JUSTIN Balmer has a saying to sum up his achievements as president of the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League.
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“The league doesn’t end at Allansford.”
The words reflect his proactive approach to helping grow the competition during his 10 seasons an an executive member.
He was among officials who oversaw Kolora-Noorat and Timboon Demons joining the ranks in 2003.
And he was president when the first final outside Warrnambool went ahead, at Noorat Recreation Reserve in 2011.
The expansion of the Warrnambool and District league to truly reflect its name is among achievements from his time as an executive member which Balmer holds in high regard.
WDFNL officials acknowledged his contribution by awarding him life membership of the league at the J. A. Esam Medal count on Wednesday.
A humble Balmer said he was honoured to receive the recognition – “It does mean a lot”.
But I stayed involved for the next eight years and enjoyed it.
- Justin Balmer
He said he was indebted to former WDFNL administrators Logie Watson and Ian Amoore, who lured him back to the executive in 2005.
Balmer had served in 2002 and became president in 2003 but stepped away the following year.
“They came to me at the end of 2005 and said ‘how would you like to be on an independent executive’,” he said.
“We lost Logie that (next) year, he passed away the week before finals, very tragic. That was hard work getting through. But I stayed involved for the next eight years and enjoyed it.”
He believed the move to an independent executive, as opposed to the former delegates’ system, had helped streamline decision making.
The move to having all grades of football and netball on the one day was also positive.
“I remember when I went to (the executive) about playing a final at Noorat and they said ‘you’ve got rocks in your head’,” he said.
“But I kept working away at it and in the end they supported me and we had a record day out there,” he said.