Baseball Victoria held its AGM on Wednesday 30 October 2024 following the shift in financial year, now ending 30 June.
Returning directors Grant Weir, Andy Rose, and Jennifer Pitson were re-elected to the Board of Directors, and the members ratified the appointment of Finance Director Greg Hill to fill a casual vacancy on the Board.
The AGM also resulted in five new Baseball Victoria Life Members: Jon Deeble, Phil Dale, Garry Bitmead, Stephen Black, and Alan Sutherland.
“Thank you to all our member clubs and associations for another fantastic year of baseball in Victoria,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “We appreciate everyone taking the time to attend the AGM and we wish to offer a special congratulations to our newest life members, who have made extensive contributions to baseball across the state, paving the way for Victorians to succeed at the local, national, and international level.”
Well done to all and we look forward to another great year of baseball ahead. If you would like to catch up on the year that was, please view the 2023/24 BV Annual Report on our website.
Overview of Newest Baseball Victoria Life Members
Jon Deeble
- 35 years of playing, coaching, and scouting
- Distinguished pitcher for Melbourne Monarchs in the old Australian Baseball League before coaching Victoria’s Claxton Shield Team, Monarchs, and Aces in the new ABL
- In 2005, Jon became the first Victorian and Australian coach in the Major Leagues, creating opportunities for other Victorian and Australian coaches
- Over 20 years as an MLB international scout and has signed numerous Victorians to professional contracts
- 10+ years of support with school holiday camps in Victoria and club coach accreditation through the national coach accreditation scheme
Phil Dale
- 40 years of playing, coaching, and scouting
- ABL career included playing, coaching, and managing with Waverley/Melbourne Reds and Melbourne Monarchs, winning MVP
- Named to Victorian “Team of the Century” (1934 – 2000) as a pitcher
- Inaugural manager of the Melbourne Aces in the second version of the Australian Baseball League and a second stint as pitching coach
- First Australian to play college on a four-year scholarship and to coach and scout full-time for major league organisations, creating opportunities for other Victorians
Garry Bitmead
- Long service to elite Victorian teams and the growth of baseball in Victoria as a respected coach of state teams and the Victorian Institute of Sport
- Coached Melbourne Bushrangers in the old Australian Baseball League and was an assistant coach of the Victorian Under 16 Team from 2002 to 2003
- Head coach of the Victorian Under 16 Team from 2003 to 2010 - winning two national championships and finishing runner-up three times
- Head coach of the Victorian Women’s Team between 2008 and 2010 and won a national championship
- Promoted the development of junior baseball as a coach of the Strathmore Secondary College baseball team between 1985 and 2015, where he won numerous state championships
Stephen Black
- Contributed to elite coaching in Victoria for over 40 years, covering juniors, men’s, and women’s teams
- Melbourne Aces coach and extensive involvement in Baseball Victoria training, high-performance, and development programs
- Coached the Victorian State Provincial Team in the Commonwealth Cup (1995) and was assistant coach for Under 16 and Under 18 Victorian State Teams during 1990s
- Head coach of the Under 23 State Team from 2006 to 2008 and named Victorian representative and coach of the Under 13 Australian Team from 2007 to 2009
- Pitching coach for the Victorian Women’s State Team since 2022 and coach of the Women’s Victorian Aces showcase team in 2022 and 2024
Alan Sutherland
- Dedicated service through representative boys and girls junior team coaching and umpiring since 1986
- Coach of the Victorian Under 14 Development Team in 1994, 1995, 2014, and 2015 (received a Baseball Victoria Service Award that same year)
- Coach for Victorian Under 16 White Team in 2017 and 2018 and executive officer of the Victorian Under 18 Blue Team in 2020
- Head coach of the Victorian Dingoes and Hornets teams at the 2022 and 2023 Barclay Cup – nominated to the coaching panel for the Victorian Youth Women’s Program
- Baseball Victoria umpire since 2021, earning opportunities to officiate at the Australian Youth Championships and join the BV Umpiring Working Group