Author: Adrian Bell

This March, Drummoyne Swimming Club is diving in to support Laps for Life, a national swimming challenge raising funds for Reachout.com, Australia’s leading online mental health service for young people.

Why It Matters

Youth suicide is the leading cause of death for young Australians. Every year, more than 1 in 4 young people experience mental health difficulties, yet many don’t seek help. ReachOut.com provides free, 24/7 online support, helping young people navigate life’s challenges with professional resources, peer support, and practical tools to improve mental well-being.

Meet Our Laps for Life Ambassador – Craig Corcoran

This year, we’re rallying behind Craig Corcoran.

Craig, pictured above with his nephew, is a dedicated member of our weekday adult squads and a great fella.

Craig is taking on an incredible challenge—swimming 50km throughout March and raising $2,000 to support young Australians struggling with mental health.

Craig’s fundraising page can be accessed here.

How You Can Help

💙 Donate to Craig’s fundraiser and help him reach his goal.
💙 Cheer him on as he logs his laps throughout March.
💙 Swim your own laps and help raise awareness for this vital cause.

Let’s show the strength of the Drummoyne Swimming Club community by supporting Craig and making a difference in young lives.

Proceeds from last Saturday will be donated to Craig’s cause – we’ll donate the money on a day when the donations are matched. So our contribution will be doubled.

Drummoyne Swimming Club and Laps for Life

Drummoyne Swimming Club has has been a significant contributor to to Laps for Life over the years. We’ve consistently been the top fundraising swimming club in the country. A few years back Ian Thorpe AM- a Reacout.com board member the visited the club to thank us for our fundraising efforts.

The season may be winding down, but we’re going out with a splash! Join us for Drummoyne Swimming Club’s final race meet of the season and our Annual Family Fun Day – a morning packed with serious racing, hilarious novelty events, and a well-earned club lunch to celebrate a fantastic season.

📅 Date: 22 March 2025
📍 Location: Drummoyne Swimming Pool and GRILL”D
⏰ Time: 7:00 start for those who want to do the 800M – novelty races to follow after the 800M races. Lunch will start at GRILL’D from 11:30.

The Morning Line-Up

🏆 800M Freestyle Championship – We kick off with the big one! Come ready to race or cheer on our club’s distance champions as they battle it out for glory.

🎭 Novelty Races Galore! – Once the serious racing is done, it’s time to let loose with some of our most-loved, laugh-out-loud events:
🛟 Inflatables Race – Bring your floatie and paddle for victory!
🩴 Thong Race – The only time losing a thong in the pool is encouraged!
🏄 Boogie Board Race – Choose your chariot wisely and ride the waves to glory!

Finally, we’ll have the most important races of the season, the:

Family relay, and

the Geribo Cup (the great race for the chocolate trophy)

We’ll seek entries over the couple of weeks.

🚨 Don’t forget to bring your inflatables, thongs, and boogie boards!

Post-Race Celebrations at Grill’d! 🍔

After a morning of swimming, fun, and friendly competition, we’ll head over to Grill’d for our End of Season Club Lunch. The club will be covering lunch for all the kids! A huge thank you to Grill’d for their support this season.

It’s our final get-together before the off-season, so let’s make it a day to remember. See you poolside!

We’re diving into another exciting week at Drummoyne Swimming Club! This Saturday, we’ve got a fantastic lineup of races, with something for everyone:

🏆 100m Breaststroke Championships – Get ready to battle it out for championship glory!
🏊‍♂️ Molly Wark & Les Henry U/10 100m Freestyle – Week 5 – Our youngest swimmers continue their series.
💪 35 & Over 100m Freestyle – Week 5 – A chance for our seasoned swimmers to shine.
⏱ 400m Handicap Races – Strategy and endurance will be key!

For those who prefer shorter events, don’t worry—there will be plenty of opportunities to get in the water and race at your own pace.

