Thank You TRG!

When the Lions run out onto the turf and all attention in the stadium turns to the field, it’s easy to forget just how much work has gone into making Sullivan Logistics Stadium ready for game days. A lot of thankless effort is spent on keeping the grounds up to the standard of a modern club facility. And it’s not just for the players either; think about how many seats are in the grandstands, how many walls around the place need repainting every year, or how many posters and photos need to be framed.

The Tuesday Response Group tackles these tasks and many more each week. Founded in 1986, the TRG is a group of volunteers who dedicate their own time every Tuesday to help maintain Subiaco’s home. The group was named and coordinated for many years by the legendary Basil Fuller, a key figure in Subiaco’s storied history.

“The basic premise of what we do is basic repairs and maintenance, to save the club some money,” Colin Button, a volunteer in the group, explains. “We paint, we clean, we eat cake. That last one’s important.”

The group has had no shortage of work to do this season. In just the last few weeks alone, their work at Leederville has involved repainting the benches in front of the grandstands, putting up whiteboards in the coaches room, and setting up the brand new Member’s Deck with seats and decor. Currently standing at 9 members, the youngest of whom is 72, the group brings many decades of handyman experience, collected from various walks of life, that comes in handy all over the stadium.

The work doesn’t stop at the club’s main headquarters though. 9 kilometres away at Des Penmen Reserve, there’s even more work to be done. While major renovations were being done to Sullivan Logistics Stadium over the summer, the men’s, women’s and talent programs all trained at the oval in the City of Stirling, home to the Nollamara Football Club in the Perth Football League. It became Subi’s home away from home.

“We did some work over at Des Penmen Reserve; we made it safe, tidied it up, cleaned all the dunnies and that sort of stuff. We’re gonna get over there soon to hang up some photos of the Colts,” Colin clarified. “The Colts are messy. They leave their water bottles everywhere!” he added with a laugh.

Despite the workload, the group is adamant that work stops for morning tea. Once 10:30 rolls around, the tape measures are stashed, the remaining frames are set aside for a moment, and the group gets together for tea and ginger biscuits to discuss everything from the latest Lions game to arguing over how many games Neil Taylor played for the club throughout the 70s and 80s. The blood of Subiaco is undoubtedly pumping through the veins of this team; one member, Graeme Wilson, claims to have been a member since 1957. The TRG is full of dedicated fans dedicating their own time to help and support the team.

The TRG have a long history of selflessly assisting the club, most notably when the Lions moved into their new home in Leederville in 2003. The TRG, alongside many additional volunteers, had the facilities ready for Subiaco’s inaugural game of the 2004 season, with the club’s newsletter at the time describing them as “representing the true heart of the Subiaco Football Club.” That description of our volunteers still rings true, and the club is incredibly appreciative of them and their efforts.