It's a bumper week for Warrnambool Racing Club CEO Luke Cann and his team with the city's famous three-day May Racing Carnival in full swing. The 46-year-old goes Under the Auld Pump to discuss growing up in Warrnambool, his sporting exploits and the rapid changes at the racing club since taking over the top role.
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AT A GLANCE
Born in Williamstown on February 16, 1978.
Wife: Janelle. Children: Alice and Milla.
Parents: Jim (passed away) and Carla. Siblings: Garrath and Travis.
Education: Jamieson Street Primary School before attending Warrnambool College and then Warrnambool's Deakin University.
Sporting highlight: Coaching Nestles Cricket Club's under 17 girls side when they won the flag in 2021-22.
Luke, the most obvious question is you were born in Williamstown but your school education started in Warrnambool. What was the reason for your parents to make the move to Warrnambool?
Both my parents were school teachers. We were living in Werribee but the family made the move to Warrnambool in the summer of 1982, as my dad Jim had taken up the job as assistant principal at Warrnambool East Primary School and mum Carla was doing emergency teaching. Mum also spent many years teaching at Warrnambool's Special Development School. Mum is a very patient person and it's that patience that helped many of the students at the Warrnambool Special Development School during their school years and after school years. She still stays in contact with some of them to this day. Jim went on to be the principal at West Warrnambool Primary School for 10 years.
Did football play a major part in your younger years of growing up in Warrnambool?
To be honest with you it never. I started playing footy when I was 17 years old. I concentrated on cricket in my younger years before playing footy competitively. My first season of footy was with Russells Creek in the under 18 side. Sadly, I never played in any premiership sides in footy with Creek, we went close a couple of times but were not good enough. I can remember we lost a grand final to Nirranda on a very heavy Reid Oval ground one day. I ended up playing more than 100 senior games with Creek before injuries forced me to hang up the boots.
What injuries did you sustain during your career?
The main one was to do with my right shoulder. I put it out in a game against East Warrnambool. The first time I did it I went up to the Warrnambool Base Hospital and they pushed it back in. The shoulder went a few more times and it could go back in but I ended up getting a shoulder reconstruction. I never played for a few seasons before coming back to play in the reserves when they were short of numbers. I gave the game away in my mid-30s. My wife Janelle was a pretty handy netballer up at Creek before she gave it away. We were not around the club for a few years but it's great to be back up at Creek now as our daughters Alice and Milla are playing netball at the club. There's a really good vibe up at Russells Creek Football Netball Club. It's a great family club that makes everyone feel welcome.
Luke, let's go back for a minute to your cricket career. Which club have you played cricket for?
I started out with Nestles as a junior. My dad played cricket with Werribee when we were living in Melbourne and following the move to Warrnambool he joined Nestles. I've still got fond memories as a young boy going to the local cricket on Saturdays to watch dad play for Nestles. It was obvious that I would follow down the same path as him and play for Nestles. I was 11 years old when I played in the under 14 side before going on to play in the under 16s and then the seniors. One of my cricket highlights at Nestles has to be playing a game in the same side as my dad and brother Garrath in the A reserve side.
What's your record like on the cricket field?
I'll put it out there now I was an average cricketer. I was fortunate enough to have played in a B grade premiership side when Scott McLeod was our captain. My highest score with the bat was 101 not out against Dennington in a division three game one day. I'll never forget I always wanted to make a 100 runs and on that particular day I made the big three figures with only three balls to go in the game. I was lucky enough to snare seven wickets in one game against Merrivale when I was bowling medium-pacers. I thought they were a lot faster but they were only gentle medium-pacers.
I've had a stint on the committee of Nestles Cricket Club. The club has a wonderful tradition and plenty of top players have played there including Ross Corbett, Glen Skilbeck, Gary Corboy, Gary MacLean, Trevor McKenzie to name just a few and then you have the modern day players who are making their own tradition for this proud club.
Luke, back in 2003 you were the marketing manager of the Warrnambool Racing Club for five years. Fast forward to 2024 and now your the CEO of the club. I suppose you've witnessed many changes at the club since leaving in 2008. Is that a fair statement?
Yes. There have been plenty of changes. I came back as the operations manager at the racing club in November 2022. The operations job gave me a greater understanding of catering, hospitality, logistics, contractors, emergency management and compliance matters relating to the club. I'm sure having that background helped me in getting the job as the CEO.
Changes since I was here in 2008 include the Matilda Room has doubled in size. There's an on-course veterinarian practice, a brand new machinery shed and upgrades to the track and training facilities plus new on-course stables have been built and we also look after the hospitality and beverages now. The ladies lunch on the Tuesday of the carnival has developed into a huge event. We had well over 400 ladies at the function. We're lucky to have passionate staff who want to showcase racing off to the big crowds that will attend over the three days of the carnival.
