Club updates
Winter Is Coming

Nights are dark but the weather has been very mild and thankfully dry. This has taken a toll on the main pitch as it needs the autumn rain to grow its protective over sewn rye. This will result with fewer junior games being played on the grass and reduction in training allocations. Thankfully we have our synthetic pitches to fall back on although space is at a premium as the Club is nearly at capacity.

We have made it through grading with only one team needing to be moved. Well done to all our coaches, old and new for getting of to a flying start. It is very noticeable that Mooroolbark has such a huge team of dedicated and skilled coaches and team managers. Barkers are the envy of most club's in the state and it is because of the dedication of our people that we have.
Behind the scenes the committee has been working with council to sign a new lease. the new lease comes with a significant increase in cost. From financial year 24/25 the club will be contributing ~$9,000 annually, towards synthetic pitch maintenance and and additional ~$10,0000 annually, for the resurfacing of the synthetic pitches in 10 years time. This significant increase of cost means it is more important than ever that we get volunteers behind the Little Kennel Canteen as much as possible, we drive attendance at Club functions like Ladies Day and Bogan Bingo.

This year we have increased our numbers currently we have:

214 MiniRoos Players
174 Juniors Players
117 Adults Players
6 Social members

In total 812 members, parents and staff for 2024 What a massive achievement


Sponsorship

Club sponsorship, we need you!.
Club sponsorship is vital to our existence, as it helps cover the rising costs of running the club, including fees, leases, and other expenses. Together with our dedicated unpaid volunteers, we are thankful for the support of our current sponsors.
However, we always need more sponsorship to help the club run financially. Sponsorship strengthens the club and supports all players, including the development of children's football. The club urgently requires all parents and members to contribute to raising sponsorship funds, which are vital for the club's financial health. As part of our sponsorship campaign, the club will contact all members. We ask you to prioritise sharing our sponsorship details with your entire network. The club's survival hinges on the collective effort in this endeavor.
Expressions of interest in sponsoring Mooroolbark Soccer Club, please contact Head of Sponsorship (Andy Riley) today on 0417 566 919 or email sponsorship@thebarkers.com.au.

Thank you to all of our partner sponsors for season 2024. IXL Home, Precision Scaffolding, McDonalds Croydon, Angel Dental, Rampit, Fleet Plant Hire, Community Bank Mooroolbark, Sampes Pizza, Adriatic, William Matthews Funerals, Chemist Warehouse, Chirnside Park Country Club, Aaron Violi, Bridget Vallance, David Hodgett, Rover Mowers, Y & A Happy Cleaning, Mitre, Harvey Norman, Ilford, Schiller Electrical.

Please find our current sponsorship pack HERE


Committee Update

Welcome Darren Cooper.
Mooroolbark Soccer Club is delighted to announce Darren Cooper as the newest member of the General Committee. The club is excited to welcome Darren to the existing committee. With his extensive knowledge, Darren will be an invaluable asset to the club moving forward. Familiarly known as "Coops," Darren is well-acquainted with the club, having been a former player and officiated numerous games. He is often seen at the club on Saturdays, supporting his son John Paul Cooper, who plays in the senior men's squad, welcome aboard Coops.

Thank You James Campion & Peter Stephenson.
The club wishes to express its appreciation to James Campion for his committed tenure as treasurer. Although James has stepped down from this position, he will persist in his outstanding contributions to the general committee. We are also pleased to announce Peter Stephenson as the new Club Treasurer. Peter has been performing the duties of secretary since the previous year and will continue to manage both responsibilities until the appointment of a new club secretary is expected to be finalised very soon.

Thank You Mario Cauteruccio.
Mooroolbark Soccer Club extends a heartfelt thank you to club legend and lifetime member, Mario Cauteruccio. For the past 11 years, Mario has played a pivotal role in the committee and the establishment of the successful junior barkers football program. Despite stepping down from the committee at the last AGM, he continued to contribute significantly as the Junior Boys Coordinator for the junior teams. Mario will be taking a short break from his coordinator responsibilities. We are grateful for his dedication and look forward to seeing him at the Kennel soon.

