DAVE Hotham is proud to tell anyone who asks the important role former Bathurst Panthers juniors now have in the club's premier league side, so it is no surprise it is a link he wants to strengthen.
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Hotham was recently elected as president of Bathurst Panthers and as he looks to build on the work of those who have gone before him, he sees developing junior talents as a key.
Panthers have already shown what fostering talent and providing pathways to senior sides can do as the squads which won the Group 10 premier league grand final in 2018 and 2019 were dominated by those who had graduated from the junior ranks.
"Last year we were playing Lithgow Workies down there. We were standing on the sideline and the bloke behind me, as they do, said 'How's all the money bags going with Panthers now?'," Hotham said.
"I said to him 'Mate, we've got no money bags, we've got 16 locals juniors out there in first grade today, count them.' That's what you want.
I don't want to have a division between the seniors and the juniors, I really want to work together.
- Dave Hotham
"Like every side does we do have a couple we've brought in to make sure we've got a really strong team there, but they are mainly local juniors. That's what I want to get back to, bringing the under 18s through and making sure they have a future with the club. I don't want to have a division between the seniors and the juniors, I really want to work together."
Hotham has been involved with Bathurst Panthers since 2007 and while he has served on the club committee in the past, this is the first time he has filled the president's role.
His daughter Jess is also on the board as junior vice president.
"That was one of the conditions that I put in, for Jess to be junior vice-president, because she helps me out with a lot of stuff - the bookwork side of it," he said.
"I first got involved because my son Trent played under 18s for Panthers. We'd just moved back from Port Macquarie and I went in with him and went from there."
One of Hotham's ideas to foster the bonds between the seniors and juniors is to play all Panthers games on the same day during the season.
All junior sides up to under 16s play on Saturdays while the vast majority of Group 10 senior fixtures for under 18s, first division, women's league tag and premier league take place on Sundays.
Hotham hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic situation eases enough for the senior sides to return to action next season and make for some super Saturday programs. He knows it would be a logistical challenge, but if both Carrington Park and the Sportsground are utilised it is feasible.
"One thing I want to do when we do get back, and we will get back, I would like to have happen under 6s through to first grade play on the one day," he said.
"That's one thing I really would like to push because it would bring all the seniors and juniors together
"I think the first graders need to get down there and watch the under 6s right through to under 16s because they get pleasure out of seeing the older fellas down there as well.
"We don't have to do it heaps of times, but if it was once or twice a year it would help with the juniors. I want to see our under 18s and juniors successful because if they're successful you're always going to have a successful club."
