🎉 Junior Presentation Day 2026 – Let’s Make It One to Remember! 🎉
This year, we’re doing something a little different to make our Junior Presentation Day extra special! To create a more memorable and fun experience for our junior teams and their families, we’ve organised a fantastic off-site venue to host the celebrations.
📍 Inflatable World – Darra 📅 Saturday, 14 March 2026 ⏰ 5:00pm – 8:00pm
💰 Cost:
Kids $20 each
Adults $10 each
🎟 Tickets must be prepaid by purchasing an entry ticket via our website.
What’s included: ✔️ Unlimited use of Inflatable World equipment ✔️ Finger foods – Pizza, Sandwich Platters, Assorted Hye Roller Platters, Mini Roll Platters ✔️ Soft drinks – (no alcohol permitted)
More information concerning the Venue including venue rules – click on the following link
Please note, this event is cost-recovery only due to venue hire. Our goal is simply to give our juniors a fun, exciting way to celebrate their season and achievements.
We hope you can join us for a great night of presentations, laughter, and bouncing fun! 🙌
👉 Tickets available soon via our website – tickets purchases close Sunday 7th March 2026
All junior teams will recommence training the week commencing 12 January 2026 (i.e. next week) – unless your Team Coach has provided other information just for your team)
All junior games will recommence on Saturday 24 January 2026
Refer to GameDay for fixtured games
ROOKIEBALL games will recommence on Saturday 6 Feb 2026
Due to our Association with Good Sports and due to pressure being applied by various levels of Government/Council – our Club needs to become a non-smoking/vaping Club from 1 January 2026 with a sole designated smoking area to be nominated and clearly signed.
Non smoking signs will be placed around the Club in the near future.
We encourage all members to work with this new policy. We also encourage all new members to bring this policy to the attention of any person you see smoking or vaping around the club environs.
Any person disregarding this policy will be asked to desist in the first instance. If they refuse then they will be asked to leave the park.
This is already legislated for with regard to junior sport – please see below
Organised under-18 sporting and recreational events
Smoking is banned at and within 10 metres of activity, viewing and playing areas at:
organised children’s activities while activity is being provided.
organised under-18 sporting events during training or practice sessions, and at any intervals or breaks in play.
For children’s sporting events the ban includes the sporting ground or playing area, the viewing area for a water sport, public seating at the grounds and any other area reserved for use by the competitors and the officials. This also includes a 10-metre non-smoking buffer zone from all of these locations, but this does not extend into residential or business premises that share a boundary with these areas.
An organised under-18 sporting event is one that is arranged in advance, is conducted by a professional or amateur sporting body or education institution according to established rules and is intended for or predominately participated in by people under 18.
For organised children’s recreational activity or the ban includes the part of a park or similar area of land being used being used for the activity. This also includes a 10-metre non-smoking buffer zone from the activity area, but this does not extend into residential or business premises that share a boundary with the area.
An organised children’s recreational activity is one that is conducted by an association or club, organised for the participation of children and organised in advance. Examples include supervised outdoor activity or instruction from Scout or Girl Guide clubs, dance or exercise clubs, adventure or nature play associations. Organised children’s recreational activities do not include excursions or attendance at public events or street parades.
Further advice will be provided advising the one and only designated smoking area.
Click on this link to read the Club policy on a smoking and vape free Club
To all Buddy League and Teeball participants and families – our Buddy League and Teeball sessions have now concluded for the 2025/2026 summer baseball season.
The Committee would like to sincerely thank all involved for making these programs so much fun and providing so much enjoyment for all of the children.
Particular thanks to Akane Hatai for her wonderful implementation and management of our Buddy League program and to Hazel and Tara for running our program.
The same for Daryl Raven who managed and coached our Teeball players
We hope you will all be back next season for another enjoyable season of Buddy League; Teeball or maybe even Rookieball.
The Uniform shop can now only also be accessed BY APPOINTMENT – from 1 January 2026. To make an appointment or ask any questions, please text Wendy Gaunt at 0409 002 709 or email treasurer@westsbaseball.com.au
The Uniform Shop sells the following
Caps – fitted and adjustable
Playing jersey – numbers for playing jerseys will be as per stock available – we cannot provide a number preference for each player
White baseball pants – with belt loops or pull string – juniors and adults
Belts
Socks
Training Tee shirt
Club polo shirt
Hoodie
Club merchandise
Once your order is ready for collection, we will send you an email advising you that you can collect the order.
