Interclub cup day!!!

Today is the day! May the whale be with you as we look to win the Cup again.

Firstly, a big thanks to those who arrived early last Saturday to help set up pads and other timing system components. There is much more to do for ICC than there was last Saturday, and the weather might present some challenges. So, we need willing workers on site if all is to be ready for an on-time start! Remember for us to win this thing, we are going to need help from the WHAoLE POD!  

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the planning & preparation for the meet. We will be setting up from 1.30pm.

Coach's Corner for Inter-Club

• Ensure you have a good night's sleep on Friday night.
• Stay hydrated and fuelled on Saturday, especially those swimming at club on Saturday morning.
• Make sure you have some down time between club races and the afternoon's meet.
• Swimmers to be ready for Team Warm Up at 2.45pm
• White Merrylands caps for racing
• Give 100% in all your races, let your skills shine and support your team members!

Club Race Videos Now Live!

You can now watch our club race videos online. Head to: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

A big thankyou to Sylvia, and Johnson for organising and creating the video!!

Club Captains – Results are announced today! 

We’re excited to announce the results of the voting of Club Captains at presentation today. 

There is a lot going on today, but still come down for races in the morning to find out who the club captains for the 2025 season are!!

This Week’s Spotlight: Steve Havea (Coralie’s dad)

How long have you been with the Club?

3-4 years, we joined when Covid was easing up. Coralie had completed the Swimz Learn to Swim program at Guildford Pools and they referred her to the Merrylands Squad for further development. I don't swim myself, though I know just enough to survive, I think...

What is one thing you like about our Club?

I really, personally like the 'Team' feel and how it brings different people together. Getting to know other people during time keeping duties has been great fun and a refreshing change to the usual people I chat to at work. I'm also very appreciative of how the Club develops and challenges the swimmers. Coralie has really grown competitively through the encouragement of the coaches and the goal-setting activity.

One interesting thing about me?

I played competitive American football for the University of Technology Sydney for about 6 years. I was part of the defence team, and I loved the physicality of it! We got runner up once, Sydney Uni kept winning it. I retired once I hurt my knee. I also played senior basketball at Glebe Highschool and became state champions in 1994. Yes, I grew up around Glebe (back then it was a very rough area!) and moved out west to get married.

One message for the swimmers.

I always tell Coralie, 'You can do hard things!'

🐳 “Tune in next week to find out who will be in the spotlight next! It could be you!” 🐳

Whales Tales Editor

You may have noticed a bubbly new vibe in Whales Tales over the past month, and that’s thanks to Matthew Vicic, who has been steering the ship while Graham has been away.

Matthew has made such a splash with his updates, jokes, and whale-themed fun that he will be continuing as Editor for the rest of the season!

So next time you see him, be sure to let him know how much you enjoy reading Whales Tales, and how often his jokes make you groan… or giggle. 🐋😄

Club Merrylands Christmas Events

At Club Merrylands

Toy Raffle - Monday  8 December from 7.30pm (tickets on sale at 5.30pm)

FREE santa photos on Monday 8 December from 6pm -7.30pm

Ham and Pork Raffle - Monday 1st and 15th December from 7.30pm (tickets on sale at 5.30pm)

Seafood voucher Raffle -Monday 22 December from 7.30pm (tickets on sale at 5.30pm)

At Guildford Bowling Club

Toy Raffle - Saturday 6 December from 7pm (tickets on sale at 5pm)

Ham and Seafood voucher Raffle - Saturday 20 December from 7pm (tickets on sale at 5pm)

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as of 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria.

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Planning Your Championship Races

To compete in any upcoming champion races, you must have already swum the event successfully during this season before the day of the event.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered.

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members. 

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here. 

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Welcome to week 6 Saturday races (the second championship)!!

A reminder that this week we are testing our touch pads, which means, we are ALL setting up at 6:15. Ian Wilson, who normally gets there early to setup is currently on holidays, and Graham and Margret, although they are back, they will most likely be jet lagged, so please be there to help set up. All the help is always appreciated and needed.

