Greyhound club initiative wins award

BALLARAT Greyhound Racing Club has pocketed a major honour at the Victorian Greyhound Awards.

The club was the recipient of the club initiative of the year award for its collaboration with the Ballarat Eight-Ball Association.

Known as the home of Ballarat eight-ball, the club runs two weekly competitions on Monday and Wednesday nights, helping boost race night attendances on the latter and the club’s membership base.

Each player in the greyhound club’s 14 home teams becomes a greyhound club member, resulting in a boost of nearly 100 members.

Since dedicating space in the club’s refurbished racing room for eight-ball four years ago, the competition has grown to more than 20 teams, including visitors from Ararat, Maryborough and Rokewood.

“Four years ago we had three pool tables at the club, and now we have eight,” said BGRC general manager Jodie Faralla.

“We’ve grown the number of teams we have in the eight ball association competition on a Wednesday night. We’ve now got 14 home teams for the Ballarat greyhounds.

“We have those tables in operation on Wednesday nights – over four different divisions.

“That brings an extra 80 to 100 people to our race meetings on Wednesday nights.

“We also have a social competition on a Monday night, and once again all the tables are full.

“They (players) are of all different abilities; some have represented Australia internationally but come down and play on a Monday night and play against people like me, who really need to practice a lot more.”

The BGRC shared the award with the Shepparton Greyhound Racing Club, which was honoured for its vet clinic.

As well as the boost in the memberships, the eight-ball competition has increased bar and food sales, added to the atmosphere on race nights and created a revenue stream for the club on non-race nights.

Equally important as the financial benefits, the pool room has created a safe recreational space for people of all ages, with the player-base ranging from 16 to 80.

Leading from the front, the BGRC entered its own team in the Monday night competition as a staff bonding exercise, with what Faralla termed as mixed success.

The team includes track and facilities manager Shaun Boag, assistant track curators Peter Brennan and Cain Dyett and bar staff member Jen Reid.

“We wanted to show that we are very much a part of the community too,” Faralla said.

“We do tend to bring up the bottom of the ladder, but it’s just really good fun.

“Anyone can play pool; there are just those who can play it really well, but we love participating as a team.

“If anyone was to walk in off the street, the place has a really great vibe.

“There’s people there and a great environment and it certainly gets people along to the greyhounds.”

A successful industry awards night for the Ballarat club was capped with former club manager and industry stalwart Ron Hood’s win of the Ken Carr Medal.

The prestigious award recognises long-standing excellence and service to the industry.

Hood is the father of the current BGRC general manager Jodie Faralla, Melbourne Cup–winning trainer Seona Thompson and respected bank manager Carolyn Hood.