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[Caveman]

The 2009 Annual General Meeting was held tonight at 417 Barkly Street - the Footscray Football Club's traditional home.

It was conducted in the big indoor gymnasium/ basketball court facility after a few years away at the Moonee Valley Racecourse. To get there you walk along a long corridor that goes on for quite some time. Builds up the suspense for when you arrive at the point of the meeting.

It was a placid affair, certainly different from the publicised Eastern Magpies 2009 AGM that was at the MCG, the night before.

Life Memberships were awarded to Mitchell Hahn, Lindsay Gilbee and Ryan Hargrave as well as some non players.

There were many presentations and awards, to add to the Life Memberships certificates.

There will be one new director replacing a departing one

OUT: Neil O'Keffee (spelling?)
IN: Geoff Walsh

An innocent question by Lindsay Gilbee some years ago amongst a group of blokes watching a foot race on the television was brought up. Apparently Lindsay Gilbee asked the other viewers what was the name of the race that they were watching? When told it was the Stawell Gift, he allegedly replied with "so where is it run?!!" He will have to live with and be reminded of that till the next solar eclipse of the sun- I believe they happen every 300 years or so (I remember the last one - it was W.S.Cox Plate day 1976 when Surround won it.)

Campbell Rose was happy with the way things are going but said how frustrated he was that both Melbourne and North Melbourne had more members than what the Western Bulldogs did this year. Campbell described both those teams as Melbourne and North Melbourne unlike President David Smorgon who on the very same point of them both having more members than us, refered to them as The Demons and The Kangaroos. Food for though there- the 'mediocre on the field' North Melbourne having more members than us- hmmm over to you Cam, a clever bloke like Campbell Rose would work that out -surely.

Everyone at the club is confident about 2010, then there were 3 questions at the end or rather 2 questions and a statement from the floor. The first question was from one member who wanted to know the clubs position on acquiring potential players who live locally that have recently arrived from the Horn of Africa region. David Smorgon called upon James Fantasia to return to the microphone and answer that question. The second question was about the football club position regarding the drafting arrangements for the new Gold Coast club.

The last question wasn't a question it was a statement by Irene Chatfield just as the meeting was about to be closed by David Smorgon. With people getting ready to jump up and make tracks, Irene gave her views on the further plans for the Whitten Oval at the Geelong Road End and how she has initially against it, but had now come around to the idea that this new project would be good for all concerned and that she agreed with David and the board

So there it was until the next one in 2010.