Thank you, sponsors

SPONSORS are the backbone of any grassroots sports club, but the sponsors of the Darley Football Netball Club have endured more than most in recent years.

Despite multiple delays to the Darley Park Community & Sports Centre, the club’s loyal sponsors have stayed true, and Senior President Mark Shelly said the Devils were extremely grateful for their generous support.

“The dilemma was, from a financial perspective, was that our revenue raising was clearly impacted,” he said.

“We didn’t have anywhere to congregate for Thursday night dinners, or functions post-game. Particular functions we would normally hold like the Ladies Day and the Sponsor Luncheon were postponed, or didn’t occur.

“Our sponsors have been exceptional.”

The pavilion was funded in September 2020, with the old clubrooms demolished in January 2022, and the first sod turned on 2 March 2022.

It was originally scheduled for completion in November 2022, but it wasn’t until September 2023 that the keys to the pavilion were handed over.

Darley’s Sponsors Luncheon was held on Saturday 25 May, and Shelly said it was fantastic to finally be able to thank the Devils’ faithful backers for their generosity.

“At the Sponsors Luncheon I thanked them on multiple occasions for sticking fat with us, we made sure we were in constant communication with them,” he said.

“The comment I made at the luncheon was that we wouldn’t have a club, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in, if we didn’t have such loyal sponsors.

“In particular, a big thank you goes to our naming rights sponsor Rustel Construction, the Calleja Group as a corporate partner, Bacchus Marsh Golf Clubhouse, Keeman Solahart, and also Silverpeak Construction, who have come on-board as our naming rights partner for our women’s team.”

With the pavilion now almost nine months old, and the club having won plenty of silverware to start filling it last year, the future looks bright at Darley.

“The future is really exciting, there’s a real positive vibe around the place. People are enjoying being back around the club,” Mr Shelly said.

“We’ve now got a pavilion where we can congregate, and be together as a club.

“As a club, we’ve got to keep striving to give back to the sponsors as well. We want to make sure we’re continually being proactive, and striving to give back to the sponsors in any way shape or form.

“We certainly want to make it up to them in the coming years, given we had a couple of years where we couldn’t fulfil our obligations due to the pavilion delays.”