Having lived in Rowville since 1993 new committee member Tracey Treloar never really liked football.
Tracey recently told us,
“growing up in a house full of girls, my only brother was into motorbike riding, so footy wasn’t really a focus in our house. I’d never been to an AFL match growing up and I never thought I’d ever have anything to do with footy, let alone be involved with a club from a committee level”, Tracey Laughed. Tracey joined the Rowville FC 8 years ago when Lachie (Tracey’s son) first played in Under 9’s. Now she is into the club “boots ‘n all”.
“We joined the Rowville FC when Lachie (Tracey’s son) first played in Under 9’s. I’ve spent the last 5 years as Team Manager for Lawry Dear (1 year), Paul Barlow (3 yrs.) and most recently Paul Mynott (last season). Having driven our group of parents mad as TM over the past 5 years, I thought it was about time I broadened my horizons and “shared the love” by lending my admin background to a broader audience and help the club continue to grow”.
Tracey told us,
“I really enjoy watching his team play and the friends I’ve made along the way have been fantastic – I’ve even learnt some of the rules along the way! It was a highlight to watch Lachie share his 100th game last season with 2 of the boys who played alongside him when he played his first ever game.
Joining the Rowville Football club seemed natural as Lachie’s mates all wanted to play for Rowville and the junior ground is a good stone’s throw (or drop punt) from our house – so it suited us just fine”.
Pleased with her families decision, Tracey said, “Over the past few seasons, the One Club, One Culture philosophy has really strengthened and united both the junior and senior clubs. The support the juniors have received from the senior playing group and committee has been fantastic.
It’s great to see a strong senior presence at junior matches on a Sunday and I’m sure the seniors have appreciated similar support from the juniors at their matches both on and off the field. The level of communication has increased considerably since the club has embraced the use of technology and social media (Team Ap, Facebook, email newsletter communication and social media).
There’s really no excuse for not knowing what’s going on, which is fantastic for all involved”.
When quizzed about what she most enjoyed about the club Tracey did not hesitate, “I love the friendships you make and the sense of belonging you gain from being associated with the Rowville FC community”. I have enjoyed working alongside some of the most passionate, professional, dedicated and selfless people over the past 5 years. It’s amazing the people you meet, just by putting yourself out there, being involved and giving a little bit back.
I think every one of our members contributes something to the overall “culture” of the club in one way or another – whether it’s the quiet achievers who work tirelessly behind the scenes with little or no recognition, or the colourful characters who make their presence known the second they walk through the door. From the reliable ladies in the canteen, the water boys, the guys who spend countless hours at the BBQ or behind the bar, to the “loudest and proudest” one-eyed supporters who bleed brown and gold! It takes all sorts of characters to make a great club and we’re lucky enough to have many dedicated members among our midst.
Hopefully the next step for the club would be a girls team. That would be fantastic and add to the overall dynamics of the club, Tracey added. There’s some really talented young “up and coming” female footballers out there. I think this presents a great opportunity for the club to grow.
Today Tracey believes Rowville has some really talented people around our club – especially our coaching staff. “They are professional and dedicated and I think this stands out – both on and off the field. We are transparent with our vision and we do our best to keep everyone happy, making sure all players have the opportunity to learn, improve and play quality footy in a safe, supportive environment. As long as we continue doing what we’ve been doing the past few seasons, there’s no reason why we can’t go from strength to strength. We have the right combination of support staff (can always do with more), facilities, members and players to make this happen.
My aim is to continue supporting those who know what they’re doing from a club level.
I’ve had a lot of exposure to the club from a team manager’s prospective, but I don’t know much about the rules or mechanics of playing footy and running a club. I’ll happily admit it. There’s plenty of talented people around the club with these skills – I’m just happy doing whatever I can to make sure that the people who can do, do!
If that means l can play a role taking notes and assisting with paperwork and secretarial duties, them that’s just fine by me. Admin is something I’m OK at. I do it for a job. I’ll leave the footy stuff up to the professionals. Hopefully, Lachie will play seniors for Rowville one day.
Tracey finished by saying with a laugh “I don’t think I’ve annoyed enough people around the club yet – there’s plenty more I can do, given the opportunity to help our great club grow”.
“Things we learnt about Tracey”
1. Favourite song – I can’t choose just one…. “Throw your arms around me” – Hunters & Collectors, “Monkey Wrench” – Foo Fighters, “Hallelujah‘ – Jeff Buckley, “Wish you were here” Pink Floyd.
2. Favourite movie – I am more into music than movies but I really enjoyed the Sex & The City series.
3. AFL team – Melbourne
4. Other sports you watch/play – I watch cricket, enjoy Zumba, wakeboarding with the boys and for some weird reason, I like watching UFC?
5. Favourite holiday destination – Lake Eildon
6. Favourite restaurant – Anywhere my friends are.
7. Favourite dish – Something I don’t cook at home.
8. 3 people you would invite to dinner – Elvis (we share the same birthday), Princes Di, Pink.
