Maria Ballestrin, one of the first people to work for the Adelaide Football Club in 1991, was awarded Life Membership this week. This is an edited version of her speech at the season launch...

“I would like to tell you how I came to be at the Adelaide Football Club, and share some of my recollections. In 1985 until 1990 I was employed by the SANFL on a casual basis, working in various areas.

During the 1980s there was an exodus of quality players to the VFL. In an attempt to stem the tide, in 1988 the SANFL introduced a Player Retention Scheme. The aim of the scheme was to provide financial incentives to top players to remain in South Australia. To raise this money, the Player Retention Lottery was introduced - it ran in 1988 and again in 1990. I was asked take charge of the lottery in both years. My commitment with the lottery finished in October 1990.

The SANFL and the AFL entered into a Licence Agreement on the 11 October and the Adelaide Football Club became well and truly alive. Bill Sanders was appointed as the General Manager in early November. His first official day was the 26 November. I wrote to Bill on the 17 November, in the hope of finding permanent work. I received a ‘thank you but no thank you reply’. I recently took out a copy of my letter, and I am not surprised I didn’t get a job, as I had addressed him as Mr Saunders - and if there is one thing Bill really hates - and that is not getting his name right.

Well, I wasn’t too worried! I was still on the SANFL books as a casual. My husband had a small potato farm off Port Wakefield Road Bolivar. November/December was harvest time and I used to help out.

It was the beginning of December when John Lyons from the SANFL phoned and asked if I was interested in working for a couple of weeks. He told me they were setting up this new club and needed someone to help answer the phones. As luck would have it, it was raining and we couldn’t get on the paddock, so I jumped at the chance to work. And as they say, the rest is history.
 
Just to give you an insight on how quickly things were moving, I have a copy of the quote for the Atco Hut which was dated 14 November. The quote was accepted on the 16 November. So by the beginning of December the structure was in place. The Atco Hut was a 12 x 12 metres Used Office and Toilet complex with reverse cycle air conditioners, carpet etc. And very thin walls.

I arrived for work with tradesmen still running around, I promptly sat at reception and rolled up my sleeves. Mark Colley came across from the SANFL with his Secretary Samantha Richards and took charge of the Commercial Operations. Knuckles Kerley was the Football Manager, and of course Graham Cornes was the Coach with Michael Taylor as his assistant.

Bill appointed his Secretary Di, and she started on 17 December. That made it a total of eight admin staff. We didn’t have a Finance Manager - he started on the 24th January, so John Lyons was looking after the finances. I was familiar with the SANFL accounting system, so I was able to help out in this area, as well as provide secretarial support to the football department.

As you can imagine it was a very hectic time, answering phones, balancing finances and looking after Cornsey and Kerls. In the first 6 months I used my own electric typewriter from home. There were more important things to think about. The most important of which was selecting our first squad. Around 60 to 70 players were invited to “try out” for the 52 spots. At the end of December when we were breaking for Christmas, we held a Players and staff BBQ at the West Lakes Canoe Club on Bower Road. That function has stuck in my mind. It was weird, you had all these little groups, Glenelg players, Norwood players and so on, they each kept to their own group and didn’t mix. They had been combatants and now they were all vying to be part of the same team. Before you knew it, it was the 1st February, we played a trial game against Essendon, and the face of Football in South Australia changed forever!

I was still on the SANFL payroll. Bill asked me if I would like to remain with the Club and on the 18th February 1991 I officially became an employee of the Adelaide Football Club.

In March 1992 we moved from our makeshift Atco Hut to a solid building. I finally had an office. I was no longer receptionist but worked for the Football and Finance departments.

We kept expanding and about 1996 I had to make a choice - Football or Finance. I chose Football. In the early years I would type up the forward scout’s reports. Cornsey would prepare a pre match dossier which contained game plan, strategies, set plays, opposition players’ reports. The players were expected to read this.

Graham, do you remember what method you used to see if the players had read your report? It was “Spot the typo”, the winner would get a chocolate! Mark Bickley, used to get all the chocolates in the early days. Mark told me the other day that he felt sorry for the skinny kid from Rostrevor College so he stopped putting up his hand. On Mondays there would be the post match review and the individual player reports to be typed. Recruiting operatives would fax in their reports and I would enter them into the system.

Well, technology has evolved and so has footy. It means that we now work smarter. Reports are lodged electronically, players log in and watch their individual game etc. When there are changes to schedules we no longer have to ring each individual. Now, in next to no time, we send a text message to the whole group. The changes have been amazing.

We outgrew our offices and in October 1998 we moved again into our current building. In 20 years, I have worked with 1 Finance Manager, (albeit only for a few years), 5 Senior Coaches, (they’re easy to name), 15 Assistant Coaches, (I can remember them all), 2 GM Football Operations, 4 Football Managers, 1 Team Manager, 3 Recruiting Managers, numerous recruiting operatives, 6 Forward Scouts, and last but not least, out of some 216 players who have been on our list,

I have had the pleasure of witnessing the 175 players who have debut for our club. Most if not all, have at some stage crossed my office door.

There are many stories I could tell, but what happens on the field stays on the field.

Life Membership is not something you aspire to, but it is the ultimate in recognition for the passion and commitment over the last 20 years.

Thank you.”