South Australian Pro Running - Sprinting & Middle Distance

Okay folks, moving on. After being rejected for a committee role and seemingly any other opportunity in the SAAL. This page will be deleted in 1 week, any other connections I have to athletics will also gradually be removed. Sorry I cant move forward if I still have friends or FB Pages related to athletics. Doing this I can remove the potential for interaction. I'm not going to go into further detail about this here, other than to say it is quite clear the new committee has no interest in engaging with any great enthusiasm if any at all or consider myself for any role within the SAAL. I have always remained an advocate for members being treated unfairly but now any issues need to be directed to the committee member responsible. Done, thanks all.

Congratulations to Leon Burckhardt appointed to Bay Sheffield Event Manager. This is a great appointment by the SAAL.

With new personnel on the SAAL committee members should feel comfortable to engage with the committee directly. The past needs to be kept in the past, while this might be more difficult for some, we need to be positive about the direction in which the new committee and support staff will take the league. If anyone still feels unhappy and still feels they cant engage directly with committee or the office you can message here privately and I will be more than happy to take it to them anonymously.

Just a reminder for anyone that engages in discussion here to do so respectfully. Comments of a personal nature will be removed, 3 strikes and you are out.

Interesting that 2 positions have now been vacated on the SAAL committee. How did the VP come to the conclusion he couldnt work with the new President and committee? Well its a good thing, it allows more fresh faces to jump onto the committee, no doubt with more input and ideas which is exactly what is needed. This will be a win win for members.

Great news to hear the Bay Sheffield will return to Colley Reserve this year where it should be for 2 days on the 27th and 28th of December.

The Washup

Well the AGM was certainly an interesting long night. Kym Steer was elected 38 to 36.
It did show Colin did have good support but also shows how divisive things are.
I respect Colin for his willingness to have a go and acknowledge he would have done everything he felt was right, I think at the end of the day it shows he just didnt engage well enough with a greater majority of the members. He took it hard so I think we now need to give the guy a break (understandably not easy for some), thank him irrespective and now move forward in a positive way.

Congratulations to Kym, he and his newly formed committee have alot of work ahead of them. I thought Kym handled the situation as it evolved last night very well under unusual circumstances.
Newly elected committee members are Sarah Manning and Gordon Brimble, with Phil Dawes re-elected. They join Mark Barnett VP, Terrance Carter and Frank McHugh.
Kym is well aware of the items of issue, we hope those elected can work through the issues to the satisfaction of the greater member base.
On Talking Pros I think we now need to wait and see, allow the processed to unfold. I think there is now a great opportunity to vastly improve the SAAL.
From a personal perspective, seems like I was targeted in the speech by Colin without mentioning my name. Now thats his and anyone else opinions of me (which is perfectly fine) and my approach to the problems not just as I saw it but as so many athletes and coaches frustrations were asked of me. My intentions have always been to assist some way to help. Something needs to be done was a constant request.
Now I have mentioned before we had initially good dialog with Colin, it soon ended after coping abuse in an aggressive phone call he made to me. It did not offend me but it became a situation where dialog was no longer useful or listened to, so it was gloves off, keep ignoring the issues and I'll keep raising them.
So like me or loathe me for this thats your interpretation and thats fine too.

Now its time to move forward in a positive way as I mentioned. I'll do what I can to help the SAAL grow in a positive way as best as I can. I hope others that have assisted in attempting to change the ways of the previous committee do the same.

I think you find those newly elected committee members will be far more engaging so give them a go, speak to them directly to get a preferred outcome.

Not long until the AGM. Its going to be tight. If you want the Bay Sheffield at Colley over the 2 days, if you want more quality events, more prize money and better value then vote for Kym Steer. If you more of the same, fewer meets, less prize money, DQ's then vote Colin.
If you are an official I'd ask you to vote for the athletes, vote for what they want not what you want. Its overwhelming what the athletes want and its what Kym Steer will deliver. We respect the officials but this decision needs to be about the athletes which results in the betterment of the SAAL.
Without the athletes the SAAL doesnt exist, we need to bring back fairness, bring back respect and listen to the athletes.
Dont let this be a missed opportunity.

Just a quick mention on the AGM start time, its at 7pm not 7:30. Please make the effort to attend and vote for a positive change, bring back the Bay Sheffield to Colley Reserve this season for 2 days 27th and 28th bigger and better. More to come from Kym Steer over the next few days.

With the AGM just over 1 week away on Tuesday next week, there is a clear choice to make. Hopefully we can get as many members to the AGM as possible and vote for new committee members and a new President.

Another nomination will be submitted to the SAAL for the upcoming AGM.

11th June 2022

South Australian Athletic League
Nomination for Committee Member Representative

My name is Shane Grimwade, at the next upcoming AGM I am seeking members support and vote for a committee position.

I have extensive business knowledge running my own successful, ever growing family business for over 20 years, now the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. With almost 35 years in business management, including advertising, Myob Accounting, national and international sales with extensive online and website management.
As an athlete I have been involve at some capacity with both ASA and the SAAL for 20 years. In Athletics SA I am grateful to have won numerous Over 35 and Over 50’s state and Australian Masters championships in sprints. In the SAAL winning numerous sprint events, most memorable is the 120m open Port Adelaide Gift and the 200m Bill Ross Memorial at Flinders.
At Tea Tree Gully Athletics Centre I have sat on the seniors committee, briefly as seniors President. I was also co-ordinator for the Tea Tree Gully SAAL meet for several years. During my time as an athlete and to this day continue to coach sprint athletes at Tea Tree Gully.
For several years in the SAAL I had been handicapper for the over 35’s which I thoroughly enjoyed.
As and advocate for fairness I have been in constant contact with SAAL members past and present. My focus on the committee will be to seek the fairness for all members they rightly deserve. Key will be to mend the divisiveness, bring back the Bay Sheffield to its rightful location bigger and better, push for better outcomes in handicapping and offer my experience to make the SAAL great again.