Two of South Barwon’s favourite sons, Cats defender Tom Stewart and soccer stalwart Dave Rea, have teamed up to launch the 2019 Geelong Club Legend Awards.
Barwon Soccer Club president Dave became Geelong’s Club Legend last year, winning $5000 and another $5000 for the team he founded 26 years ago.
“That’s probably what we’d get from a major sponsor – that’s a massive amount of money,” he said.
The money could go towards the club’s upcoming renovations or equipment for kids, Dave said.
He was “extremely surprised” and “embarrassed in a good way” when he won last year.
“I had no idea I would win, there were so many great people nominated,” he said.
He urged Geelong’s sporting clubs to nominate a volunteer who goes “above and beyond” for the chance to share in $55,000 of prize money.
“It’s a big honour to get nominated,” he said.
“It’s good for morale and that people at the club are looking at the volunteers thinking they do a worthwhile job.“
After migrating from Northern Ireland Dave founded Barwon Soccer Club in the early ’90s for his children, who were playing indoors.
So began a decades-long slog playing at venues with no change rooms and running school clinics to interest local kids in soccer.
“We probably moved about five times over that 26 years and it’s only been the last 10 years since we’ve been at Grovedale Reserve,” Dave said.
Dave has served as president and “everything else” at the club, which now has 450 players.
“Now we’ve just got so many kids wanting to play we don’t want to go out to the schools,” he said.
Stewart is this year’s Club Legend ambassador after impressing fans with his skills, sportsmanship and footy brain since Cats legend Matthew Scarlett discovered him at South Barwon Football Club.
Dave described the All Australian back pocket as a “genuine guy and easy to get along with”.
They joined inaugural 2017 winner Roger Allen to launch this year’s Viva Energy Club Legend.
This year’s awards feature top prizes of $5000 each for a male and female volunteer over 35 and their club.
The awards also have Trailblazer prizes of $2500 each for a male and female aged 16 to 35 and their club, and a People’s Choice award of $2500 each for the winner and their club.
Ten remaining finalists will win $1000 for themselves and their club. Nominations for the award opened on Tuesday and close on 23 July. To nominate or find out more visit clublegend.com.au online.
The Geelong Indy is a sponsor of the Club Legend awards.