Tomorrow is the second day of our weekly club races. This week the race is the 100 freestyle, then 100 breaststroke!

Club Race Videos now Live!

You can now watch our club race videos online. Head to: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

A big thankyou to Syliva, and Johnson for organising and creating the video!!

Halloween Lolly Jar Fundraiser!

Our Social Committee kicked off a sweet new fundraising competition to celebrate Halloween — a Lolly Jar Guessing Game! Last week they announced the runners ups and the winner, Gabriel 👻

Our Halloween Lolly Jar guessing competition raised $220 for the club! Congratulations to Gabriel who guessed 71 and was the closest!

Check out the Club Notice Board to see how close you and others came!

A huge thank you to Leanne for donating the glass jar and to Sylvia for supplying the lollies, at no cost to the club. 💙

Club Captains – Voting Closes Today! Our Whale Pod Leaders!

We’re excited to announce the nominations for Club Captain for the 2025 season! After a few withdrawals, the confirmed nominations are listed below.

💙 Male Club Captain Nominees:

• Joseph Assi
• Jokubas Urbonas
• Matthew Vicic
• Leo Zhu

💙 Female Club Captain Nominees:

• Lisa Shrestha

🗳️ Voting opened this week! All financial first claim members have received a link to the online voting system, where you can cast your vote for our next Whale leaders. Make sure you choose wisely!! Voting closes at 9:30am today.

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

Interclub cup is literally right around the corner and is approaching fast. Please ENSURE you have entered in EVERY race you can do! We have a huge shot of winning this year so let's do our best to do so!!

FOR THE WHALE!!! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋

Walk to Defeat MND – Amazing Result!

The walk for MND, was on Sunday the 2^nd and it was a blast. Our pod managed to raise, $13,500. Which put us in first place! For the walk. It was fantastic to see everyone coming out to support as well. Whale done!

Chase Those PBs!

 We’re cheering on all swimmers to push for new personal bests this month! To keep things exciting, we’ll be awarding $20 FatJaks vouchers to our monthly Graded Point Score winners. So, dive in, give it your all, and you could swim your way to a tasty reward! 💪🍔 

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions🐋

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as of 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria.

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Planning Your Championship Races

To compete in any upcoming champion races, you must have already swum the event successfully during this season before the day of the event.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Lions Club Award Nominees

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered.

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Saturday races Week 5 (the first championship)!!

A reminder that races start at 7:00AM, so please be there early to help set up. All the help is always appreciated.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Club Championship, and race is the 200 Individual Medley!!

MSW Long Course Championship Results!!

A huge congratulations to our 13 Whales who swam at the Metro South West Long Course Championships, at Sydney Olympic Park last weekend! 🐳

The team consisting of Gabriella Assi, Joseph Assi, Damien Chan, Marcus Chan, Tomas Dlesk, Patrick Hannan, Coralie Havea, William Johnston, Alison Johnston, Jay Shrestha, Samantha Terry, Leo Zhu, and Lillian Zhu, competed in 37 individual events across two big days of racing! Going off with a splash, all swimmers received pb’s in at least 1 of their swims! With a grand total of 23 PBs, 8 Finalists and 2 New Metropolitan qualifiers!

🐳 Go Whales!

Halloween Lolly Jar Fundraiser!

 Our Social Committee has kicked off a sweet new fundraising competition to celebrate Halloween — a Lolly Jar Guessing Game! 👻

A huge thank you to Leanne for donating the glass jar and to Sylvia for supplying the lollies, at no cost to the club. 💙The winner will be announced this week on, Saturday, 1^st of November, during club races.

Club Captains – Our Whale Pod Leaders!

We’re excited to announce the nominations for Club Captain for the 2025 season! A total of eight nominations were received — six for Male Club Captain and two for Female Club Captain.

After a few withdrawals, the confirmed nominations are listed below.

💙 Male Club Captain Nominees:

• Joseph Assi
• Jokubas Urbonas
• Matthew Vicic
• Leo Zhu

💙 Female Club Captain Nominees:

• Lisa Shrestha

🗳️ Voting opens this week!

