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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-19 Daily Xml
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Newland Electorate

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:28): In the electorate of Newland, I am lucky enough not to have one but three incredible football clubs: the Modbury Hawks, the Hope Valley Demons and the Tea Tree Gully Wolves, more affectionately known as the Gullies. I maintain the belief that I can barrack for all three teams simultaneously, particularly as the senior teams all compete in different leagues.

Today, however, in the spirit of National Volunteer Week, I would like to talk about the Gullies and a man who has dedicated almost his entire life to the support of that club and our community. His story also touches on the other two clubs which makes me incredibly proud of the service he has provided to football across the Tea Tree Gully area.

Those of you at home will know immediately who I am referring to: the man, the myth the legend, Dave Crisanti, President of the Tea Tree Gully football club. The Tea Tree Gully football club, alongside the Modbury Football Club—and I will not say who I believe is the oldest—are recorded as being the oldest operating football clubs in Australia, first playing each other in the 1850s.

Dave attended the beautiful Tea Tree Gully Primary School and then moved on to the local Catholic school St Paul's. He studied playing for the Gullies in 1977 in the under 15s team. He shopped around a bit but ended up at the Gullies as the fitness coach in 1990. I will not tell you who I would have supported in the 1990 grand final against Modbury, but the Gullies were successful, winning their first A-grade flag in 17 years.

At one stage, Dave and his brothers, Anthony and Matt, were all training and playing at the Gullies together, showing what a beautiful club it was and remains. Dave moved over in 1994 to coach another great club, the Hope Valley Demons. He coached the premiership side there and returned to the Gullies in 1996. Dave's son Ben joined the Gullies family in the years following, and Dave's volunteer work started in 2002 as the team manager for his son's team.

Dave continued at the club long after his son finished playing. In 2005, he advocated for a young boy with a disability to play football, a case which ended up in the equal opportunities court. This year, Dave was incredibly proud to host the 2022 APM SANFL Inclusive League carnival at Pertaringa Oval, as was I, catching up with Caz Allen and Simon Nappa at Pertaringa Oval in Banksia Park, who put in so much work to make that dream a reality.

Dave does not know that I am speaking about him or any of this today, so you may wonder where I am getting my facts from. Dave was awarded his well-deserved life membership in 2011 and in 2015 published the most impressive sports book I have ever seen: When the Going Gets Tough: the Story of the Tea Tree Gully District Football Club, a 529-page book of the history of not only Tea Tree Gully football club but the Modbury Hawks, the Tea Tree Gully CFS and many other local groups.

I would also like to make mention of the connection between the Tea Tree Gully football club and the Tea Tree Gully CFS, to which there are at least seven joint life members. I acknowledge the tireless efforts of our CFS and Dave's commitment to both. The photos in Dave's book are incredible. My personal favourite shows a photo from the Leader Messenger in 1965, entitled 'Molly Byrne's new role', with a photo of Molly tossing the football at the game between Gilles Plains and Tea Tree Gully.

Dave is one of a kind. He is warm, inviting and has an incredibly big heart. He has affectionately nicknamed me Young Olivia and shows me an immense deal of respect and warmth every time I see him. His club and his community are lucky to have him, and I have been grateful for his welcome to the Gullies family. It is always a pleasure to catch up at the Gullies, and I thank him for showing such kindness, particularly to the Premier when I brought him out to visit, as well as to our visitor Senator Karen Grogan when she visited with myself and the member for Makin a few weeks ago.

Dave's parents are equal local legends, Judy and Umberto Crisanti. I thank them for their wonderful sons and Judy for her service to retail workers, particularly at Target, over many decades. Most of all today I would like the opportunity to thank Dave, an incredible volunteer, and I would like to wish him a very happy 60th birthday for 11 May. We are all better knowing you, so here's to Dave.

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