Longwood Football Netball Club celebrated one of its biggest victories of the season, welcoming Collingwood great Peter Daicos and AFL commissioner Andrew Newbold for a special President’s Luncheon on Saturday 18 July. The event attracted 110 people and raised much-needed funds to support the Longwood community as it continues recovering from the devastating bushfires. Six months after the fires destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings, the luncheon provided residents with an opportunity to reconnect, share stories and enjoy some welcome relief. Longwood Football Netball Club’s Rick Shiner said the event was a major success, with the club’s main hall filled for the occasion. “The event came together very well, with the main hall full and 110 people in attendance,” Shiner said. “Having two guest speakers with two very different standings in the game was a huge drawcard.” Newbold reflected on his time as Hawthorn president, including the club’s famous premiership three-peat and the challenges it faced during his time at the helm. Daicos entertained the crowd with stories from his celebrated playing career and spoke about the opportunities football had provided him. “Andrew was exceptional discussing his time at the helm of Hawthorn over its recent three premierships and the issues that confronted himself and the club,” Shiner said. “Peter had a number of funny stories around his time in the game and the opportunities it did, and still does, give him.” The luncheon also included an auction featuring a Collingwood jumper signed by members of the Daicos family. Organisers hoped the event would contribute towards almost $100,000 being raised for the town’s recovery, with tens of thousands of dollars generated for the local community. Shiner said the strong attendance demonstrated the importance of sporting clubs in small communities, particularly during difficult periods. “The key takeaway was how important community clubs and sport are, from the smallest communities to the largest,” he said. “The standard of football and netball doesn’t define us. "The standards we set off the field and court do.” After hosting the Melbourne Cup tour, Winning Edge presentations and Saturday's luncheon, Longwood will turn its attention to its season vote count at the Peppermill on Saturday night.