See you at the pool for another great morning of competition, camaraderie, and fun! 🏊‍♀️☀️

Battle on the Bay

Thanks to everyone who registered for the Battle on the Bay. The event promises to be a fun afternoon and a good chance to compete together as a team. I’m sure we’ll have a red hot crack at wresting the title from Leichhardt, or at the very least lifting the chocolate trophy with our very strong 10 x 50M relay team. The final list of events and relay participants will be available soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Season calendar

As noted above, the season calendar has been published so you can now check out the racing schedule. But here are some key dates to keep an eye on:

Date	Activity
Ongoing…	Senior Squads (12 yo +) – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:00 to 7:00 Lanes 1 and 2
Ongoing…	Junior Squads – Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00 to 7:00 Lanes 1 and 2
Sunday 9 March	Battle on the Bay @ Ashfield
22 March 2024	Last Saturday morning races of the season. End of Season lunch at Grill’d!
25 May 2025	Annual Presentation

Congratulations to our budding triathletes Hugo Smith, Tom Smith and Aodhan Perkins who competed in events at the Husky triathlon festival over the weekend.

Dear Swimmers and Families,

Saturday promises to be another gorgeous morning at Drummoyne Swimming Club. We’ve got some key championship and handicap races on the schedule. Here’s what’s coming up this week:

🏊 200m Freestyle Championship Race – A test of endurance and speed for our swimmers, with club championship points on the line!

Last week young Harry Thompson broke the club record in the 100M Freestyle Championship (under 10s). Is he up to breaking another record this weekend?

Check out the current club records as a bit of motivation for Saturday. Are you a chance of breaking one?

🏆 Tom Williams 50m Freestyle (Handicap) – Finals – The stage is set for an exciting showdown in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions. Who will take home the title?

Recap: last year we had a somewhat improbable situation whereby both the men’s and women’s races were won by siblings – Bronte and Brody Manners. Bronte is back for another shot at the title this year. Well done Bronte!

We’ve got stacked fields in both races. Can the old hands hold off the fast improving kids? The finalists are:

Mens

ID	Name
1750	Max THOMPSON
1875	Aodhan PERKINS
1181	George MANDARAKAS
1492	Ian ALLAN
1689	Paul MARTIN
12	Thomas PACEY

Womens

ID	Name
1920	Olivia JOHNSTON
1651	Bronte MANNERS
1739	Hannah AITKEN
1495	Elizabeth ALLAN

🦋 Fred Congdon 50m Butterfly (Handicap) – Heats – Swimmers will be battling for a spot in the final, with plenty of fast racing expected.

Register Now for Battle on the Bay!

A reminder that we need swimmers to register ASAP for the Battle on the Bay using the club’s TeamApp portal. The carnival is on a Sunday this year – Sunday the 9th of March at Ashfield Pool from 1pm to 7pm. This is one of the biggest events on our calendar, and we want to see Drummoyne SC well-represented in the pool. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action!

Please register and pay your entry fee of $7 by COB Friday 21 February.

A few of our younger swimmers and parents will have conflicts with pre-scheduled water polo games. So, if you’re sitting on the fence about participating, please jump in to help prop up our team numbers.

Welcoming Our New Gold Sponsor – Jonathan Homes

We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Homes as a Gold Sponsor of Drummoyne Swimming Club! Jonathan Homes is a highly respected building firm operating in the Canada Bay area, known for their quality craftsmanship and commitment to the local community. Their generous support will help our club continue to thrive, and we look forward to working together. Thank you, Jonathan Homes!

See you all poolside this Saturday for another fantastic morning of racing!

Season calendar

As noted above, the season calendar has been published so you can now check out the racing schedule. But here are some key dates to keep an eye on:

Date	Activity
Ongoing…	Senior Squads (12 yo +) – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:00 to 7:00 Lanes 1 and 2
Ongoing…	Junior Squads – Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00 to 7:00 Lanes 1 and 2
Sunday 9 March	Battle on the Bay @ Ashfield
22 March 2024	Last Saturday morning races of the season. End of Season lunch at Grill’d!
25 May 2025	Annual Presentation

The 2025 Battle on the Bay Carnival will be hosted by Ashfield Amateur Swimming Club at Ashfield Aquatic Centre on Sunday 9th March 2025 from 1:00 – 7:00 pm. Warm-up swims from 12.30 pm

If you have not yet entered and wish to do so asap – by Friday the 21st of February at the latest.