All financial first claim members will receive a link to the online voting system, where you’ll be able to cast your vote for our next Whale leaders. Make sure you choose wisely!!

A big thank you to our outgoing Club Captains, Joseph Assi and Lisa Shrestha, for their dedication and leadership over the past season. You’ve helped steer our pod with pride! 🐋💪

Let’s celebrate everyone who put their flippers up for leadership — it’s your spirit that keeps the Whale pod strong! 🌊💙

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

Interclub cup is now right around the corner and is approaching fast. Please ENSURE you have entered in EVERY race you can do! We have a huge shot of winning this year so let's do our best to do so!!

Entries are open, so enter fast. EVERYONE IN EVERY RACE, lets aim to win that trophy again this year!! FOR THE WHALE!!! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋

Walk for MND!

““Hopefully no one forgot, but in case you did the Walk to Defeat MND this Sunday the 2nd of Nov (which is next week). That's just around the corner!

Thank you to all that have supported, if you have not yet, please give what you can. 

If you still wish to attend the walk, make sure you register before. You unfortunately cannot just “showup”. 

 Let's make it a club effort to get out there and support the walk, for more information or if you would like to register click the link below: https://www.walktodefeatmnd.org.au/fundraisers/MakeasplashforMND

Thank you to all that have supported, if you have not yet, please give what you can.

If you still wish to attend the walk, make sure you register before Sunday. You unfortunately cannot just “showup”. So sign up and join us!

Lucky Draws – Fat Jak’s Vouchers

As you hopefully now know, the Fat Jak’s vouchers will go to monthly graded point score winners, Swim for Your School winners, and more throughout the season.

Chase Those PBs!

 We’re cheering on all swimmers to push for new personal bests this month! To keep things exciting, we’ll be awarding $20 FatJaks vouchers to our monthly Graded Point Score winners. So, dive in, give it your all, and you could swim your way to a tasty reward! 💪🍔 

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as of 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria.

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Planning Your Championship Races

Our Club Championship races kick off in Week 5 with the 200m Individual Medley! To compete, you must have already swum that event successfully during this season.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for other Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered.

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

The Inter-Club Cup is back for 2025, this year hosted by us at our home pool! Can we win back the cup this year? We can only do it with your help!

When: Saturday, 15th November, 2025 @ 3:00pm
Where: Merrylands Swimming Centre
Cost: $10 per swimmer (plus transaction fee), which includes race entry fees, dinner and dessert.
Pool Entry: Free for all competitors and spectators.
Entries Close: 12th November, 2025 @ 5pm
Full Program: Program

Enter the meet via Swim Central using the button below.

So what are you waiting for? Enter today!

Enter Now

See Also

• Cumberland Inter-Club Cup

Our team of 13 swimmers had wonderful results at the 2025 Metro South West Championships, with 8 Finalists, 23 Personal Bests and two new Metropolitan qualifiers.

Gabriella Assi achieved two new personal best time in both her 50m events and swam her second fastest 100m Breaststroke time ever.

Joseph Assi swam a new personal best time in his 50m Butterfly and picked up a finalist position for his 100m Breaststroke. 

Damien Chan was a finalist in both the 200m Individual Medley and the 100m Breaststroke, where he also achieved a personal best time.  Damien's 100m Freestyle was a new best at the end of a long weekend.

Marcus Chan was our last swimmer to swim on Sunday afternoon and had big impact with a new personal best and top 10 finish in the 100m Breaststroke.

Tomas Dlesk had a huge program of 6 events and had a fantastic run with 5 new personal bests, including a 50m split in his 100m Freestyle.  Tomas had a big personal best time in his 200m Individual Medley to qualify for these championships and further reduced his best by 6 seconds.

Patrick Hannan had solid swims in his 50m events, the 50m Breaststroke and Freestyle, just outside his best.

Coralie Havea swam a classy 100m Backstroke with a beautiful start and a new best time.  Coralie's new best in the 50m Freestyle has now qualified her for her first Metropolitan Championships.

