Hargreaves, Mr M.

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (15:32): Today, I rise to acknowledge the recent passing of a man in our community, Mick Hargreaves. Mick Hargreaves has been involved with the Southern Districts Junior Soccer Association since its beginning approximately 44 years ago. Mick Hargreaves volunteered for those 44 years. We often rise in this place to acknowledge the work of volunteers because we know that they are the bedrock of our community, and I will always proudly stand here in support of the work that volunteers do. But this service by Mick over 44 years to junior soccer in our community is absolutely extraordinary and one that we are all so very proud of—the contribution that he has made.

The soccer facility is located in the electorate of Gibson on Bowker Street at North Brighton. Many of us have fond memories of attending there. He ran the soccer season, and the primary schools registered in the league spread far across the southern metropolitan schools, schools from Hawthorndene to Woodcroft and across to Goodwood, Plympton and Brighton—in fact, every year there were almost 3,000 children in home and away fixtures, night games and carnivals. That is an incredible number of children he oversaw as president to have an opportunity to play the world game.

In order to enable this, Mick ran free coaching classes and referee clinics to allow parents to participate in the game and support their children. Once again, he did this for free and at no cost to those people who wanted to be involved in the game.

It is not uncommon when you talk to people in the community that they recall meeting Mick first when they were a child playing at Bowker Street soccer carnivals, when they were learning to play, and now as parents they are proudly taking their children back to participate and often find that they are in such a fantastic environment that they also end up participating as a coach.

One of the things that I think Mick can be most proud of is the value that he put on every child having equal time on the pitch regardless of ability. That is something he drummed into the association and it was very clear: every child who rocks up to play gets equal time. He also wanted to ensure that the spirit of the game was instilled in those who played and that it was about having fun and supporting your team. I can say that children who participated in those soccer carnivals have also gone on to become professional players.

Equally important to Mick was his encouragement to get girls involved in soccer. He was passionate about keeping the sport affordable and making it inclusive. Thousands of children have benefited from Mick's hard work at the junior soccer association in the south. In addition, Mick's presence at the oval made everyone feel safe. Since Mick was often there at all hours, often with his wife, Carole, many members of the community who use the oval after hours to walk their dog, to go for a run or to have their own kickaround would often spot Mick at the oval.

Under the Kerin/Olsen government, when it looked like the Bowker Street reserve was going to be sold to developers, he was one of the team that was instrumental in preserving the reserve status. The longevity of the club and its position in the community were very important to Mick and he worked hard to secure a long-term lease for the club. By virtue of his own contribution, he inspired others to help out.

Mick was quiet, he was unentitled and he worked hard to improve the grounds at Bowker Street oval. Not only did he volunteer most evenings at Bowker Street but he also spent his weekends observing other primary school matches because he wanted to make sure that the modified rules that occurred at Bowker Street were progressing with how the game was played elsewhere, so he took a keen interest in the sport throughout his time.

Of course, Mick would not be the pillar of our soccer community in the south without the hard work and dedication of his wife, Carole, who, like her husband, dedicated herself to the club. Carole has often been found fundraising, running the canteen or busy working hard for the club, but never too busy for a chat. In fact, they often both spent Friday nights cleaning the clubrooms. Yet, even as his health continued to deteriorate, he ensured that the fixtures for the 2023 season were organised.

When I last met with Mick, it was a night of a soccer carnival and he had only just left hospital that day, but he was determined to make sure the carnival ran smoothly. I would like to offer my condolences to the Hargreaves family.