The Drum
By Dave Keogh

The Manly Sea Eagles 2010 Season Launch at Harbord Diggers

I recently attended the Manly Sea Eagles 2010 season launch at the famous Harbord Diggers. The event also announced the launch of the Sea Eagles Foundation – a vehicle for consolidating all the amazing community work conducted by a club that, despite a certain Warringah Councillor’s poorly held opinion, retains a tight link with the northern beaches community and really does ‘put in’ off the field as well as on game day. 

There were media reps. all over the place, either hoping for a repeat of the doomed 2009 launch or there to report on the difference a year makes… (not sure which – Channel 9’s Danny Weidler seemed genuinely disappointed there wasn’t any blood spilt on the carpet).

Had there been, it would have come from a guest dodging a balloon that escaped one of the clowns tying inflatable rubber tubes into strange animal shapes. Not sure about the clowns, jugglers and bowls of lollies on the tables… more like a kids’ party than a football club’s season launch, despite Scott Penn assuring all and sundry that ''They're their own men and they can make their own decisions. We don't have to treat them like children."

But I guess this event had to be vastly different to the infamous 2009 affair… and credit to club officials, it was certainly that.

Wendy Harmer - Manly Sea Eagles Season Launch M.C.

Wendy Harmer was a terrific M.C. who was witty at times and wonderfully vitriolic at others, when, despite the presence of Warringah Mayor Michael Regan, she got stuck into those Warringah Councillors who’d been bad-mouthing the club, its players and supporters. Manly Mayor Jean Hay didn’t take a backward step either in criticising her neighbouring Councillors. To his credit, Councillor Regan took the barrage from both ladies in good humour and when later interviewed, assured all present of his support for the team and stated that in his opinion, Manly is paying a “… full and fair commercial rate for Brookvale Oval”.

The players were introduced individually on stage and mad Manly fan, Tim Freedman (lead singer of The Whitlams) interviewed 2010 co-captains Jason King and Jamie Lyon as well as Coach Des Hasler and new recruits including Terence Seu Seu. Lyon raised a laugh when asked which referee he hated most… he replied: “I love them all.”


Seu Seu admitted he thinks he’s the most famous player ever to hail from Kurri Kurri (near Newcastle). As Tim Freedman pointed out, it seems Terrence has never heard of John Sattler.


The guys were on stage for 15 minutes or so and then set free to mingle with the crowd… but many of them felt more comfortable sitting in a row of chairs at the back of the room, sipping on the drink of choice… bottled water.

Brett and Glen Stewart, Seu Seu, Steve Matai, Josh Perry and several other players did mix in for a while, the crowd getting the chance to shake hands, have a quick chat and snap a photo, with no hint of anything but smiles all round. 

2010 Manly Sea Eagles New CEO - Graham Lowe

Meanwhile new CEO (and former coach) Graham Lowe gave a wonderful speech about true heroes and the values he and the management team are instilling in the 2010 Sea Eagles… very inspiring Graham… well done! Media Manager Peter (Zorba) Peters and club recruitment officer Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal put on a comedy act worthy of Saturday Night Live, Crusher giving his side of the story about the try he was setting up for Dessie in 1987 that never was… “… because Des couldn’t keep up with me!”

I spoke with several Sea Eagles legends – Max Krilich, Crusher, Ian Thompson and Geoff Toovey… all believe we’re in for a good year. Tooves put the exclamation mark on the day when I asked him if he thought we could repeat our 2008 success this year. Not bothering to hide his disdain at such a ridiculous question, he immediately responded: “Of course! Of course!” Not once, but twice… in case I didn’t get it the first time.

All I can say with certainty is that if you go by the vibe in the room that day among players past and present… and on the powerhouse display the team put in against the Tigers for 60 minutes in the first round, we will win more matches than we’ll lose this season. For mine, we’ll be Top 4 for sure! 


To read Dave Keogh’s blog, go to: http://doubledrummer.wordpress.com/

Dave Keogh

Our Manly columnist Dave Keogh has been a professional writer for some 30 years, contributing to publications as broad as Modern Fishing and Outdoor. He honed a passion writing a regular column – Talking Tennis – for The Manly Daily. With a varied history including work as a music industry publicist, theatrical agent, band manager, poet, editor and tennis coach, he found his niche in advertising, and with loads of awards under his belt, Dave went into business on his own and now runs several very successful businesses, including an online community connecting sport-loving people – http://www.doubledrummer.com/ Most importantly, Dave loves sport, and is an avid supporter of The Manly Sea Eagles…