Please register you and your family members on Team App under the Battle on the Bay Event on 9 March 2025 (sign in the same way as Saturday morning meets and choose the races you wish to swim in):

• Team App – Battle on the Bay Event

The relay team entries will be published once the individual entries have been finalised, based on the fastest swimmers for each age group. We will assume that everyone who has a 50m Freestyle time will be available for selection in the relays, but if you have to leave the Carnival early or do not wish to participate in a relay team, please advise.

Carnival Events and timing

The carnival will run from 1pm to 7pm on Sunday the 9th of March at Ashfield.  The order of the events is as follows:

• Freestyle – 50m for seniors to 9 year olds, 30m for 7-8yo’s. 20m for 6 and unders.
• Butterfly 50m for seniors to 9 year olds, 30m for 7-8yo’s. 20m for 6 and unders.
• Backstroke 50m for seniors to 9 year olds, 30m for 7-8yo’s. 20m for 6 and unders.
• Breaststroke 50m for seniors to 9 year olds, 30m for 7-8yo’s. 20m for 6 and unders.
• 4 x 50m Mixed Relays for seniors to 9 year olds
• 10 x 50m Freestyle Mixed Relay – Open

DNS means lost club points!

Everyone who swims at the Carnival will win points for our Club.  The faster you go, the more points you will win!

However, if you enter a race but do not swim (DNS) on the day, you will LOSE points for the Club!

So, if you have to leave the Carnival early or expect to arrive late, it will be better for our Club result if you don’t enter yourself into any races that you may miss.

Entry Fees

The entry fee for the Carnival is $7 per swimmer.  You will also need to pay pool entry fees on the day.

If you haven’t yet paid your Carnival fee, please click here to pay:

• Square Online Payment

Volunteers

To run the Carnival efficiently we are seeking volunteers to help out with timekeeping, marshaling and other roles.  Please volunteer your services if you are able to assist on the day.

History of the Battle on the Bay

The Battle on the Bay Swimming Carnival was started by Drummoyne Swimming Club in 2010 as a fun way of bringing together local clubs in the bay area.  Some history on the Carnival and previous results can be found on our web site here:

https://drummoyneswimclub.com.au/battle-on-the-bay-swimming-carnival/

The carnival is a great social meet for our members to compete against other swimmers in the local area.  Wear your Club colours and cheer loudly for our team!  The highlight of the Carnival is always the relay events at the end, culminating with the 10x50m relay in which the fastest ten swimmers from each club battle it out for supremacy in the pool!

Awards are given to the fastest male and female swimmers in each age group and the Battle on the Bay Trophy will be presented to the fastest Club on the Bay!

Drummoyne Swimming Club is thrilled to welcome Jonathan Homes on board as a Gold Sponsor! 🏡🔨

Jonathan Homes is a highly rated and experienced building firm operating in the Canada Bay area, known for delivering top-quality renovations, extensions and new builds. Their generous support will help us continue to grow and support our swimmers, and we couldn’t be more grateful! 🙌

A huge thank you to Jonathan Jamu for his support to our club, and we encourage all our members to consider Jonathan Homes for their next home renovation, extension or new build. 🏠✨

We look forward to welcoming Jonathan and his daughter Denise to the pool deck soon! 💙💦

Check out Jonathan Homes on the web and their socials or reach out to Jonathan today:

Jonathan Homes

https://www.instagram.com/jonathan__homes

info@jonathan-homes.com.au

0414 595 933

We have an another action-packed morning of racing ahead this Saturday, so make sure you’re poolside and ready for another fantastic week at Drummoyne Swimming Club!

100M Freestyle Championship

Our program kicks off with the highly anticipated 100M Freestyle Championship, one of our prestigious blue riband events. This race is always a highlight of the season, so come along and cheer on our swimmers as they go for gold!

