Fond memories … Williamstown Football Club president Trevor Monti hosted his last lunch at the portable social rooms. 51742 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Michael Esposito
WILLIAMSTOWN’S final home game of the season marked the end of an era – and the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
It marked the last time a president’s lunch will be held at the makeshift social rooms.
For 10 years, two small, portable rooms have been the social hub of the Williamstown Football Club. Those rooms are due to be removed today, as the club prepares for a multi-million dollar redevelopment, which will see a new multi-purpose entertainment room, new grandstand, top-of-the-range fitness facilities and a one million litre underground tank.
Seagulls president Trevor Monti said he was excited by the refurbishments, but observed a tinge of sadness at the removal of the rather unsightly portable rooms which contained so many fond memories.
“That’s two little portables put together out of sheer necessity,” Monti said. “The facilities are, and have always been, very rough, but our supporters, members and sponsors, have accepted that and they’ve come here.”
“We’ve had some enormous lunches in that room with a lot of excitement, a lot of fun, a lot of entertainment and a lot laughter. We’ve had a lot of gatherings with pretty important and esteemed speakers.”
Some of those speakers included former Victorian premier Steve Bracks (twice), Olympic gold medal swimmer Grant Hackett, golfer Brett Ogilvy and several football greats such as Kevin Sheedy, Mick Malthouse, Nathan Buckley and Bob Skilton. But the most memorable guest was Australian Test cricket captain Ricky Ponting, purely because of the amount of people he attracted.
“We had 400 people there, it was amazing. We’ve had big Jack Elliott come and entertain us, two Supreme Court judges, there’s been so much fun to come out of those two little portables,” Monti said.
“In one way it will be quite sad, but on the other hand, it’s going to be very exciting that we’re going to have a room which will comfortably seat 260, with views all around the bay across to the city and Dandenong, in a first-class restaurant setting.”
Williamstown’s players will not be able to train on Burbank Oval during the finals, and will have to find alternative grounds to play at next year as the oval is upgraded.
The Seagulls will be training at the Whitten Oval twice a week and at Crofts Reserve every Wednesday for the rest of the season.
The oval will be sown with drought-proof grass and a million-litre water tank will keep the oval green all year round, with enough water to nourish surrounding parks and reserves.
