club tick and we are so lucky to have the amazing people that we do. In saying that, we are going to need all the help we can going forward, so please if you have the opportunity, come and give us a hand, lighten the load and help this great club continue to be strong on and off the field for years to come.
Here’s hoping for a bigger and better Season in 2026.
Thank you
Mark Horner

A GRADE COACH REPORT

Firstly, thankyou to all the volunteers and helpers throughout the season. Football season doesn’t function without you. And our football club would be in a much worse state if it wasn’t for some extremely dedicated and loyal volunteers.
I apologise as I am sure to miss some of the people, but just a couple I would like to highlight are: Nicole McInnis as Head Trainer and every other hat that you wear throughout the year. It is much appreciated, all of the time you put in we would be genuinely stuffed without you. Craig Ritter as Matchday Manager and everything else in between. It doesn’t go unnoticed the amount of time and dedication you have shown this football club over a long period of time and continue to do so. Thursday night tea crew. Thanks for spending time helping to feed players and supporters alike. I am sure everyone that comes up for a meal on Thursdays appreciate it.
Drinks van & BBQ on the Hill. Thanks to everyone who participated in getting this off the ground. I think it did create more of an atmosphere at the games, hopefully it was a valuable contribution to the clubs financial situation for the year. To the people who offered to umpire not only the field but also goal and boundary line. It is an enormous help to mainly Nicole who has to perform the SGLs job in arranging the umpires for our games. Thanks to Bronte, Gilly and Stuey for the
season assisting at trainings and games. Whilst we didn’t get a lot of results go our way, and it was a tough year at times, I hope your players thank you for your commitment, dedication and efforts in trying to help them this year. Thank you to the footy committee who worked hard to change a bit of the atmosphere on game day with some new ideas and in particular the Footy Frenzy Day which was well supported by all age groups, culminating in Mitch Robinson’s performance for the A
Grade. It was a great atmosphere and experience that was the envy of a lot of other clubs in the SGL.
On field we had a disappointing season overall with only the U15s representing the club in the finals. In fact we were the only club to not be represented on Grand Final day, that’s not a good place to be in, and we should be striving to feature on Grand Final Day every year.
From the start of the season when 51 people showed up to the first preseason training to then finish the year with Stuey having to find 8 players the morning of the last minor round game, probably says a lot about where the club is currently at in terms of its playing stocks. I have said to the players that I’ll be honest with them, and I honestly think our club is in a world of trouble. It would not surprise me if we struggle to field a B Grade side next year. I hope that I am wrong but
given the lack of commitment by a lot of players, some of the team being shift workers, therefore unavailable every week and the use of veterans who have likely played their last season of football, I really do worry about the senior numbers moving forward. I want to congratulate all those who win awards tonight and also to the players who made their senior debuts and reached milestones throughout the course of the season. Congratulations on these individual accolades.
I really hope this season is a humbling and learning experience for a lot of players. Humbling in terms of results and finishing at the bottom of the ladder. A learning experience because as a group there needs to be significant improvement in attitude, dedication and commitment to being a good team mate, a good player and ultimately a good team. We aren’t that at the moment. But things can change quickly if everyone is willing to put in the work and not accept the season that
we’ve just had.
We need to be a better club at embracing and welcoming new people, new families to our club. There is a common theme locally that this isn’t a very welcoming place which is disappointing to hear. We need to do better.
“Culture is not what you write on the walls, culture is what people feel when they come in”  Everyone just expects the South Augusta Football Club to be there year after year. Because for 100+ years we always have been. Everyone thinks that Friday night teas will just happen because a cooking team is rostered on like it has always been.
Our existence in this competition is going to depend on how hard we are willing to work from this moment on. We have dwindling numbers in the junior grades compared to a lot of other local clubs, and our volunteers are the same people week after week, year after year.
We may be here now, but tomorrow is not guaranteed. Please do your bit to get involved no matter how big or how small the task maybe.
What if the South Augusta Football Club isn’t here tomorrow?
Could you have done more to help?
Thank you
Adam Grantham  

 

UP AND COMING EVENTS 2025

 

 

 OCTOBER 2025 

 11 – Clubs SA Community Awards

 NOVEMBER 2025 

8 – Racing Tips start

 23 – SAFC AGM