UTS Gridiron

Gridiron Australia and Senior Australian Head Coach Glenn Parke would like to announce those players from UTS selected for the proposed tour of the UK and France in July/August 2009.

• Jamie Weeks – Backs RB/FB
• Chris Snagg * – Defensive Back
• Steve Irvine – WR & Kicker
• Keith Watkins – Defensive Back
• Matt Steel – Offensive Line
• Orin Faison * – Defensive Line
• Viliami Folau – Defensive Line

* Players previously from other clubs prior to selection

The league has announced its 25th Anniversary Dinner.

When: Friday 21 November 7:00pm
Where: NSW Leagues Club, Phillip Street Sydney
Cost: $65 per person

Please RSVP and arrange payment to Matt or Porridge by Friday 14 November.

Emails have gone out to most of the Division One players this week.

Players; if you haven’t received your forum login info, please email me.

Non-player access is also available to current financial members of the club.

Hey guys. Here are a couple changes you might have noticed recently on our site.

ShareThis When viewing a news article (click on the title to view the article single page) there is now a green ShareThis button. Clicking the list opens up a list of popular websites, such as FaceBook and MySpace, which you can then post the article to. You can also send it via old school email for those of us who don’t believe in social networks (Porridge?).

Commenting While in there viewing single page news articles, you will also notice there is a comment form. Feel free to post your opinions on the latest news. Keep in mind though this is the public area of the site, available for everyone to see.

Search Box on the right hand side has been improved. This fixes third party cookies messages some people used to get when looking at the site. All cool now.

Forum It has been a long time coming this year, but will be available this week. Thanks for the patience. You will notice the links to the forum are available on this page, but go to a locked forum site. This year we’re taking a different approach and rather than a common “team password”, everyone will be given personal logons. Keep an eye on your inbox for your login info in the coming days. (Note: forum registration is intentionally disabled – you’ll be emailed at the email address on your rego form).

As always, if you’re interested in writing match reports for the club, contact Matt or myself for more info.

Also, check out the Gridiron NSW Podcast on the league website for the latest round highlights from the season.

If you need any help drop me an email.

For the rest of us who don’t have cable tv, Ten HD will commence broadcasting NFL games this season free-to-air. A high-def set top box is required, and probably calling in sick to work the next day, as most games are early morning Monday or Tuesday local time due to live coverage. Check out ten.com.au/tv_nfl.html for the latest schedule.

The UTS Gridiron website is currently being modified this week. Most of the changes will be done in the background, with minimal disruption for the main pages.

MyTeam login might not be available for a period while the maintenance is carried out. The forums are also getting an overhaul at the same time. Details regarding the new forums will be posted once all changes are complete, but just letting you all know your post-counts etc have already been backed up and saved.

If you experience problems using the site please let me know.

Refer to attached article to find our latest pin up boy for UTS Gridiron.

This was advertised in the Village Voice which is a magazine that is distributed in and around the Canada Bay Council.

It’s also good to see our resident photographer Scott get a bit of acknowledgment as well.

You can also read the article online.

There are plans to do the same over the next few months and I have already earmarked one of our Colts kids (Dane Ferraro) who has recently been selected on the Junior Australian Team that will be heading over to the US in August this year I think.

I also don’t have allot of time on my hands to administer these sort of things so if there is anyone within the club who is looking to take on what will be a new role being the “Media Liaison Officer” to coordinate these sort of things and other ways of advertising the club then drop me a line.

The position would not be an executive position within the club; it would simply be a committee member.

On behalf of UTS Gridiron we would like to congratulate the following the two players who have been selected on the junior “Outback” Australian Squad that will be touring the USA (West coast) in August of 2008.

Dane Ferraro – DB
Danny Noonan – QB/WR

The current executive has decided that this will be the best time to also hold its AGM before the Club Presentation.

So if there are any club members who are planning on making themselves available for any of the positions within the Club’s Executive this is the time to turn up. Even if you have no intention of running for of the spots but care enough about who is running the club then we expect you to be there because as club members of the club you all have a right to vote.

It will be held within the James Squire Brewhouse & Restaurant and will commence at exactly 1pm.

Just so you are all aware all current executive members stand down from there respective positions and have to renominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.

Positions within the club that need to be filled are:

• President – (Currently held by Matt Steel)
• Vice President – (Currently held by Simon Irrgang)
• Secretary – (currently held by Jason Whittaker who also vacated himself late in the year to move to QLD)
• Treasurer – (currently held by John Kritikos)
• ULO – (currently held by James Ellsmore)
• Registrations Officer – (currently held by Karolina Marciniak who also vacated herself late in the year to move to QLD)

If you are thinking of stepping up to assist then email president and request which positions you would perhaps be interested in. (I’m expecting a flood of emails as I know you all want to help).

On Saturday March 8th, I will be walking 70km around Haberfield / Five Dock ‘Bay Run’ to raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis.

A good friend of mine (Patrick O’Donovan) has organised this walk, and has asked for volunteers to join him. Against my body’s better judgement, I have agreed to walk with him.

If you would like to support this walk, please follow the link below to the sponsorship page (tick “70 km walkathon” and enter “Andrew Douglas”).

All donations over $2 are tax deductible, and all funds are greatly appreciated.

http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/nsw-communityfundraising/24hourwalkathon/

To give you an idea of the distance that we will each be walking (70km):

The distance between Sydney and Gosford is approximately 75km

The distance between Melbourne and Geelong is approximately 75km