THERE’S nothing better than a bit of good, old-fashioned country hospitality.
Ouyen United rolled it out in spades at Blackburn Park last weekend when they hosted the opening round of the SFNL finals series.
It was the first time the Kangas have had a final since joining the league in 2016, but it certainly won’t be the last judging by the feedback from supporters who made the trip down the Calder.
Everything from the homemade sandwiches to the manicured playing surface ticked all the boxes.
But what else would you expect from a club as professionally run as Ouyen United?
Still, it takes a massive effort to host a final.
It’s not a matter of just turning up on a Saturday morning, stacking the bar, lining the ground and giving the changerooms a quick sweep.
The co-ordination and man hours required to successfully run these types of days is enormous.
I know a small army of volunteers had been working for weeks preparing for last Saturday.
You just can’t make these days happen overnight, you need everyone rallying together.
And that is exactly what Ouyen and the surrounding communities did.
They all pulled together to make sure everything ran seamlessly.
It was the perfect start to the SFNL finals series and I’m sure league officials would be rapt with what they saw last Saturday.
If what Ouyen United delivered is what we can expect for the remainder of the finals, then it’s going to be a great experience for everyone.
It’s Irymple’s turn today and I’m sure they will be pulling out all stops to put on a top day.
President Dennis Mitchell and his team would have been planning for weeks to ensure the second semi-final goes off without a hitch – it’s just what they do.
They roll up their sleeves and get on with the job – it’s the way people in the country do things.
It’s why we should take our hats off to all the clubs and their loyal band of volunteers who spend hours behind the scenes ensuring supporters have a great day.
Of course the reason we all go to the footy and netball is to watch the game, but sometimes I think we take it for granted how much work goes into putting these events on.
So maybe this weekend, when you are standing in line at the canteen or waiting to buy a refreshment from the bar, spare a thought for the person serving you.
I’m sure they’d probably prefer to be watching the game with the rest of us, but if it wasn’t for these volunteers, a day out at the footy and netball wouldn’t be the same.
