The Upper Gully Football Club wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you all next season. Many Upper Gully friends of Jamie Woods, who played for the club during the 70’s and 80’s, mourned his passing on the 5th December at home in Tathra. With some new signings and good numbers on the track the coaching staff are looking forward to next season; Please see below for a report on the clubs pre-season so far leading into the Xmas break. After Practice Matches set down for either side of Easter against FTG and Wantirna South our first game next year will be against Chirnside Park away on the 9th April. Our first home game is the following week against Park Orchards before the Anzac Day clash against South Belgrave on Monday the 25th April at Kings Park. All Club Supporters are invited to Christmas Drinks at the Royal Hotel this Thursday the 17th December from Midday where a group of past players and supporters led by Paul “Bluey” Carroll and Mick Gartlan are meeting for a drink and chat. Remember also that the Royal Hotel is still honouring the Club Rewards Cards; so please present it for a discount for yourself and help the club financially. With new players interested in playing Vets next season the club is hopeful of getting the Vets back at Upper Gully so if anyone is interested please contact Jason Zinnow on 0411 079 829 or otherwise turn up to training on Thursday nights at the Netball Courts from 6:30pm. Any Girls wanting to play Football or Netball for the club next season; please check out the info below for contact details. Don’t forget to check out the website; http://www.uftgfc.sportingpulse.net for all the latest news and photos from around the club. Thank you to all our sponsors from 2015 and especially our Major Sponsor Ferntree Gully Toyota and our Gold level sponsors LPS Waste Services, Frawley Signs, Action Events and Mystique Printing. Anyone wanting to contribute to this newsletter please email uppergullynews@hotmail.com
Good Luck in 2016 Upper.....Go the Red and Blue!
RIP - Jamie Woods - 11.05.1960 - 05.12.2015
The Upper Gully Football Club extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Jamie who passed away at home in Tathra surrounded by his loving family and friends last week. After starting with the U13’s in 1971 and being part of the first Bluebirds U13’s side in 1972, Jamie played all his junior footy with Upper Gully/Bluebirds and then went on to play around 100 games with the Seniors/Reserves between 1978 and 1987 which included the 1979 Reserves Premiership and the 1984 Reserves Best & Fairest. Jamie was described in the reunion booklet for the 1979 Premiership as “Young tall who played forward. Difficult to get around.”
Upper Gully Football Club Pre-Season Review by Andy Hayman (Football Manager)
Numbers for our pre-Christmas training block have been good and we have averaged around 35-40 per night. This concluded on Wednesday 16th December and we will return to training on Wednesday 27th January 2016. The emphasis has been on fitness and ball movement patterns with Chad and the coaches looking to introduce a slightly modified game style in 2016.
We have been fortunate to sign on a number of new players and some have returned to the club for next season:
Andrew Godfrey – back after stint at Casey scorpions in VFL
Al Calder – back after stints at Warburton and East Ringwood
Ronny Matthews – back after stint at FTG
Nathan Thornbury – new On Baller from Nunawading
Ben Haddock – new Ruckman/Forward from Mulgrave
We hope to sign up a few more post-Christmas and together with the existing Senior group who committed last season and our emerging younger talent clearly on show in last season’s final series all looks good for the season ahead.
GIRLS FOOTY 2016
UFTG Senior & Junior Football Clubs would like to receive expressions of interest for girls of any age to play AFL football. NB - we are hoping to field U12’s & U16’s teams for 2016 in the new EFL/Yarra Valley Girls Competition. Games will be played on Sundays If you are interested & would like to join as a player or in a support/coaching role, please forward your expression of interest to: uftg-girlsladies@hotmail.com
NETBALL 2016
In association with the EFL FRIDAY NIGHT NETBALL COMPETITION UFTG Seniors Football Club will be fielding 2 x LADIES TEAMS for 2016. We would also like to field a team in the U16 & U18 age groups. If you are interested & would like to join as a player or support/coaching role, please forward your expression of interest to: uftg-netball@hotmail.com Registration Fees $55 for 16 to 18 years of age $65 for 18 years and over. Registration fee covers club membership, court fee, umpire fee, entry fee and insurance. UFTG Club netball dress costs $65 GO UPPER!
2016 Coaching Appointments
The Upper FTG Football Club is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Chad Rogers as Senior Coach for season 2016.
“Chad has done a fantastic job with the development of our young list and the club continues to improve said President Peter Hards. We are already planning for 2016 and are looking to expand our football department so that Chad can continue to build on some of the success we have enjoyed in 2015. The club is in a very strong position to continue to improve and we have some exciting initiatives in place for 2016 and beyond” said Hards.
The Club Executive, along with our Football Dept including Director of Football, Andy Hayman and Senior Coach Chad Rogers are pleased to announce Bruce Beaton as our Reserves Coach for 2016. Bruce comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience in local sporting circles, especially local Football. We would like to congratulate Bruce on this appointment and look forward to the exciting times ahead for our Football Club.
