2023's Life Memberships

What with a global pandemic, lock-downs, cancelled seasons and shortened seasons, the Ashes had not awarded any Life Memberships since 2019.

At our 2023 Presentation Night on the evening of Friday October 13, Daniel Heap (pictured above), was honoured with Life Membership of the Monash University Blues Football Club along with long time Club head trainer and physiotherapist  Jo Foo and 150-gamer Ryan Phillips.

A week later, at the Reunion for our 2022 Men's Senior Premiership team, recently retired Blues' players Joe Cosgriff, Pat Long and Zacc Ledin (all pictured below), received their well-deserved Life Memberships.

Joe Cosgriff

While Joe Cosgriff went back to play a few games in Echuca in his early years, Monash quickly won out as the long-term home for the versatile key-position player. "Hodor" won the Best First Year Player award in 2012 and the Leading Goal Kicker award in 2014  before finding himself as a key defender for the remainder of his 129 matches for the Ashes.

Being able to co-captain us to a Premiership in his final match for the Club, with a brother and a cousin in the team, his father as runner and his newborn baby on the sidelines is a lasting reminder of the strong family connections Joe has with the Club.

Jo Foo

Jo Foo, commenced with the Monash Blues as a trainer back in 2010. A year that saw us finish runners up in both the seniors and reserves set the scene for the level of care and dedication that she has provided ever since.

Jo received recognition as the Association’s Trainer of the Year at the annual VAFA awards night in 2015.

She took a break from the Club from 2018 to 2020 to work in the VFLW, where she was Head Trainer at Richmond, before returning to the Ashes as Club Physiotherapist in 2021.

Jo continued to undertake her role with professionalism and it is no coincidence that this was a successful on field period for the Club winning premierships in both the Men’s and Women’s seniors as well as the Women’s reserves in this period.

Alongside her work at training helping to get players back on the field and keeping them safe on game day, Jo has overseen the more thankless task of recruiting and managing the trainer team for a number of years.

Putting all of that aside, it is the way that she has invested in the Club as a person and not just a trainer that means it is a pleasure to induct Jo Foo as a life member of the Monash Blues. Always getting the job done in a friendly, quiet and unassuming manner underpinning the core values of the Club.

Daniel Heap

Daniel has been a loyal and committed clubman since he moved down from Shepparton to play in the Under 19s in 2012, before progressing on to being a regular in the Thirds and Fourths with his career highlight being a member of the inaugural Fourths Premiership team versus Kew in 2018.

After completing his degree, "Heapy" took on a job in Bendigo but his love for the Club saw him commuting down to Melbourne to play each weekend. A noted conversationalist, Daniel is never one to back away from a discussion at club functions, with the conversation likely to be about football if has kicked a goal earlier in the day.

We welcome Daniel as a life member and look forward to hopefully more games in the coming years from someone who is welcoming of everyone at the Club.

Zacc Ledin

Zacc joined the Blues from Box Hill in 2012 and quickly assumed roles as one of the most consistent on-field performers and a key part of the senior leadership group.

"Leds" always maintained and affiliation with the Club, even when injured, which has included stints as Team Manager and Runner of the Men's Senior team alongside his on-field contributions.

Holding down a wing position throughout our 2022 campaign, Zacc's final season for the Club concluded with him as an integral part of our Senior Men's Premiership team.

Pat Long

Patrick Long quietly ventured down from Bendigo in the Monash Blues' dressing room in 2011 and became a dependable presence on and off field for the next decade and beyond. Longy's on-field leadership made him synonymous with the Ashes' Ressies and meant it was easy to forget that he also played close to 50 Senior matches including winning the Coach's Award in 2014.

Off field "Nev" was often relied upon to be one of the first people to volunteer to assist with any task required and was a leader in coaching and management aspects of the Reserves team in his later years with the Club. Congratulations Pat on this well-deserved honour.

Ryan Phillips

Commencing with the Club back in 2012, Ryan Phillips made a quick impression with his football winning the Reserves’ Coach’s award in his first season

He is quiet by nature off the field, although this belies the way he attacks the ball on the field in a manner that sees him respected by all at the Monash Blues.

Whilst the majority of his 150+ games have been in the reserves, his approach has also seen him run out in the seniors on 11 occasions.

A consistent performer each week, his best year on the field was in 2015 where he was runner up in the reserves best and fairest as well as being awarded the best finals player for his efforts against Marcellin and PEGS.

Now a veteran of the Reserves with most of his contemporaries having long since retired, Ryan displays a level of passion each week, shared equally between attempts to kick goals and run down opponents.

Congratulations Ryan on a magnificent career so far, that we hope will continue for at least a few more years.