The following letter was addressed to members from chairman Ben Buckley. 

I know some of our people are bitterly disappointed today and very frustrated with yesterday’s performance.

We share your frustration but we remain steadfast in our resolve to stay true to our rebuild strategy.

As David Noble said after the game, we are climbing a mountain and we will not deviate from the path we’ve elected to take. It means there will be some pain along the way, and some days will be harder than others, but we have to stay focused and keep our eyes fixed firmly on the destination we are heading.

This is the only way in such a tough competition.

We will continue to work hard with our young group and will continue to reinforce the club’s values and demand we all stay true to the fighting spirit we’ve always shown for more than 150 years.

Throughout this, we must remain calm, composed and focused as an organisation. As hard as it is right now, footy goes through cycles and it can, and will, turn.

While the position we are in at the moment is unfamiliar, we will, as other clubs have done, fight through it. We ask our members and fans to continue to support our boys and the club.

We have a young group and a very experienced coaching panel led by David Noble. We must continue to support them and encourage them - if we’re asking the players not to pick and choose when they turn up, we can’t either.

We are a proud club and this situation is foreign to us so it hurts, but we are in a very strong position off the field and our financial position has never been stronger – we were one of only three Victorian clubs to remain in the black through the Covid pandemic.

With your continued support, we can and will get through this period and come out even stronger.

From everyone at your club, thank you for your ongoing support – that’s the Shinboner way.

Go Roos,
Ben Buckley.