By JARROD POTTER
WHILE speccies and goals bring the crowds, it’s the hard work away from the field that ensures local football keeps on going.
Chris Swinburne personifies that hard-work off the ground to help keep Dandenong based St John’s Old Collegians Football Club ticking along.
She has toiled for the club across the last seven years and never asked for so much as a pat on the back, let alone winning the AFL’s 2015 Victorian Volunteer of the Year.
But her tireless work behind the scenes – working as club secretary, treasurer and a general committee member among countless other non-official roles since 2008 – were not overlooked.
Swinburne could hardly believe she won the award after a few boys at the club made sure her name was one of the nominees.
She was whisked away to the city for a three-day experience across the AFL Grand Final weekend last month – culminating in receiving her award on that illustrious Saturday before watching Hawthorn claim its third premiership in a row.
“The whole three days were brilliant,” Swinburne said.
“It’s really hard to put it into words – it’s fantastic and such an honour – it really is and I just don’t know how to describe.
“It certainly makes me feel appreciated which is always nice.”
She loves watching the JOCs run out in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, especially her son Glenn Costas, and seeing his recent success winning a flag and representing the association has been her fondest football highlights.
“They’ve done pretty well, but on the other hand we’ve had quite a few lows there as well,” Swinburne said.
“For me personally it was winning the 2011 premiership and in 2013 my son Glenn went over to Ireland to play Gaelic football and went over there with the VAFA, so I went over with my husband to watch him play that.”
It’s all about helping St John’s get on the park each week for Swinburne and she hoped more people would get into the canteens, join committees and generally become a greater part of their own clubs to help the local game flourish.
“I definitely always wanted to be involved – footy clubs need volunteers and we need a lot more,” Swinburne said. “I did it just to help the club out in generally, that’s what it is about – just helping the club and helping those boys get out there on the ground.
“That’s what you do it for … to help the boys.”
