Director Report Alana Spicer

I don’t want to be cliche’ and say what a year 2020 has been, however I can’t help but ackno wledge what we have all achieved d uring such a year. Take Co rona virus, which has caused a lo t of p ain and sadness yet despite all of the ad versity we managed to get Fo o tball off the ground. Fo o tball was of course not the only p ositive, we learnt to spend time with our lo ved ones in whatever means p ossible whether it be in ho use party, zoom or d oing a d rive b y birthday p arty. We all made it work, if you were like me ano ther subscription was on the ho rizon. I watched everything from the greatest saves to replays of the Matildas p laying the wo rld cup . No t to mention the reaction videos to the successful wo rld cup b id. Exciting is an und erstatement.

Mo st of all there was a new no rm in f ootball. The Eng lish Premier leag ue trophy was lifted b y my b eloved Reds to a crowd-less stadium. On o ur level we had a o ne spectator rule. Kid s took b ackyard football to a who le new level b ecause they had more time to spend sho o ting o r saving g oals in-between the recycling b in and green bin. Our f o rtnightly meetings became our weekly meetings we had the flexibility of the web , Pjs o n the b o ttom and NFA top o n. This gave us a new enthusiasm to heal the wo rld no matter ho w hard the challenge, we could not solve them all b y ourselves. It to ok a village, p atience, passion and a love for o ur community and the g reat wo rld g ame. Our club co mmittees, p layers, carers, coaches, managers and parents became the village in which we co ntinually tried to protect, encourage and assist and at the same time aimed f o r new g oals. Our Clubs participated in online discussions, which gave us a reach we wouldn’t normally have. I have the p rivilege of being a p art of the Wellness Team to gether with my fellow d irectors Gail, Dianne and o ur amazing hard-working General Manager Linda. One step this area came in the shape of “Get healthy at work” scheme which provides our team initially with the b est tools to d eal with the concerns of Mental health, physical health and g eneral wellb eing of ourselves ind ividually and together through an online program that is b o th confidential and tailored to the individual. It is an aim in 2021 to b ring this program o r a similar p ro gram to our village. One of the biggest points this year is mental health, having mechanism in p lace that support no t alienate. Mental health is a to ugh subject to start a co nversation ab out but one that is extremely important. That’s why for us it is one of the major focuses for the wellness team this year and b eyond. Reg ard less of o ur backgro unds, motivators, friends, and family we all need a co nversation. So as we b ring 2020 season to an end, I am thankful for the unwavering commitment our vo lunteers have for o ur village and the people in it. Because without the village we d on't have f o otball. I am g rateful for my fellow directors and what they all bring to the table to make this association the b est it can be and more.

Most of all I’m grateful that we have each other. Let’s start a conversation in 2021.

Alana Sp icer NFA Bo ard Member