Sandy Bay Water Polo Club is honoured to have the following Life Members:
William (Bill) Roach - appointed 13 June 2024
Bill Roach played for St Virgils in the inaugural competition in 1959. Bill resurrected the Sandy Bay Water Polo Club in the 1991-92 season when teams were entered in A grade, Under 20 and Under 16 Men's competitions. Many of the players were recruited from Taroona High School, Hutchins and Hobart College. This was the beginning of a long relationship with these schools.
Bill took care of all the administration and finances as well as refereeing games. Bill spent many late nights poring over the club’s finances and bagged up Cadbury’s rejected hazelnut whirls to sell at Island State Credit Union where he worked and had a very loyal customer base. We think that is what gave Cadbury’s the idea for their fundraising chocolate program which arrived several years later much to Bills’ relief. Bill was a long-serving Board Member, holding the position of Treasurer for many years. Simply put, without Bill Sandy Bay Water Polo Club would not exist.
Wesley Roach - appointed 13 June 2024
Wes helped Bill re-establish the Club in 1991-92. He drove recruitment and coached all the teams in that first year as well as refereeing games. He has been a longstanding board member and a past President. Wes has also been a longstanding and outstanding coach across all age groups and is a highly qualified referee, including local and national level events. As above with Bill, without Wes Sandy Bay Water Polo Club would not exist. Wes has given 32 years service to the Club and hasn't finished yet.
Garth Slade - appointed 13 June 2024
Garth Slade joined the club in 1992 and immediately made an impact. It was during one of the club’s quieter periods in 1996 that Garth and Wes mounted a recruitment drive that would ultimately see teams entered in every competition in both men’s and women’s for the first time and with teams in six grand finals. This resulted in the Sandy Bay Club becoming easily the number one club in Tasmania at that time. The club picked up two junior titles (under 14 girls and under 17 boys) in pre-Christmas Competitions, making a total of four premierships out of six for the 1996-97 season. Garth was active at all levels for the Club and again can be considered a founding member on which we have now built a base of over 140 playing members.