William Johnston took a chunk out of his 100m Freestyle with a 5 second PB.

Alison Johnston jumped in for a 50m Freestyle in between coaching and picked up a top 10 finish.

Jay Shrestha achieved new PBs in all 4 of his events, including a top 10 finish in his 100m Breaststroke and also qualifying for his first Metropolitan Championships in the 50m Breaststroke.

Samantha Terry had a great swim in her 100m Freestyle, breaking the 1.20 barrier and taking over 5 seconds off her time.  Samantha also achieved a new best in her 50m Breaststroke.

Leo Zhu picked up top 10 finishes in both his swims: the 50m and 100m Breaststroke.

Lillian Zhu swam 4 from 4 new personal best times in her events, including a 6 second personal best in her 100m Breaststroke.

A special congratulations to Coralie Havea and Jay Shrestha, who have qualified for the Metropolitan Championships for the first time! 

Thank you to coaches Alison Johnston, Peter Johnston, and Matthew Vicic for their tireless support and guidance over the weekend.

We also thank all the parents for their unwavering support, encouragement, and dedication to the team.

Merrylands will be represented by 13 swimmers at the Metro South West Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre this weekend.

Our team is competing in 37 individual events over the 2-day meet, and consists of:

Gabriella Assi
Joseph Assi
Damien Chan
Marcus Chan
Tomas Dlesk
Patrick Hannan
Coralie Havea
William Johnston
Alison Johnston
Jay Shrestha
Samantha Terry
Leo Zhu
Lillian Zhu

Congratulations to all our swimmers on qualifying. May the Whale be with you all!

Saturday races Week 4!!

A reminder that races start at 7:00AM, so please be there early to help set up. All the help is always appreciated.

MSW Long Course Championship

A huge congratulations to our 13 Whales who have qualified for the Metro South West Long Course Championships, being held at Sydney Olympic Park this weekend! 🐳

Our team consists of Gabriella Assi, Joseph Assi, Damien Chan, Marcus Chan, Tomas Dlesk, Patrick Hannan, Coralie Havea, William Johnston, Alison Johnston, Jay Shrestha, Samantha Terry, Leo Zhu, and Lillian Zhu, will be competing in 37 individual events across two big days of racing! Let’s cheer them on as they make waves at SOPAC! 🌊💪

A message from our up and away club president: “best wishes to the squad and coaches for the meet. May the whale be with you all.” 🐋 

Calling All Awesome Bakers!

We’re gearing up for the Interclub Cup and need some fin-tastic volunteers to help with our fundraising! If you love to bake cakes, cupcakes, slices, or other treats, we’d love your support. Please reach out to Denise, Kylee, or Sylvia by 31st October (next Friday) to let us know what you can bring! Let’s make a splash, and some sweet treats too, to support our club! 🌊💙

Halloween Lolly Jar Fundraiser!

Our Social Committee has kicked off a sweet new fundraising competition to celebrate Halloween — a Lolly Jar Guessing Game! 👻

A huge thank you to Leanne for donating the glass jar and to Sylvia for supplying the lollies, at no cost to the club. 💙The winner will be announced next Saturday, 1^st of November, during club races, just before the Walk to Defeat MND weekend! How many lollies do you think are in the jar? Take a guess and help support our club, it’s spook-tacularly sweet fun! 🎃🐋🍬

Make sure you bring you gold coins and cash; to take a guess, we’ve already gotten over 30 guesses. Some are even getting close...

Club Captains – Nominations Close Today!

Hurry, nominations close today at 9:30am for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains!

 💙 Who can nominate?

Financial first claim members aged 14 years and over as at 1st October are eligible to be elected.

 📝 How to nominate:

Submit your nomination here 👉 https://forms.office.com/r/qSuYfheZ6g

 📘 Learn more:

Details about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website under the By-Laws.

Once nominations close, we’ll confirm acceptance and invite candidates to submit a bio and photo for the online voting system.

🗳️ Voting will take place on 8th November (Week 6) all financial first claim members will receive a link to vote.

