Coming off a highly successful 2025 season, the Somerville Football Netball Club (SFNC) held its Annual General Meeting last week. With several key players recommitting for the 2026 season, along with some major new player acquisitions, the club is confident it can maintain its momentum and continue building towards future success.
The social rooms were packed to capacity as members endorsed the following leadership roles.
2026 Executive Committee
- Club President: Madeline Roberts
- Senior Vice President: Travis Barnett
- Junior Vice President: Dean Pusch
- Secretary: Sarah Potter
- Treasurer: Tom Burton
- Football Manager: Glenn Mealey
2026 General Committee
Bindi Mealey, Andy Palmer, Justine Burns, Kristy Marshall, Tiahn Denniston-Spaull, Bridget Beckett, Sam McDonald, Tegan Lewis, Jai Triep, Terri Roberts, Renee Hepner, Jane Sharp, and Bec Stringer.
Life Memberships at SFNC
Two long-serving club stalwarts were honoured with Life Memberships for their outstanding contributions to the Somerville Football Netball Club over many decades.
Phil Graf
You don’t get any more Somerville than Phil Graf. His great-grandfather, Henry Gomm, built the Somerville Hotel in 1901, and his father, Syd Graf, ran the pub from 1949 to 1955. During his childhood, the Graf family farm was located partly where the current Woolworths now stands — his bedroom once sat where the trolley bay is today.
Phil’s involvement with SFNC spans an extraordinary 70 years. In the 1960s, he was part of the 1967 Thirds premiership side and went on to play senior football from 1970 to 1981.
In 1985, Phil established the club’s major coterie group, The Villeans Club, which remains one of SFNC’s most significant income sources and a key driver of social connection across the club and wider community.
As the owner of BuildSafe Insurances, Phil has been a major financial supporter for more than 40 years, and his commitment to the club remains unwavering. On Thursday nights and Saturdays, Phil is a familiar and friendly presence around the club — his lifelong passion for SFNC is truly legendary.
Andy Palmer
Andy Palmer has contributed to both the Somerville Junior Football Club and the Somerville Football Netball Club for a combined 24 years. Over that time, he has dedicated himself to leadership, administration, and countless behind-the-scenes roles that have helped both clubs remain strong and sustainable.
Andy served as President of the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League for three years, while simultaneously managing and overseeing the SFNC canteen on match days for more than a decade.
He went on to serve as President of SFNC for five seasons, coming agonisingly close to a premiership in 2017, and also held the role of Treasurer from 2011 to 2012. In 2025, Andy was elected to the General Committee and took on the time-consuming role of Bar Manager.
A major financial contributor, Andy has been instrumental in the development of key club facilities, including the electronic scoreboard and corporate box — projects that would not exist without his vision and persistence.
A club social media post summed it up perfectly:
“Andy’s selfless dedication, humility and commitment to our club culture embody everything that makes Somerville special.”
Congratulations
On behalf of the club and the wider Somerville community, congratulations to Phil Graf and Andy Palmer on their well-deserved Life Memberships — a recognition of their decades of service, leadership, and loyalty to the blue and gold.
