South Sydney Member Co. 16th Annual General Meeting
6th March 2022
The 16th Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Member Co., in the 114th year of South Sydney, will be held in the Whittle Room in Souths Juniors Leagues Club on Sunday 6 March 2022 at 9.30am.
On the back of a successfull year where South Sydney almost claimed the NRL premiership, South Sydney recorded a record revenue of $33.2 mil in another difficult covid effected season.
The Board of the South Sydney Members Rugby League Football Club Limited (Member Co.) was returned today at the 16th Annual General Meeting held at The Juniors, Kingsford. Chairman Nicholas Pappas AM will continue to chair the Board of Directors which includes Michael Andrews, Nikolas Hatzistergos, Greg Johnston and Ray Martin. Pappas and Hatzistergos will continue to serve on the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Limited (Football Club) Board as the two Directors elevated from the Member Co. Board to represent the Club’s approximately 30,000 Members, who own 25% of the Football Club. Mr Pappas serves as Chairman of the Football Club Board as well.
Life Memberships - Martin & Jerry Lissing and Issac Luke
Three new Life Members were inducted at the South Sydney Members Rugby League Football Club (Member Co.) Annual General Meeting held at The Juniors Kingsford today. Former Directors and Committee Members, Martin and Jerry Lissing, were joined by Rabbitohs modern-day legend, Issac Luke, in being awarded Life Membership, the greatest honour that can be bestowed on an individual by the Club. On behalf of everyone connected to the Rabbitohs, we congratulate Martin Lissing, Jerry Lissing and Issac Luke on their Life Memberships.
Martin Lissing and Jerry Lissing have been life-long Rabbitohs supporters which started back in the 1950s when the Immortal Clive Churchill told Martin that he must promise to be a South Sydney man for life after meeting in 1954. Martin and Jerry joined fellow Life Member, Steve McDermott, in establishing ‘Group 14’ in 1998, a high-profile group of businesspeople, politicians and celebrities that helped the Rabbitohs win reinstatement to the elite Rugby League competition in 2001. They played integral roles in attracting sponsorship to the Club and provided a platform for the ‘Fightback’ which saw the Rabbitohs restored to the elite competition. The brothers were both Board Members of the Club as well as Martin being the Director of Football and Jerry the Director of Marketing. They played key roles in organising the rallies for reinstatement in Sydney.
Issac Luke is regarded as one of the modern-day greats of the South Sydney Football Club, having played a vital role in the Club’s 21st premiership victory in 2014. Issac made his first grade debut for South Sydney in 2007 against the Melbourne Storm, going on to amass 188 first grade games over nine seasons, scoring 414 points from 36 tries and 135 goals. Despite not playing in the 2014 Grand Final due to suspension, he played one of the starring roles in the Club securing its 21st premiership throughout that season. The little hooker with the strength of three front rowers was a crowd favourite. He always respected the Club’s Members, its history and his place within it. After the leaving the Club to return home to New Zealand for family, Issac was always greatly received by the crowd in attendance and always paid tribute to the Rabbitohs Members and supporters in the crowd. Issac, first grade player 1054, won the George Piggins Medal as the Rabbitohs’ best and fairest player in 2010, the John Sattler Rookie of the Year award in 2007, the Roy Asotasi Members’ Choice award in 2010 and 2013, the Burrow Appreciation award in 2013, and had the honour of ringing the foundation timekeeper’s bell on field as the Rabbitohs took to the turf before the 2021 NRL Grand Final, something which had only been done once before, by fellow Life Member and South Sydney legend, Bob McCarthy, in 2014. Luke played 43 Tests for New Zealand, including 36 whilst with South Sydney, making him the second most-capped international in South Sydney’s history.
Football Club Board Change
The Football Club Board has seen a change in directorship recently with Mr Steven Bennett retiring from the role, thereby creating the opportunity for Ms Kelly Morton to join the Rabbitohs Board of Directors.
The Football Club Board of Directors consists of the two Member Co. Directors Mr Pappas and Mr Hatzistergos, with Mr Luke Curry representing Souths Juniors; and four Directors representing Blackcourt League Investments - 75% investors in the Rabbitohs – those being Mr Sam McKay, Mr Mikael Borglund, Mr Keith Rodger and Ms Morton.
Kelly Morton is the founder of Skye Capital Advisory, which is one of Australia's most progressive and respected senior debt advisors in the Australasian market. With nearly two decades of experience, Kelly is considered a market leader in developing funding solutions and providing financial advice to corporates, infrastructure and private equity firms, including specialist advice on business transformation strategies to effect change, drive profit and stimulate growth. Kelly is also on the investment committee for Social Ventures Australia, and previously worked at Pottinger, UBS, National Australia Bank, Macquarie Bank and Andersen Consulting. Mr Pappas is delighted to have Ms Morton joining the Rabbitohs Board and wished Mr Bennett well in his future endeavours. "Kelly has a lot of skills and experience to contribute to our Football Club and we are delighted that she has agreed to take on the role," Mr Pappas said. "Steve has been a wonderful contributor to our Board, particularly in financial oversight. While he leaves our Board, he will continue to serve as an alternate director and his experience won’t be lost to our Club."