Also good to see Luke Galliott continuing with the U19’s alongside Gary Nash .
Upper Gully Vets
Jason Zinnow has confirmed interest in getting the Vets back playing in 2016. Hopefully we can return next season bigger and stronger. Thanks to Jason Zinnow and Greg Blundell for their great efforts in organising the Vets team over the past three years. Alongside Greg and Jason who took the top spots in Bayswater Vets Best and Fairest award, Andy Lee and Jeff Franken also finished in the top six players.
Upper Gully Past Players Group
We are looking to start up a formal past players group at Upper Gully. Good to see so many past players at the THF Lunch. If you are interested in being involved in the past players group please let us know so we can organise dates for functions and numbers. Mick Stone, Paul Carroll and Peter de Groot are contactable for the era up till 75. Dave Leathem and Rod Ingwerson - Early 80' till mid 90's Casey de Groot - late 90's till present We are also hoping to secure Gerry Wilson for late 70's till 80's Hopefully we will get lots of interested people and looking forward to hearing from you ASAP. Please contact any of the above or Casey de Groot on 0419 377 588 for further details.
Lifeworks Counselling Service
The Club has formed a new partnership with LifeWorks Relationship Counselling & Education Services to provide counselling to any players from the club requiring assistance for any issues they may have; this is a free and confidential counselling service and will provide great assistance for Robyn Lawson our Club Wellbeing Officer.
King Club 2015
Thanks to all the King Club members for 2015 and especially Neil Thompson for running the King Club this year. The year saw a new initiative in the King Club Flyer Trophy where members cast votes (3, 2, and 1) on the player they think had the greatest impact in the first half of the game and had gotten the team off to a flying start. Well done to Jarrod Whiteman who took out the award this season. The King Club is a support group for the Upper Ferntree Gully Football Club and will return again in 2016. For 2015 members of the King Club had access to the rooms during the senior game half time were they received food and drinks complimentary during the break; there were raffles to raise further money with joker poker. You became a club member and had free entry into home games and also received a king club polo. Neil Thompson can be contacted for further Details at neilt101@hotmail.com; mobile: 0400 921 357.
Upper Gully Football Club History
Andy Lee has added to the website under the History tab a complete table of head to head results against all sides that the seniors have played since 1949. Andy also has been compiling a list of all players to have played for Upper Gully and has now added to the website a list of players from 1949-1959 who have played for Upper Gully; any details on these players would be appreciated. Thanks to Norm Reeves for the 1964 and 1965 MDFA Records that have been able to fill in some gaps in the records as well as the 1965 Membership Ticket amongst other items. Still looking for Upper Gully Membership Cards from 1969, 1970 and 1971 as well as 1951; also after any EFL records from the 1960’s, 1970’s or 1980’s, if anyone can help please contact Andy Lee on 0419 539 863. Please check the Club History Page on the club website as well as the Battler page. If anyone is interested in providing anecdotes about the club or their own football career or any amendments or additions to the club history on the website; please contact Andy Lee at alene.lee@ozemail.com.au
Sponsors News
Thank you to all our SPONSORS for 2015, especially our Major Sponsor Ferntree Gully Toyota and our Gold Sponsors Action Events, Frawley Signs, Mystique Printing and LPS Waste Services. The club has signed up Johnny Boys Pizza’s in Upper Gully as a new sponsor. Last season the club welcomed on board Trident Leasing Australia as a new sponsor, contact Peter Nicholls on 1300 883 718 for all your funding needs, also iTrak Real Estate are on board sponsoring Upper Gully shorts, for any real estate requirements contact Mel on 0439 513 004. Anytime Fitness Ferntree Gully is now a sponsor of the Club and has agreed to a special rate for Players and Members of UFTGFC at $12 / week for 18 Month contract. In addition Jason Wood – Federal Liberal Member for Latrobe and Ray White Real Estate have come on as Sponsor’s for 2015. Please use them and mention you are from the club so they continue their support to us. Their details can be found on the website. Also if anyone who knows of potential sponsors please contact Peter Hards, who will follow up with you.
Social Media
Theclub is on TWITTER; ClickHere Currently 422 followers and growing; also the club is on FACEBOOK currently with over 305 subscribers. Search for and Subscribe to the UpperferntreeGully OfficalSite FootballClub. The club has created a new Team App for IPhone and Android Phone users for all the news and events happening around the club. All you need to do is download the Team App fromhttp://teamapp.com/appand search for UFTGFC to install on your phone.
The club is compiling a database of email address so that we are able to communicate to as many people as possible the latest news and events happening around the club more efficiently. With this in mind could you please forward the email address of any Upper Gully people you may know touppergullynews@hotmail.com
UFTG Football Club Committee 2016
Last Modified on 06/01/2016 14:35