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

It’s our turn to host the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup, happening on Saturday 15th November at Merrylands Swimming Centre. This is no small fish — it’s one of the highlights of the season, and we’re ready to whale-come everyone for an afternoon of fantastic racing.

We’ll also be rolling out our set of touch pads for the meet, so here’s your early reminder: this event is a WHOLE POD effort. We’ll need all fins on deck, helping on the day. It will be truly appreciated! 🐋👏

Entries are open, so enter fast. EVERYONE IN EVERY RACE, lets aim to win that trophy once again this year!! FOR THE WHALE!!! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋

Walk for MND!

“Hopefully no one forgot, but in case you did the Walk to Defeat MND is on the 2^nd of Nov (which is next week). That's just around the corner! Let's make it a club effort to get out there and support the walk, for more information or if you would like to register click the link below: https://www.walktodefeatmnd.org.au/fundraisers/MakeasplashforMND

Lucky Draws – Fat Jak’s Vouchers

As you hopefully now know, the Fat Jak’s vouchers will go to monthly graded point score winners, Swim for Your School winners, and more throughout the season.

Chase Those PBs!

 We’re cheering on all swimmers to push for new personal bests this month! To keep things exciting, we’ll be awarding $20 FatJaks vouchers to our monthly Graded Point Score winners. So, dive in, give it your all, and you could swim your way to a tasty reward! 💪🍔 

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as at 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Planning Your Championship Races

Our Club Championship races kick off in Week 5 with the 200m Individual Medley! To compete, you must have already swum that event successfully during this season.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for other Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered.

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

As the 2025/2026 season commences for its third week!!

A reminder that races start at 7:00AM, so please be there early to help set up. All the help is always appreciated.

The Metro Southwest Championships will be held on the 25th and 26th of October, and all swimmers in the Development Squad and above are expected to attend. Entries have now closed so good luck to all our swimmers. If there are any other questions about the event, please speak to your coach! 🐋

Calling All Awesome Bakers!

We’re gearing up for the Interclub Cup and need some fin-tastic volunteers to help with our fundraising! We have had a few people sign up so thank you to them but if you love to bake cakes, cupcakes, slices, or other treats, we’d still love your support. Please reach out to Denise, Kylee, or Sylvia by 31st October to let us know what you can bring! Let’s make a splash, and some sweet treats too, to support our club! 🌊💙

Club Captains – Nominations Now Open!

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are now open and will close at 9:30am on Week 4 (Friday, 25th October).

Eligibility: Financial first claim members aged 14 years and over as of the 1st of October are eligible to be nominated for these positions. Kids, ask your parents, parents, ask Graham. Once found enter the nominee here: https://forms.office.com/r/qSuYfheZ6g

 Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website under the By-Laws section. Once nominations close, we’ll confirm acceptance from nominees and invite them to submit a bio and photo to be included in the online voting system.

📅 Voting:

All financial first claim members can cast their vote in Week 6 (Friday, 8th November). A link to the online voting system will be provided closer to the date.

Let’s celebrate leadership, team spirit, and the whale way! 🐳💪

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

As you know it’s our turn to host the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup, happening on Saturday 15th November at Merrylands Swimming Centre. This is no small fish — it’s one of the highlights of the season, and we’re ready to whale-come everyone for an afternoon of fantastic racing.

We currently have 12 swimmers entered for the Interclub Cup — but we know our pod can make an even bigger splash! 💪

If you haven’t entered yet, get those entries in ASAP so we can plan ahead and allocate duties. The sooner you enter, the smoother things will run for everyone.

We’ll also be rolling out our set of touch pads for the meet, so here’s your early reminder: this event is a WHOLE POD effort. We’ll need all fins on deck, helping on the day. It will be truly appreciated! 🐋👏

Entries are open, so enter fast. EVERYONE IN EVERY RACE, lets aim to win that trophy once again this year!! FOR THE WHALE!!! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋

Mr Whaley Walters Whispers

🐋 Meet Our Swimmers! – This Week’s Spotlight: Samantha 🌊

“This week, we had a chat with one of our lucky swimmers — Samantha! Here’s what she had to say:

 Q1. How long have you been at the club?

