VALE ANDREW BATSON

The St Mary’s Sporting Club is deeply saddened by the sudden passing this week of Andrew Batson.

 

Andrew grew up at St Marys, playing his junior football at the club, including playing in a junior premiership. He moved to the Newcomb Football club for a period of time, connecting with a new group of ‘football people’, before returning to support his beloved Saints a few years later. Andrew had that ability to bring his ‘groups of friends’ together, and we have witnessed a strong connection between St Marys and Newcomb that continues even today. He was a loyal and passionate supporter of both clubs.

 

After returning, Andrew joined the St Mary’s Sporting Club Board, and took on the role of Junior Football Co-ordinator. He regularly attended Friday night, Saturday and Sunday junior games, as well as Senior games on Saturday afternoons, and was a constant face at the club most days of the week. This period coincided with a growth in junior numbers at the club, and Andrew (along with several others at the club) was heavily involved during this time.

 

Batto established great and lasting relationships with people from all corners of the club. He would know the names of all the junior players and would have fun after games having a drink with all the senior players and supporters, across both the football and netball sections. He developed a great rapport with everyone he met and was always up for a laugh and some fun.

 

His other sporting love was Golf. He was a regular with former Saints team-mates on golf trips away, usually up on the Murray River over Summer, or wherever the trips were organised.

 

In recent years, Andrew made the move down to the Bellarine Peninsula, where he became a member and regular face at the Queenscliff Golf Club. The QGC became his second office, as he would field work calls while stationed inside the club rooms, or standing out on the deck overlooking the putting green. He was recently elected Captain of the Queenscliff Golf Club, a position he undertook with great passion. Even while his life was now spent predominantly down on the Peninsula, he was still heavily involved in helping with organisation of the St Mary’s Golf Day, as he had done for the last 15 years.

 

To say Andrew was a very sociable fellow is an understatement. He had mates from all walks of life. He was a connector of people, and people enjoyed his company and the banter that would undoubtedly flow. We will miss him walking into the St Mary’s rooms with his big smile, asking “What’s going on?”, all the while giving out advice on what needed to be done around the place.

 

To put it simply, Batto was just a great man and a friend to all – we will miss him greatly.

We pass on our deepest condolences to Jen, his immediate family, and his many friends at this sad time.

RIP Andrew

 

Please join us to celebrate the life of Andrew (Batto) at the Geelong Footy Club at 2pm Friday 26th July, followed by reminiscing at St Mary’s Football Clubrooms.