Chairman Shane Candappa with guest Graeme Davies and President David Proposch
 
     Chairman for the evening, Shane Candappa introduced the guest speaker for the evening Graeme Davies from the Drouin Football Club.
     Graeme spoke of the very rich history of the Drouin Football Club and the challenges it has faced and overcome in the past, as well as the significant challenges it currently faces in attracting young local footballers and achieving on field success in its current League.
     Graeme first became involved with the Football Club in 1973 and was a player and committeeman until 2000, when he moved interstate for 15 years.
     On his return to Drouin in 2015 he renewed his association and work for the Club.
     Graeme spoke with pride that they always strive to be a family oriented place with a welcoming environment for players and families.
     He said that like all sporting teams there were periods of great success and times of disappointment however the environment around a club, regardless, was more important.
     The Drouin Club has produced some wonderful players both local identities and in the VFL/AFL. Names such as Leon Rice, Gary and Geoff Ablett started at Drouin and went on to have stellar careers in the big time.
     Many of those present well remember the old “big barn” change rooms at Drouin which, with some modifications, became a social room for supporters, players and families after matches.
     An uninviting and difficult to maintain social facility it was decided in 1998 that a move be made to develop a sporting clubs social room.
     Many of Drouin’s sporting Clubs were invited to the initial meetings with a view to being involved, however over time the other organisations decided that the project was all too hard, or had little benefit to them and did not participate, leaving the Football Club to pursue the dream alone.
     Despite this and a distinct lack of encouragement from others in the community, plans were drawn up, with the aid of Rotary’s own Gary Surman. A loan was achieved from a Bendigo bank, with 5 families acting as guarantors for $20,000 each and the project was underway.
     Graeme emphasised that the project could never been completed without community support in fundraising, providing labour, local business (some not so local), providing material and services at heavily discounted rates or often at no charge at all.
     The end result being a modern social facility that was opened in the year 2000, something that doom doomsayers said could never happen and something of which all involved are justifiably hugely proud.
     Currently the Drouin Club is struggling in the Gippsland League; on field successes have been few and far between in this League of which Drouin was a founding member.
     There are many reasons for this lack of competiveness but of course in the end it does come down to the players you put out on the field.
    The long distances to travel for away matches is a disincentive for players to join the Club and for supporters to follow the team and become financial contributors.
     Payments to players in other leagues are very high and well above what Drouin is able to pay at the moment, despite having an annual salary bill of well over $100,000 in 2016. It is reported that game payments to players in the Ellinbank League for example, can range into the area of $400 to $500 per game.
     Graeme’s own research indicates that some 94 players from the Drouin postcode are playing with other clubs in other leagues. Drouin currently cannot field a reserve grade team.
    The Club are looking to re-join the West Gippsland League to help with the travel component, however this has been rejected and an appeal is currently being lodged to this decision.
     Drouin is not the only country football club facing these issues particularly payments to players. Club amalgamations and closures are all too common.
     When one considers how sporting teams and football/netball clubs especially, are often the hub of a community for social gatherings, local pride and identity, not to mention providing sporting opportunities for young boys and girls, it is something that needs urgent attention before it is too late, as it is too late for many already.
     Graeme is still optimistic about the future of the Club and he believes that with community financial support and a properly targeted program to bring young footballers either back to the Club or to nurture up and coming youngsters to become players at the Club, then the Drouin Football Club can go forward.
     In thanking Graeme, Chairman Shane noted the passion that he openly displayed for the Drouin Football Club and that the Life Membership that had been awarded to him, was a very just recognition for the enormous amount of work and support that Graeme had given freely over many years.
     In the West Gippsland Football League/Association Drouin won 8 senior grade premierships in 1941, 1946, 1949, 1958, 1967, 1978, 1991-2. As Rotarian Ray loves to recount, in 1967 Drouin won all three grades and he played in the 3rd. grade under age Premiership.
     Formed in 1903 it has been affiliated with a number of Leagues and Associations most notably West Gippsland Football League (WGFL) 1941–1959, 1966–2001 and Gippsland Football League (GFL) 2002–2017, 1960–1965.