NOTE:- Not all uniform items are in stock – particularly playing jerseys which need to be ordered from the supplier with a 6 week lead time and we must order a minimum quantity each order.
Here is a list of Gavin Burke’s achievements during his time at Wests and after he left Wests for Canada
-Started playing ? @ Heroes pk Toowong
-Father played for South’s (precursor to Wests)
-Co-ordinated and coached in the satellite T Ball league run at Kenmore HS
-Distinguished A grade career
-Instrumental in field construction at Chelmer, Sherwood Football Club & Dunlop Parkk
-Junior and Senior coach for multiple seasons
-Late 70’s, personally purchased/imported a Jugs pitching machine for club development
-Was on the club committee as our BBL representative attending meetings with the league for a number of years
-Personally purchased steel tube, sourced fish net and hired a pipe bender & welder to construct a ‘MLB style’ batting cage. First in Brisbane at the time and probably Australia
-In partnership with suppliers, kitted the seniors in white Puma spikes (definitely an innovative in Aus at the time)
-Designed and organised construction of multiple uniforms for all grades
-Contacted New Era in the US redesigning the old Washing Senators logo into our current W (btw ? Years before the Nationals were in existence) and had caps made and shipped.
-Contacted Wilson USA and had the pinstripe uniforms designed/made/shipped
-Made professional drawings of a multi field complex at Darra which formed part of the successful lease application for the lease of vacant property previously a dump site
-Created all three ‘bulldog’ logos in the clubs history including the current one while living in Canada
-Created the current ‘Bulldog script’ as seen on the modern day navy jerseys also done from a distance while living in Canada
On a hot and sunny afternoon, a group of over 50 Wests Bulldogs Alumni members met at our Club and regailed over past glories. It was truly an honour to meet such legends from the past – champion club members, State and Australian players, international players and great blokes; the lot of them.
Many thanks to President – Andrew Kelly and Coordinator – Rod Heffernan – for getting this event going.
Particular thanks to cordon bleu chef – Andrew Kelly – for the catering for the evening with his special smoked pork and beef. The flavours and aroma were out of this world. Great tucker.
Many stories were told which shows our Club has a rich and valued history that we should be very proud of. Equally we should be very proud of this group of dedicated members who hold our Club is such high esteem.
Mark Danker and his wife Sarri; one of our star pitchers, travelled from Iowa USA to join the event. Mark regailed us with many and varied stories but the one that caught my ear was his story of pitching in the grand final series of three games – played over four days in which he pitched 9 innings in Game 1 and lost; John Zietek pitched Game 2 and won so then Mark Danker pitched ten innings four days later and won in the bottom of the 10th when a based load HPB scored the winning run – he pitched a total of 19 inings in four days – WOW!
Mark said he owes the Club a lot more than the Club owes him – I’m not so sure about that!
Glen Mahoney – one of our past Presidents – provided some hilarious commentary on what was done in the early days to get our fields at Darra started. But of course what is said in the room; stays in the room!
Never one to be shy when a microphone is present; evergreen Kenny McGuire spoke at length about the Club history.
Towards the end of the evening; President – Andrew Kelly – bestowed the honour of Life Membership to Gavin Burke. Gavin accepted this award to a standing ovation by all members present. Gavin now lives in Vancouver; Canada so it was very appropriate for the award to be presented to him in the company of his many peers.
Past Coach – Greg Wade – was good enough to give members present a great feeling for the varied and many things Gavin has done for the Club – as did the event Coordinator Rod Heffernan.
More details about Gavin in a later post.
Congratulations Gavin on a remarkable career here at Wests Baseball
Gavin Burke
The Wests Baseball Bulldogs Alumni is an active group for former players and supporters, with a public Facebook group for members to connect and share memories. They hold reunion events, like the one scheduled for November 22, 2025, which includes past players who were instrumental in the club’s history, such as those from the 1980s A-Grade championship teams.
Key activities and information
Facebook Group: The primary way to connect is through the official Wests Bulldogs Alumni & Friends Facebook group.
Reunions: The group organizes events for alumni to meet and reminisce. An upcoming event was planned for November 22, 2025, at the Wests Clubhouse.
Legacy: The group celebrates the history of the club, including legendary players who helped develop the baseball fields and won multiple A-Grade premierships in the 1980s.
International Members: The alumni group includes members who have traveled from different countries, such as Canada and the USA, for events.
Event Details: Reunion events are often paid events, with details available on the Facebook group page or through the Instagram account.
