Our final newsletter for Season 2022 is available here: Thanks for a Great Season 2022

From the President
Season 2022 was the first full season of football after two seasons impacted by the COVID pandemic. It was great to see people back out and about and have a full season of football. There were still some confidence issues from COVID that impacted the club. These were:

  • A drop in registrations due to fear of potential impact to the season again, and
  • A lack of corporate confidence reflected in sponsorship being down.

Both these had an impact on income at the club. This forced a sharp focus on what revenue we had and where we should use it. The audited accounts for the season will shed light on income and expenditure for the season. This report will highlight the major areas of work of the club for Season 2022. 

The highlight of football for Season 2022 was our Women’s division 2 team winning the Premiership. Well done to the girls and their coaching group.  This was the first-ever Women’s premiership for the club. I wish to single out Jed Corbett, the team coach, for his great work and Mark Carroll for the untiring, selfless work he does for Women’s football at the club.

Otherwise, on the field, it could be said to be a below-par season for the club. The only other team to make finals was the Men’s Premier Reserve Grade. Unfortunately, they were rolled out in round 2 of the finals by the eventual premiers, St George.  Although disappointing for all, I thank David Pinker for his excellent work with this group.

After 10 years as the Premier Division coach, Chris Yard stepped down at the end of Season 2021. His assistant coach, Ben Roberts, stepped up to be the Premier Division and Club coach. Ben brought a new game plan and a new philosophy of development to the club.  The number of players through the Premier and Reserve grade teams reflects the enhanced focus on development at the club. I believe this development is positioning us better for future success at the Demons.

This season we were able to provide a Player Development and a Coaching Development program. External providers were engaged to provide higher-level development. This included Mark McVeigh (Ex Pennant Hills players, Essendon Great and GWS Head Coach), Condor Performance (Sports Psychologist), Andrew Miedler (Blanchard International – leadership development), Carlingford Active Health (Physiotherapy)  and CSP  (Strength and Conditioning). There were also skills, tactics and nutrition instruction provided.

We also recognised the need to run a thorough player welfare program as we all emerged from the COVID isolation. We are thankful to Gotcha4 Life and Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman for the delivery of these sessions.

I am very grateful for our sponsors for Season 2022 that allowed us to deliver the above programs and provide coaches, equipment etc, to put teams on the field each week. Thank you to our Major Sponsors, Pennant Hills Toyota and Ritera Electrical. Also, thank you to Eylex Pty Ltd, SDS Security, West Pennant Hills Sports Club, Peter Kelly Flooring (PKF), Cosmo Coffee and Good Drinks. Without these sponsors, we could not be the successful community club we are.

Todd Williams – Pennant Hills AFL Club President
Presentation Day Awards 2022
We recently held our Presentation Day in the clubrooms, where the 2022 Award Winners were announced and handed out. 
Vote counts from the last few rounds certainly added suspension in the announcement of Best & Fairest and Players Player, with coaches then delivering their team awards.
Congratulations to all the award winners. To view the full list of award winners, visit our website here: 2022 Award Winners

2023 Registrations & Fees

Registrations are now open for Season 2023 through PlayHQ. As an existing/returning Club player, when you register this season, you will need to claim your 2022 profile.

Please register now to help the club with team nominations. For more information about the registration process and to register, click the link here: Register for Season 2023

Fees for 2023 are as follows:

  • $500 for Open Age Grades
  • $300 for U19 Players
  • $250 for Masters Players
  • $250 for Player Life Members

AGM & Committee Positions
PHAFL AGM Notice

The 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Pennant Hills Australian Football Club Inc. will be held at 7.30 pm on Monday 12th December 2022 at the Community Clubrooms, Mike Kenny Oval, Shepherds Drive, Cherrybrook, 2126. 

The business to be considered at the Annual General Meeting will be:

• Receive the annual report of the committee
• Receive the annual accounts, balance sheet and financial statements
• Election of Office Bearers for season 2023
• Life Membership
• General Business

To view vacant positions on the committee and their descriptions, click here: Notice of AGM & Committee Positions

Player Sponsorship Opportunity

A great way to help your club is to get your employer to sponsor you as a player. For $1,000 they will pay your registration fee and donate $500 to the club to aid us in providing our programs for Season 2023. 

Your employee will be provided with a copy of the weekly club newsletter, which will include their logo and company promotion (please ask them to provide if they would like something specific) and will be included in the newsletter throughout the season with a player highlight on yourself.

For more information, visit our website here: Player Sponsorship Opportunity

Seeking Paid Position of Canteen Manager

We are seeking a canteen manager for Season 2023. This position will be paid $650.00 each home round weekend (9 of these throughout the season).

They will be responsible for ordering the food required for the weekend, organising its delivery and storage, establishing canteen services for the weekend and allocating tasks to the volunteers for the effective running and cleanup of canteen services on the home game weekends.

For more information or to apply for the role, email info@phafl.com.au
Liv Morris selected in the 2023 NAB AFLW Academy Squad

Congratulations to Liv Morris, who was recently selected in the 2023 NAB AFLW Academy Squad!

Liv joins a list of 30 players who will participate in high-performance and personal development programs throughout the 2023 season and will be playing amongst the most talented 17-year-old footballers across the country. 

Through being selected Liv is eligible in the 2023 NAB AFLW Draft, following the 2023 NAB AFLW Season. This is the 6th annual intake for the AFLW Academy, both squads featuring players from every state and territory across Australia. 

The 2023 NABAFLW will commence with a camp in January, which will be followed by camps and a match in April and June. 
Stephen Wray 2022 Phelan Medal

Throwback to earlier this year when Pennant Hills added their newest member to the Demon’s Phelan Medal club. Congrats, Stephen “Stinga” Wray

The Phelan Medal is an annual award given by the Sydney AFL. It is awarded to the best and fairest player of the Premier Division competition each year and is named after former NSW League official James E. Phelan (1860–1939). It is seen to be the Sydney AFL equivalent to the Brownlow Medal.

This year the award was won by four players, Stephen Wray (Pennant Hills), Jake Veale (North Shore), Mitchell Conn (UNSW), Noah Casalini (St George) who were all joint winners on 11 votes. 

This is Pennant Hills’ first Phelan Medal since Ranga Ediriwickrama in 2019. He becomes one of four active Phelan Medalists at the club: Matt King Carey, Kieran Wright, Ranga Ediriwickrama & himself.

Congratulations Stephen on a fantastic year!
Women’s Division Two Grand Final 2022 – A Moment of History!
(PH 3.3.21 defeated Penrith Rams 3.1.19)

In Season 2022, the Women’s Division Two side made Pennant Hills club history, becoming the first Demon Women’s side to win the Minor Premiership and then to be crowned Premiers by winning the Grand Final at Henson Park on Father’s Day, Sunday 4 September 2022.

Thank you to John Acheson, who wrote and compiled the following story, which recounts the day of the Women’s Division 2 Premiership, and saw the final score as Pennant Hills 3.3-21 defeated Penrith Rams 3.1-19.

Read a full recap of the game here: A Moment in History by John Acheson