Llew Morgan

Llew joined FCC in 2005 and was recently elected onto the Board of FCC. 

When did you Join FCC?

I first learnt about the FCC from my long standing Alphington mate, Mick Kane.  Mick would talk about his discovery of kayaking and FCC when we caught up at the footy or local community gatherings.  This was particularly apparent at Mick’s 50th Birthday at the Alphington Bowling Club when there was a significant contingent of FCC members and he spoke so glowingly about the club. It was later that year (2005) that I decided I would give it a go, along with our mutual friend Ed Walta.

 What kind of paddling do you do at FCC?

I consider myself a social/recreational paddler.  I would have to say that I am also a bit of “fair weather” paddler and tend to go into hibernation during the winter months.  During the warmer months I try to paddle at least twice a week, once on the weekend and a midweek paddle.   While I love paddling, it has not come easily, probably because I have taken it up a little later in life.  I have found that any problems with my technique or the boat tend to translate into injuries of some sort. I owe a lot to the patience of many people at the club who have helped me along the way including Margaret, Mick, Joe and Connie.  I also owe a lot to my good mate and paddling partner, Ed, particularly during the early days.  I am strictly a TK1 or 2 man, which I find gives me enough challenge. I have gained a great benefit from using the club boats over the years, which also helped me to choose my own boat, a Vector.  

 Any funny experiences while paddling?

For those who were around the club five years ago, you will probably have heard about the “run-away” Kayak at the Albury- Wodonga race in March 2006.   Ed and I teamed up in a TK2 lent to us by Liz Jenkins.  It was our inaugural race where we managed to stress test the race procedures.  It is amazing what a few false assumptions from two beginners can create.  We misinterpreted that there would be a bridge half way along the course when we looked at the map prior to the race.  The course we were looking at was the 26km race not our 16km race.  So, when we saw a bridge we kept going, as it happened, for another 16km.  As the presentations were being conducted we were still paddling.  Anyhow, with a lot of effort from the Mitta Mitta club, not to mention the angst it caused everyone, we were safely retrieved by the locals.   Lesson number one, don’t make assumptions.

 Do you play any other sports?

Another sport which I enjoy and has come in mighty handy for paddling is swimming.  When my exercise regime is going well I go 20 km per week on top of the water and 2 km in the water.  Occasionally I mix up the two sports when I end up in the drink.  I also enjoy bush walking, golf and used to do a bit of cross country skiing.  There is a common thread between paddling, bush walking and cross country skiing in the sense that it gives you a connection with nature.

 You were recently elected onto the FCC Board. What are your expectations? What will your role be?

I have always been very impressed by the way the club has been managed and the fantastic enthusiasm, friendliness and energy around the club, which is a real credit to all those that have been involved in the club over the years.  I decided I would like to contribute more and I threw my hat in the ring when the Board opportunity came up.  My main aims will be to listen, learn and help out wherever I can.  Hopefully, as I learn more about the club I can contribute some ideas along the way.  Initially my main areas of involvement lighten the load of others on the administrative side of things.  First up, I am helping Mick with the Membership responsibilities and Don with cleaning up some of the club documentation.  From my profile you will have guessed I will be keeping a wide birth from the technical aspects of kayaking.

 What do you do when you are not paddling?

I am a bit of a home body and love spending time with the family.  My wife Anna and I moved to Alphington 24 years ago and we have two boys, Daniel and Patrick, who are in their early twenties.  We have always enjoyed the local area and spending time with the local community, right from the early days of food co-ops and baby-sitting clubs to recent times having dinner together at the Grand View Hotel.  My professional life has been in Banking and Finance in a wide range of roles with most recent focus being in project management.  With the boys growing up, Anna and I have set our sights on overseas travel and have had a couple of trips to Europe over the last two years. 

 MFC Supporters’ Group 

One of the first social activities that I was introduced to at FCC was the Melbourne Football Club Supporters Group.  As I quickly learnt, this is an exclusive group which is made up of members with a common passion for the MFC.  I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest to one of their trimonthly pizza nights where there are deep discussions about everything red and blue.  Tony Payne runs a very sophisticated tipping competition about all aspects of MFC’s forthcoming performance.   After thorough scrutinising at a couple of pizza nights, I was inducted as full member.  I always look forward to getting together with the other exulted members to plot MFC’s future, which is looking a tad brighter at the moment.

 The club and its future

There is no doubt FCC ticks all the boxes.  The club promotes fitness and well-being for a wide variety of ages and paddling standards, community connection, and the environment.  With the strong membership, great club facilities and the wonderful Yarra River, the FCC has a very bright future.