Why I Volunteer: Canteen Supervisor Jeanette

Wednesday 09 October 2024

If you have been to a Western Suburbs Magpies game in recent years, you've probably seen our wonderful volunteer Jeanette. As our canteen supervisor, Jeanette helps keep the day running smoothly and attendees fed - but she goes above and beyond that to make sure that those at our games experience a positive and exciting atmosphere. In short, she helps make the club what it is today. Jeanette kindly shared her experiences of the Magpies and volunteering with us.

WESTS MAGPIES: What are your memories of growing up with the Magpies Jeanette?
JEANETTE: Oh goodness me! When I was six years old, I had my very first meat pie at Lidcombe Oval - and it was the best meat pie I've ever had. I grew up in Lidcombe, Woodburn Road actually which goes down till the oval. We used to walk down, and the games back then were only on Sundays, and they were great days. They played with a lot of heart and soul and they played for their community - they all had full-time jobs through the week.

WESTS MAGPIES: You mentioned that they played for their community. A lot of players also ran small businesses in the community. Can you remember visiting any?
JEANETTE: John Dorahy was a butcher, he had his own butcher shop in Lidcombe, and we used to buy our meat from him. A lot of them them were garbos and back in the day they used to have to do it all manually. They'd jump off the truck, they'd run, it was all physical. To them it was training as well.

WESTS MAGPIES: Why do you volunteer with the Magpies today?
JEANETTE:  I volunteer at Lidcombe Oval because it's my childhood, it was what I grew up with, it's what I remember. The love of the Magpies is just within me - it can't be replaced.

WESTS MAGPIES: Are you trying to keep that sense of pride and excitement alive for the next generation to experience at Lidcombe Oval?
JEANETTE: I wish some of these kids could go back in time and see what it was like back in the day of the real Lidcombe Oval, where it used to get packed to the brim - so many people! We used to climb over the fences and we used to sit on a fence to watch the game. The feeling back then - I don't think anyone can have that feeling now. Unless you grew up in that era and you experienced it you couldn't possibly know the feeling. It just hit different. Volunteering at Lidcombe Oval is just the best for me. It reignites my childhood. To be able to be running the canteen at Lidcombe Oval for the Magpies is just a dream come true. I would do it again and again within a heartbeat. I've had three spinal surgeries in the last three years and I have not stopped once!

WESTS MAGPIES: How did you first become involved as a volunteer at the Magpies?
JEANETTE: The Magpies had a Christmas party at one of the pubs a few years back and I attended. They were talking about the canteen and one of the one of the guys said to me: "You know, you should come down to Lidcombe and work in the canteen if you want. They're always in need of people." Literally the following year I started and I haven't looked back. Then I was approached by Bob Cairns last year, he said to me: "Jeanette, you know, would you like to run the canteen with me from next year onwards?" 
I jumped at the chance. I said "Oh hell yes! Yeah!" and that's how it basically started. I just slotted in there and haven't looked back.

WESTS MAGPIES: Why do you think it's important for other people to support the Magpies and to say yes to those opportunities too?
JEANETTE: It helps the club. We need to build Lidcombe Oval up, because that's all funds for the Magpies. The more people we get in there, the more people that put their hand up to help as volunteers at any given time, it's only paying it forward to the club. I want hold onto the Magpie memories, and that's the only way we can do it. So the more people we get into Lidcombe, the more stuff that happens at Lidcombe, the more it builds the Magpies up.

WESTS MAGPIES: To finish off with, who would you say is your favourite Wests Magpies player?
JEANETTE: I had two favorite players. Tommy Raudonikis, obviously, 
and till today still John Dorahy!

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