Gepps Cross Football Club

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:32): On Saturday night, I was invited to the Gepps Cross Football Club's senior presentation dinner at the Northgate Community and Sports Club in Northfield in my electorate of Torrens. As a young girl growing up the area, I always found it strange that the club, located in Northfield, was called Gepps Cross. I now know that the club, founded in 1952, started off with a second-hand garage erected on their first ground behind the Gepps Cross Hotel. It came to be known as the infamous 'Tin Shed', and was used as a changeroom. I am told that, if the walls could speak, many stories could be told.

Since that time, the club has had a number of homes, including the Gepps Cross Primary School grounds, the former Gepps Cross girls technical school grounds, and on land on Port Wakefield Road across from the Gepps Cross drive-in. That second-hand garage followed each move, including in 1961, when the club finally found a home at the Duncan Fraser Reserve on Rowe Avenue in Northfield.

For the first couple of years, the ground was referred to as the prickle patch because players spent the week following playing a home match removing the prickles from their arms and legs. The move, however, brought renewed enthusiasm to the club, and they won their first premiership in 1965. I am told that the garage remained until the first section of the club was built in 1972.

I am pleased to say the Gepps Cross Football Club has come a long way since then and Saturday night was testimony to this. I would like to place on the record my congratulations to the football club director, Gavin Beasley, and the club chairman, John Baker, on their commitment and achievements throughout the year.

It is also significant that I recognise the players who received awards on the evening. Congratulations to the A Grade winners, who were: Gavin Rose (Best and Fairest); Jack Gibbs (Best and Fairest Runner-up); Jack Spriggs (Most Determined); Geoffrey Taylor (Most Improved); and Jordan Charles (Coaches Trophy).

The B Grade winners were: Matthew Ward (Best and Fairest); Michael Bradley (Best and Fairest Runner-up); Adam Antrobus (Most Consistent); Liam Cullinan (Most Improved); and Bradley Couzner (Coaches Trophy). Congratulations also to the C Grade winners, who were: Luke Wegener (Best and Fairest); Robert Gray (Best and Fairest Runner-up); Matthew Berkholst (Leading Goal Kicker and Most Improved); and Jerome Payne (Coaches Trophy).

I would also like to congratulate the trophy winners in the Under 18s division, who were: Dylan Veprek (Best and Fairest); David Aldred and Joshua Bald, who were both Best and Fairest Runners-up; Nathan Brice (Most Consistent); Shaun Burdett (Most Improved); Brett Siebert (Best Team Man) and Tyson Polkinghorne (Coaches Trophy). In addition, David Glenn was winner of the Chairman's Trophy, and Alicia Mackenzie won the Volunteers Trophy.

I like to make special mention of the club officials. Firstly, the A Grade coach, Paul James, for the work that he did; team manager Colleen Flanagan; team runner Troy Hedley; and water persons Tracy Noble and Lachlan Matthews; the B Grade coach, David Glenn; team manager Dianne Bailey; team runner Adam Drew; goal umpire Scott Bailey; and water person Tracy Noble. For the C Grade: coach Rob Harding, team manager Michelle Harding, and goal umpires Max Clarke and Mrs Gray. During the evening I also gave recognition to Under 18s coach, David Glenn; team manager Megan Jeffrey; and team runner Brad Jeffrey. To all of the players who received awards on the night—and there were a significant number—I have put photos of them up on my Facebook page.

I also attended the Gepps Cross Football Club's Auskick Day, where young boys and girls from the area have the opportunity to learn football skills in an encouraging and friendly environment. It has not always been so that the girls were included. Down the road at the neighbouring primary school I attended, girls were not encouraged to play football; in fact, they were discouraged. I can still remember being punished for kicking the football on the oval with a girlfriend. For the rest of the week at lunchtime, we were given the chore of sweeping the school's front veranda in full view of the teachers' staffroom. It is pleasing to see that things have changed, and 15 girls participated in this year's Auskick Day at the football club.

This Sunday I look forward to attending the junior presentation day, where the Gepps Cross Football Club's younger players will be recognised for their contribution to Aussie rules football. I understand that the weather forecast on Sunday will be 24°, so it should be a great day. Finally, this year both the Under 15s and Under 18s made the finals, and I know, from the discussions on Saturday night, they are looking forward to the 2016 season.