🗣️ For about 4 seasons.

 Q2. What’s your favourite stroke?

🗣️ Butterfly. 🦋

 Q3. What’s your favourite part about training?

🗣️ Pushing myself in the main set. 💪

 Q4. What’s your favourite part about swimming with Merrylands Club?

🗣️ Swimming with my friends nearly every day and pushing myself to do my best! 💙

Stay tuned — next week another lucky swimmer/volunteer, will get the chance to answer a few (possibly the same… possibly different!) questions. Who will it be? “ 👀

Masters Swimming NSW SC Championships

Congratulations to our small but mighty team who represented us at the Masters Swimming NSW Short Course Championships! 💪

 🌊 Varant was super sprinty, smashing out new personal bests in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Individual Medley, and 25m Freestyle!

🏅 Alison had an incredible meet — picking up 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze, plus swimming her fastest 200m Freestyle in four years! She also earned the title of Runner Up Female Swimmer of the Meet! 👏

Amazing effort from both our swimmers — proof that even a small pod can make big waves! 💙🐳

Walk for MND – We’ve Smashed Our Goal!

 We’ve gone well and truly over our goal for the Walk for MND! Our target was $5,000, and we’ve now reached an incredible $5,623.92! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated and supported the cause so far — every dollar helps make waves in the fight against MND. 🌊

 But let’s not stop there — let’s see if we can push that total even higher! 💪

 🗓️ Don’t forget: The Walk to Defeat MND is coming up on Sunday, 2nd November 2025 — that’s just around the corner! You can still register to join the walk or donate to support the team.

👉 Want to donate or sign up? Just swim on over to the channel below to get involved! 🐳💙

https://www.walktodefeatmnd.org.au/fundraisers/MakeasplashforMND

That's all from me this week, make sure you read next week to find out all the hot goss”  🐋

Mid Read Joke of the day:

1. Why did the swimmer take so long to hop into the pool?
2. They were just taking things one stroke at a time. 🏊‍♀️

Chase Those PBs!

As you hopefully now know, the Fat Jak’s vouchers will go to monthly graded point score winners, Swim for Your School winners, and more throughout the season.

Don’t forget — this month’s Graded Point Score winners will each receive a $20 FatJaks voucher! Keep pushing for those PBs and check your progress on the Clubhouse Noticeboard — that’s where you’ll find the points ladder and other updates.! 💪🍔 

You can now check your club race results online shortly after each swim! Visit our club website to track your times and see how you’re improving.

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as at 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Planning Your Championship Races

Our Club Championship races kick off in Week 5 with the 200m Individual Medley! To compete, you must have already swum that event successfully during this season.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for other Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

As the 2025/2026 season commences for its second week!!

A reminder that races start at 7:00AM, so please be there early to help set up. All the help is always appreciated.

The Metro Southwest Championships will be held on the 25th and 26th of October, and all swimmers in the Development Squad and above are expected to attend. Entries close on the 15th of October, so be sure to get yours in on time, and if you have any questions about which events to enter, please speak with your coach. 🐋

Calling All Awesome Bakers!

We’re gearing up for the Interclub Cup and need some fin-tastic volunteers to help with our fundraising! If you love to bake cakes, cupcakes, slices, or other treats, we’d love your support. Please reach out to Denise, Kylee, or Sylvia by 31st October to let us know what you can bring! Let’s make a splash, and some sweet treats too, to support our club! 🌊💙

Club Captains – Nominations Now Open!

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are now open and will close at 9:30am on Week 4 (Friday, 25th October).

Eligibility: Financial first claim members aged 14 years and over as of the 1st of October are eligible to be nominated for these positions. Kids, ask your parents, parents, ask Graham. Once found enter the nominee here: https://forms.office.com/r/qSuYfheZ6g

 Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website under the By-Laws section. Once nominations close, we’ll confirm acceptance from nominees and invite them to submit a bio and photo to be included in the online voting system.