Thank you to our General Committee & Departments. The club would like to extend a huge shout-out to our general committee members for their hard work and efforts in preparing teams for the 2024 season. In particular, a heartfelt thank you to:
Admin and Registrar
Anna Wheeler for her relentless hours and dedication to the registration of players with MSC and Football Victoria. Peter Stephenson for steeping into the void firstly as Secretary and now as Treasurer. Also thankyou to Anna, Laura Campion and Lisa Cauteruccio our triumphant Team Manager Coordinators
Merchandise and Equipment
Our gratitude also goes to Laura Campion, James Campion, Lisa Cauteruccio and Micka Orlando for organising all the merchandise for our junior and senior teams.
Football Department
Mario Cauteruccio, Reuben Clausen, Micka, Liam Ryan, Yan Christoforou, Trent Hardcastle and Garry Buglass lead by Stuart Milne make up our football department and after one of the biggest preseasons
Hospitality
To Pam Karsai, Kyle Docherty, and Paul Meliak, thank you for your contributions to hospitality, the bar, and canteen services, and for the remarkable improvement in the junior canteen which has thrived in such a short time.
Grounds and Facilities
To James Sketchley, Stuart Milne, Nick Jones, Stephen Milne, Tom Greenwood, Paul Jamieson and Scott Hartshorn, thank you for managing all facility-related tasks, from scoreboards and scaffolds to marking pitches each week.
Social Media and Marketing
Thank you to Kerianne McCall, Liam Ryan, Stuart Milne for all things communications and socials including Barkers TV.

The General Committee has reached a robust membership of 15 individuals, which will further enhance the management of our esteemed club. If you are interested in joining the committee or assisting in any department, please reach out to us at info@thebarkers.com.au.

The Mooroolbark Soccer Club's Annual General Meeting is scheduled for early August 2024. Please keep an eye on Sports Plus and our social media channels for more details in the coming weeks.

Coaches conference and Team Manager Season Launch

The coaches conference was held at the end of April and it was amazing to see so many faces in attendance some new and some not so new but much older now.
On the Agenda:

Team Photos Fundraiser is Coming

More info coming to your team shortly.

https://www.halftimephotography.com.au/

Junior Canteen

We need your help!!

We are giving 2 lucky volunteers the chance to win a child's fees for the 2025 season for free.

All you need to do is give up a couple of hours of your time in the Junior canteen, Senior canteen or the Senior bar on game days and you go into the draw. The more shifts you do the more chances you get.

Our lucky winners will be drawn at our end of season Christmas party. So get involved.

Female Football Week

During May, we celebrated Female Football Week, which honors the participation of girls and women in football. Mooroolbark Soccer Club is a staunch advocate for female involvement in the sport, from mini roos and juniors to the senior level. Witnessing the club's expansion from a handful of teams to becoming one of Victoria's largest female participation clubs with over ten female teams has been remarkable.
We would like to thank all of our Coaches, Team managers, Co-Ordinators, members and volunteers including partner sponsors for their support.
Our female program is one that is becoming more competitive across the leagues, the future is bright.

Ladies Day

Bogan Bingo

That's how we describe it. One Bingo caller calls out the numbers and his budding DJ play songs from the 80’s and 90’s that rhyme with those numbers. Throw in some jokes, tributes and spontaneous air guitar competition and you’ll soon see why Bogan Bingo is awesome.

1 June 2024

7pm Start

Drinks at bar prices - bogan drink specials all night

BYO nibbles

Buy a single ticket for $20 or a table of 10 for $180

https://shop.thebarkers.com.au/product/BarkersBoganBingo/615

Reminders

Reminders As the season progresses it is important to remind our players, members and volunteers of our responsibilities when it comes to behaviours on and off the pitch. We ask all members to refresh themselves with out code of conduct polices and newly created general information pack which will help every member throughout the season.

Safety Comes First