Perth-Bayswater
Rugby Union Football Club
|
Perth-Bayswater Rugby Union Football Club |
|
The 1998 Annual General Meeting of the Perth-Bayswater Rugby Union Football Club Inc. took place at the clubrooms on Sunday November 1, opening at 11:20 am.
The President, Dave Sefton, gave the Annual Report, followed by the financial report from Treasurer Jan McCormick. The club recorded a profit of $5331 for the year.
Election of officers followed, appointing Ray Goodall as President, Dave Sefton and Phil Oliver Vice Presidents, John Skeffington Secretary, Jan McCormick Treasurer and Alan Hill Club Coach. Ten club members were elected to the Management Committee.
Following general business, the meeting concluded at midday.
The Annual Dinner was held on Saturday September 19 1998, at the Sheraton Hotel's Golden Ballroom.
Master of Ceremonies Rick Boyd welcomed 120 club members to the 1998 Annual Dinner, followed by a sumptuous buffet dinner. The presentation of Awards included the Westpac Shield for First Grade Fairest and Best and the J.J.Guthrie Memorial Trophy to Conrad Kovacs, Clubwoman of the Year to women's team leading lady Rangimaria Te Aute, and Clubman of the Year to Club Coach Alan Hill.
Much dancing to a first class band and much drinking of various beverages remained to be enjoyed for the rest of the night. A completely enjoyable occasion and a credit to organiser and official club wonder woman, Diane Deans.
Summer touch rugby continues at Morley Reserve, Wellington Road, Morley, on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, until March. All welcome.
Western Australian and Perth-Bayswater flanker Conrad Kovacs became the first-ever three time winner of the J.J.Guthrie Award this year, after wins in 1991 and 1997. Receiving the trophy from Kevin Thornton, representing the Guthrie family, Conrad paid tribute to the unsung heroes of the team who did the hard work each week which may not be readily obvious from the sideline when Best and Fairest points were alotted.
Conrad again opened up a sizeable lead in the early stages and never looked like being caught. Lock Mathew "Weta" Robertson again gave him stiff competition, particularly in the later rounds, but for a record third time it was the local boy who came home to collect the trophy.
The J.J.Guthrie win followed Conrad winning the Man of the Match for Western Australia in their game against New Zealand Under 21 in Perth. Congratulations Conrad!
| CONRAD KOVACS 148 Mathew Robertson 89 Trevor Baldwin 87 Dean Hika 77 Eddie Eruini 71 Barry Ria 54 |
Hepa Ihaka 52 Dwayne Barr 50 Dennis McLoughlin 47 Phil Oliver 45 Aaron Te Huia 43 Steve Scholes 42 |
Applications are invited for coaching positions for first, second, third, fourth, fifth and colts grades for the 1999 season.
Applications in writing should be addressed to The Secretary, Perth-Bayswater RUFC Inc. PO Box 422, Morley WA 6062.
Proposals have been floated to use part of Perry Lakes for housing development, ousting WARU headquarters and the union's "home ground" from Meagher Drive.
If this does turn out to be the case, Perth-Bayswater will begin lobbying against finding a replacement union home ground. Perth-Bayswater will be proposing that WARU find office space for its administration functions away from the White Elephant at Meagher Drive, and all club competition and finals fixtures be played at club home grounds.
Perth-Bayswater believes that in these dire financial times clubs need all the revenue they can find, and losing three or four games a season to Perry Lakes has been a financial drain clubs cannot afford. As in other states, finals should also be played at club grounds. Clubs should be able to tender for the right to hold finals at their home ground and these events should be shared around so that everyone has a fair go. Properly managed, hosting a final could be a financial bonanza for a club at the end of the season.
It is Perth-Bayswater's contention that there are nothing but negatives associated with Perry Lakes. Nobody wants Sunday games, either for playing or for socialising. All games should be played on Saturdays. And the atmosphere at Perry Lakes is dismal.
Perth-Bayswater will be seeking support from other clubs when and if WARU receives notice to move from Perry Lakes.
Whose side is our WA rugby union on? WARU has a growing sideline in revenue collection. WARU sets fines for a wide range of heinous sins for clubs, from not having the right field markings to not filling in team sheets properly. These bureaucratic errors happen in small, amateur sports organisations, but WARU is eagle-eyed in enforcing their petty rules. This will probably cost Perth-Bayswater in the region of $1000 this year in fines. Do we have enough money to keep throwing it at WARU for these minor infractions? What's next? Perhaps the referees can start handing out fines instead of penalties?
Perth-Bayswater first grade wrapped up their season early with a 34-3 loss to second-placed Nedlands at Morley Reserve. There will be no finals for Perth-Bayswater this year, finishing seventh in a disappointing, puzzling year characterised by close losses and vacillating attitudes.
Perth-Bayswater led for the first quarter of the game through a Craig Barrett penalty but after twenty minutes Nedlands scored the first of their tries and converted from the sideline to lead 7-3. Ten minutes later Nedlands scored another try, and from the kick off, regathered and charged downfield to post another five pointer and conversion. Right on half time they scored a fourth try from a tap penalty to earn their bonus point.
In the second half Nedlands scored two more tries and while Perth-Bayswater put together several attacking moves they never really threatened the Nedlands line. Halfback Eddie Eruini was the pick of Perth-Bayswater players.
The loss finished a tough season for Perth-Bayswater, premiers in 1996 and grand finalists in 1997, in which they plunged to embarrassing losses but rose to a couple of impressive wins and one draw with previously unbeaten reigning premiers, Associates. Six of their losses were by seven points or less and could so easily have contributed to a very different season.
The club continues to suffer from a lack of payer continuity. Defections to other clubs, the transient nature of most senior players, and the inability of young local players to continue through to the senior grades means that each year is a lottery. The club seriously lacks workers and administrators, with so few older players staying with the club to carry out those vital tasks. It is an ongoing problem in Western Australia with no easy answers.
In other games: