By Abby Collins
Volunteers like Rob Wilkinson are the lifeblood of the sporting world, selflessly dedicating their time and passion to enrich their communities.
Bond University is fortunate to have Rob Wilkinson as both an employee and a volunteer with a lifelong commitment to Australian Rules Football.
Rob’s foray into volunteering began when he was a teenager, operating the scoreboard for the senior team where he played his junior footy.
This early experience ignited a lifelong love for local footy and a desire to give back.
As his sons joined the Broadbeach Cats, Rob’s involvement deepened, taking on roles such as coaching, goal umpire and match day runner.
When his sons bid farewell to their footy days, Rob found himself seeking a new local club to call home. Serendipitously, an issue with the scoreboard at Bond University’s Bull Sharks’ oval crossed his desk in IT, and Rob seized the opportunity to lend a hand.
“My volunteering started from when I was playing footy up in Brisbane,” Rob said.
“I used to do the scoreboard for the seniors when I was a teenager and I’ve always been around my local footy clubs.
“Then my sons started at Broadbeach Cats. I used to do some coaching and I volunteered to do flags and be the runner, alongside various other duties.
“But my boys finished up footy recently, and I just love local footy so much. I went to one of the Bond home games at the start of this season and asked about whether they needed any more volunteers.”
Rob’s lifelong commitment and love for local footy clubs ensured that Bond’s ANZAC Round went off without a hitch. With a freshly fixed scoreboard and an IT superstar to operate it, the round was ready to roll out.
However, Rob’s first round came with a few surprises as he found himself dealing with more than just the score.
That weekend was ANZAC Day and also Ash’s Day at The Canal with all the Bull Sharks games dedicated to Bondi stabbing victim Ashley Good.
So, instead of just scoring, he was thrown into the deep end acting as gameday DJ and running the PA system.
“I saw the women’s first quarter, and the volunteers who did their scoring,” Rob said.
“I picked it all up pretty quickly with my IT background, I thought I should be alright, but I didn’t know about the Ashley Good presentation and the ANZAC Day ceremony.
“I had to make sure I got all the correct music and sirens playing during those. It was a little bit of a challenge, because I thought I was just doing the scoreboard.”
Rob’s love for volunteering extends beyond the sport itself.
He cherishes the opportunity to connect with people. Having spent many years on the sidelines or in the boxes, Rob has come to appreciate the rich stories and backgrounds of his fellow volunteers and players.
“It’s interesting listening to the stories of some of the young players who can’t play a game,” he said.
“They will sit in the scoreboard with me and tell me about their background, listening to their stories has been quite refreshing.”
Like most volunteers, Rob’s motivation is not glory or recognition, but rather the sense of community and camaraderie that comes from volunteering and his love for the game.
He has a deep affection for the Bond University community, finding that working there was not enough – he needed to volunteer too.
“I think the Bond football community is quite special,” he said.
“The sports program here is becoming second to none, not just for AFL but for rugby, swimming, and netball.”
Bond’s AFL club is grateful to have had a knight in shining armour like Rob to save their scoreboards, and to have gained a lifetime volunteer in the process.
“I just want to help out and I am in it for the long haul,” he said.
“If I can contribute some way to the Bond community for sport, I’m happy.”
This week is National Volunteers Week and one of the ways you can celebrate is by shouting out a passionate and hardworking volunteer from your club.