Tom Brown 50M Handicap Trophy – Finals

Next up, we have the Finals of the Tom Brown 50M Handicap Trophy. This special event is named in honor of Tom Brown, the grandfather of our amazing Life Member, Head Coach, and all-round contributor Lynette Brown. We are privileged to have members of the Brown family joining us again on the pool deck to present the trophy to this year’s winner.

The finalists for the Tom Brown 50m Backstroke Handicap are:

ID	Name
1709	Tom SMITH
1711	Neave MURDOCH
1741	Archie MURROW
1695	Alena FINN
12	Thomas PACEY
1379	Xavier FOSTER

200M Individual Medley

The final event of the morning will be the 200M Individual Medley, where swimmers will showcase their skills across all four strokes. As always, for those not quite ready for the full distance, we will have shorter versions of each race to ensure everyone can participate at their own level.

Battle on the Bay – Sunday, 9th March

We’re excited to announce that the Battle on the Bay is now formally confirmed for Sunday afternoon, 9th March. Members can nominate their strokes via the event on TeamApp and pay their entry fee via the club’s Square store. This is a great opportunity to represent the club in a fun and competitive setting, so lock in your spot today!

Bring a Friend – 4 Week Free Trial!

We encourage all members to bring along a friend or prospective member to give swim club a go! Our 4-week free trial promotion is the perfect way for newcomers to experience the fun and community spirit of our club.

Squads Continue – Free for Members

A quick reminder that both our Senior and Junior squads continue to run during the week, and they are free for all members. These sessions are a great way to build skills, fitness, and confidence in the pool.

We can’t wait to see you all on Saturday for another exciting morning of racing!

Drummoyne Swimming Club Committee

Welcome to Week 15 of our summer racing program at Drummoyne Swimming Club! We’re gearing up for an action-packed program of events, including the 400M Freestyle Championship, the heats of the Tom Williams 50M Freestyle (Handicap) Trophy, and the 50M Breaststroke, which will also feature the Bill Gallie 50M Breaststroke (Handicap) Trophy Race. Whether you’re a distance specialist, a sprint powerhouse, or working on your breaststroke technique, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The 400M Freestyle Championship is a true test of endurance, pacing, and mental toughness. It’s always inspiring to watch swimmers push their limits, so whether you’re competing or cheering from the sidelines, your support makes a big difference.

The Tom Williams 50M Freestyle (Handicap) Trophy Heats will showcase thrilling sprint finishes, while the Bill Gallie 50M Breaststroke (Handicap) Final promises intense competition and exciting results.

The finalists for the Bill Gallie 50m Breaststroke Handicap are:

ID	Name
1622	Casper CROTHERS
1739	Hannah AITKEN
802	Matthew O’CONNOR
1492	Ian ALLAN
1113	Jaxon LEWIS

Will Jaxon take over his Dad’s mantle as the club’s premiere breaststroker?

Matt O’Connor is sunning himself in Ireland at the moment so we might need to bring in a new swimmer or two…

We encourage all members to come down and be part of the action. If you haven’t raced in a while, this is the perfect opportunity to jump back in. Bring your friends and family along—we’re always welcoming new swimmers to join us for a free trial. It’s a great chance to experience the fun, fitness, and friendly atmosphere of our club.

Don’t forget our post-race breakfast and weekly fundraising raffle. We’ve got amazing prizes up for grabs, including Grill’d burger vouchers, a bottle of wine from Sew & Sew Wines, and a pair of Speedo Goggles. Your participation supports our club activities, so thank you in advance!

See you at the pool bright and early on Saturday. Let’s make Week 15 another memorable one filled with great swims, lots of laughs, and strong community spirit.

Swim fast, cheer loud, and have fun!

Congratulations to all our incredible Drummoyne Swimming Club swimmers who took on the challenge of the Cole Classic on Sunday, 2 February! 🌊 Your determination, grit, and spirit were on full display as you tackled the iconic open water courses from Shelley Beach to Manly.

From first-time participants to seasoned competitors, every swimmer showed outstanding effort and resilience. We’re so proud of your achievements and the way you represented our club with pride. 💙💛