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From the Club President

As we listen to the medical advice and await updates from the VAFA about a football season in 2020 the Committee has begun ‘future planning’ for a return to football for our 9 teams.

Our Vice Presidents of Football Peter McKenzie and Marty O’Driscoll are communicating with coaches to develop a 3-4 week implementation plan which will enable the club to ‘crank up’ our operations quickly. Club Treasurer Dom Barker has begun financial modelling for what a 9 week season might look like in terms of our costs and expected revenue.

We are all living with uncertainty and anxiety because the orderly procession of everyday has been dislocated. With schools closed, restaurants and cafes shut, community sport canceled and the roads and footpaths virtually empty our everyday routines have drastically changed. We are mindful that living in social isolation can cause distress and affect people’s wellbeing.

In this edition we have included the 2020 Mazenod OCFC Wellbeing framework designed by our Wellbeing Steering Group of Molly Noone, Simon Hall, Alanna Accarito, Michael Scammel, Jo Noone and Daniel Hayes. We are so thankful for their magnificent contribution to the Nodders and our great community.

For the last month Mazenod OCFC has been staying connected with our thousand Facebook followers, players, sponsors, past players and families with a targeted campaign to keep people connected and engaged. This has involved great work from our Communications team, our coaches, and our leaders. This has involved

• Best players quizzes on social media from the Past Players association
• Club 18 Coach Tom De Young’s hilarious Club 18 Match day parodies
• Senior Coach Dylan Cousins regular One on One calls with players
• Virtual trivia nights in playing groups
• Guest appearances from the fancy dress Godfather Paul Deegan in the senior women’s social media group
• Girls completing the fitness program together over ‘zoom’
• ‘Gaming’ teams playing off against each other
• The family dance off challenge with the Women’s program
• And much more

Thanks Victoria Police.. we are thinking of you

Our thoughts are with all Mazenod’s current and former members of Victoria Police after the shocking news of four Victoria Police officers killed in the line of duty. In the last forty years we have been so fortunate to have over 20 police officers play, coach and support Mazenod OCFC. Their experience and values have helped shape the character of our great club and I have personally watched them work in the background to help and lead our players in such profound ways. We are so proud of our Victoria Police connection and we sincerely thank them for their service to the people of Victoria.

Virtual Social Function: Saturday 23 May

Stay tuned: our amazing Social Committee led by Sam Deegan are planning are Virtual Club Function which involve small groups happy hours, followed by team trivia and a few other surprises. Keep the date free and join in when the invitation comes your way..

Interview with Josh Webster – MOCFC High Performance Manager

Can you tell us about your background and how you became involved in this space?

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Science majoring in Exercise Physiology. Became involved in the club firstly as a player playing in the colts premiership in 2014 before being asked by previous senior coach Ben Phibbs I then took on the role in an official capacity in 2018 and been around ever since.

What is something not many people know about you?

A lot of people know I play squash but when I was a young teenager, I played in a Junior Australian Open Championship down at Moorabbin.

Can you explain what you have put in place to support the players?

At the moment the players across all teams have been given running and injury prevention programs as well bodyweight circuits focusing on both strength & power to complete in their own time whilst in isolation. These can all be completed at home & surrounds without the need for spending any money on equipment.

Do you see a link between physical and mental health?

Massive link! Anyone that knows me, knows how passionate I am about mental health and the importance of keeping healthy & active. Exercise helps stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals within the body called endorphins which relieve your perception of pain. These neurotransmitters are associated with that feeling known as “runners-high” which you experience after you physically exert yourself.

What advice would you give to those looking struggling to find fitness motivation without footy?

Set goals! With no start date in site (yet!) it can be quite hard to keep motivation. Setting SMART goals in this period is a clever way to give yourself something to aim for. Whether it’s getting under 4:30min/km for X amount of k’s, losing a couple kilos or riding X amount of k’s in an hour, get specific with your goal and when you hope to achieve it.

Once football is (hopefully!) announced to recommence this year, what should players do to prepare?

It’s extremely important not to go from 0 to 100 as this will put you at the greatest risk of injury. Keep doing the work you are being provided as this gradually builds throughout the program. Just as vital is completing the prehab programs as these also reduce those injury risks associated with inactivity or a higher load. The program hopefully has enough variety in it, but if you need to, mix it up! Remember that anything is better than nothing and hopefully we’ll be out on Central together later in 2020!

‘Some tips for parents during these challenging times…’ by Dave Munro Mazenod College Psychologist

Please find below a list of the most commonly recommended ways in which parents can support young people:

• A great staring point is to look after yourself, because it is very hard to care for others when you are struggling
• It is important to reassure others through the way we behave.  Thus, we are encouraged to monitor our own anxiety levels and to remain calm around young people
• Check-in with your children to get a sense of what they are hearing and how they are feeling
• Reassure them that this is a temporary situation and that you are going to be by their side in their journey
• Encourage young people to think about what they can do to manage their situation (e.g. healthy and helpful strategies and activities)
• Given that the media is dominated by the catastrophic effects of Coronavirus, we can all become overwhelmed.   In light of this, it is recommended that young peoples’ exposure to the news be limited
• Maintain a good routine
• Make plans and engage in activities (e.g. exercise)

Got any pictures or videos from Home? 

Send them through to admin@mazenodfc.com.au! We'd love to hear from you!

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