Torrie Gets Life

February 18, 2016 | Posted by Peter Jakobsen | LIFE | 0 Comments |

Torrie Osborn congratulated by Club President, Nick Chigwidden

Last evening at the Annual General Meeting of the Glenelg Football Club, the Board’s message rang out loud and clear: the Club has a debt and a revenue problem (like the  country as a whole).  It also has a problem with winning football games: the 1985 and 1986 glories are a long time ago and far, far away.  But these challenges we welcome and the Board is being up-front, honest and appears determined to take them on.

Furthermore, it is easy to forget how chaotic the start of the 2015 season was for the Tigers: a new coach not given an opportunity to put a game plan in place pre-season –  a raw, unseasoned side – the loss of players to the AFL (and AFL/SANFL sides) – and the odd spot of bad luck.  But Senior Coach Matthew Lokan points out that that was then, and whilst we might have basically the same team, they are different players.  He, and we, expect something better and there is cause for optimism that we just might get it.

One thing all Glenelg fans out there can do – sign up!  Membership is cheap and SANFL games are great, far more satisfying than the AFL on multiple levels.  (There is a strong whiff of hypocrisy, confection, gaming and peptides about the Big Show these days.)   If you’re currently a ‘sleeper’, it is time to come out of the cold: go to the Club’s site and re-join!  The link is; http://www.glenelgfc.com.au/members

The AGM struck happier notes later in the night, however.  Gordon Anderson was honoured as A J Wadham Club Person of the year for his tireless photographic and other work on behalf of the Club.  Richly deserved by “Flash Gordon”, though I should add that Peter Cornwall might expect to receive the Club Person of the Century Award in due course for (among other things) his sterling recent work trawling the records to collate and honour every player in the Club’s history.

TozFlash

Zac Milbank was honoured with a 10 Years Service Award.  Zac’s incisive writing is well known to all football fans but he saves his best work for the Bays!

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But best of all, our friend and a fellow Vice President, Torrie Osborn, was conferred with Life Membership to the Glenelg Football Club.  To the uninitiated, it’s a bit like the Legion d’honneur or getting the frank for life.  To long-suffering supporters of the Tigers, it can seem like a life sentence.

Torrie’s association with GFC goes back to 1968, when he started playing with the Under 19s.  He starred for the U-19s in the 1969 Grand Final and has been a proud member since first joining in 1975.  He has served the Club, all the way up to Board level, and as marketing manager, he devised such innovations as the original Sponsorship Bonanza, the Bloodstock Stakes (which powers on to this day) and he resurrected the Tiger Lunches that continue to be very successful.  Along with Wayne Phillis, he managed to shill this writer into joining the Glenelg Vice Presidents Group back in the 1990s – which I have never regretted, although others may have!

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Torrie knows everybody and everyone knows him.  He is a man of strong convictions and plain speaking, and this night, he waxed lyrical in a fine, generous and entertaining acceptance speech.  This honour is richly deserved, and timely. Congratulations Torrie!

TOZPlaque

 

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