A Community of Saints 171212-Community-Book-digital-single-pages | Page 4

A message from Matt Finnis
Community has always been one of the cornerstones of St Kilda Football Club. We have a deep
connection to our community, from our birthplace at the Junction Oval in St Kilda to our spiritual home
at Moorabbin, throughout the broader bayside region and right across the country.
Through inspiring football, thriving community and fresh experiences that reflect the definitive spirit of
St Kilda, we aim to ignite a sense of belonging and reach people from all walks of life.
In the past 12 months, the Saints have reached more people than ever before through our community
football and community engagement programs and partnerships. Through close links with more than
150 schools in the Bayside region, and partnerships with community football leagues and pillars of the
talent pathway programs, St Kilda has engaged with more than 30,000 people this year.
In excess of 3,600 children took part in Saints’ football development programs, while more than 7,500
students participated in school visits. Over 3,375 Auskick participants and upwards of 3,500 junior
players at local football clubs took part in clinics with St Kilda staff and players in the last 12 months.
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We have also been busy away from the footy field, establishing new, and building on existing
partnerships and programs through Junction Studio.
The Play To Your Strengths program rolled out across schools in Bayside, encouraging young people to
embrace their individuality and value what makes them different. SaintsPlay allows children of all abilities
to take part in specially designed AFL programs, through empowering Bayside clubs and schools to
host inclusive football programs, as well as establish Auskick pre-learn days across the region. We also
continued to make game day a more inclusive event, adding captioning to the big screen and in an AFL
first, employing an Auslan interpreter to take the field with our on-ground emcee.
Our charitable partnerships have continued and strengthened this year, with many milestones reached.
We again hosted Maddie’s Match in support of Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, welcomed returned service
men and women through Solider On, re-enforced the value of the arts through The Song Room, raised
valuable funds for Sacred Heart Mission and sought to provide comfort and respite to children and their
families through the Trevor Barker Foundation supported by Challenge.
These relationships allow us to give back to some of society’s most deserving; shining a light on
those who need it most. The return to Moorabbin, our spiritual home, will enable us to strengthen our
connection even further in the future and ensure we continue to give back to the community in which
we belong.
MATT FINNIS
CEO, St Kilda Football Club