📅 Voting:

All financial first claim members can cast their vote in Week 6 (Friday, 8th November). A link to the online voting system will be provided closer to the date.

Let’s celebrate leadership, team spirit, and the whale way! 🐳💪

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

It’s our turn to host the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup, happening on Saturday 15th November at Merrylands Swimming Centre. This is no small fish — it’s one of the highlights of the season, and we’re ready to whale-come everyone for an afternoon of fantastic racing.

We’ll also be rolling out our set of touch pads for the meet, so here’s your early reminder: this event is a WHOLE POD effort. We’ll need all fins on deck, helping on the day. It will be truly appreciated! 🐋👏

Entries are open, so enter fast. EVERYONE IN EVERY RACE, lets aim to win that trophy once again this year!! FOR THE WHALE!!! 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋

Mr Whaley Walters Whispers

🐋 “Theres talks of two young swimmers competing this week so good luck to Varant Jambazian and Alison Johnston, who are diving into action at the State Masters Short Course Championships in Woy Woy this weekend — we’re cheering you on!

-Oh, also hopefully no one forgot but in case you did the Walk to Defeat MND is on the 2^nd of Nov. That's just around the corner! You can still register to join the Walk to Defeat MND on 2 November 2025. Want to donate? Just swim on over to this channel:

https://www.walktodefeatmnd.org.au/fundraisers/MakeasplashforMND

That's all from me this week, make sure you read next week to find out all the hot goss”  🐋

🎟️ Lucky Draws – Fat Jak’s Vouchers

Last week we had, for the first time EVER, 2 lucky VOLUNTEERS, who won $20 vouchers to spend at FATJAKS. Congratulations to the hard-working Glenda and David!!

As you hopefully now know, the Fat Jak’s vouchers will go to monthly graded point score winners, Swim for Your School winners, and more throughout the season.

P.S if you still for some reason have not collected the 10% loyalty card from Syliva, PLEASE DO SO. It’s literally cheaper food.

Mid Read Joke of the day:

Q: What did the coach say to the whale after practice?

A: “You’re really making waves out there!” 🌊

🏊‍♀️ Chase Those PBs!

 We’re cheering on all swimmers to push for new personal bests this month! To keep things exciting, we’ll be awarding $20 FatJaks vouchers to our monthly Graded Point Score winners. So, dive in, give it your all, and you could swim your way to a tasty reward! 💪🍔 

Now you are probably asking yourself “but Matthew how do I collect points”, don’t worry I have got you covered;

Saturday Morning Point Score Competitions

There are three competitions run each Saturday morning that can gain you points.

🏅 Graded Races:

Swimmers are grouped by entry times and earn points based on how well they swim against their own time.

🎯 Championships:

Swimmers race within their age group (as at 1st October), with an Open Championship also available for all ages who meet the qualifying criteria

💪 Senior Handicap:

A fun event for swimmers 17 years and over.

For more information see here: https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Learn to Swim – Making Waves This Season!

Our Learn to Swim program kicks off on Saturday, 18 October 2025. Full details, terms, and the process are available on our website:

https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/learntoswim/

Before you can enrol, all new swimmers must complete an evaluation session. Evaluation Day: Saturday, 18 October, at 9:15am Bookings Close: Friday, 16 October (or earlier if spaces fill up – and they whale-y do fast!) 🐳

So don’t drift – get your spot locked in before the tide goes out.

 🏊 Enrolments close Friday, 16 October, unless we reach capacity sooner. Remember, spaces are limited – so book early to secure your place in the pod! 🐬

 🙋 Questions?

 See or contact Kylee Murray if you have any questions – she’s your go-to guide for smooth sailing.

Planning Your Championship Races

Our Club Championship races kick off in Week 5 with the 200m Individual Medley! To compete, you must have already swum that event successfully during this season.

To make sure you don’t miss out on qualifying for other Championship events, it’s important to plan your swims well ahead.

💡Here are some quick tips to help you qualify:

1. Check the Season Program to see when each Championship event is scheduled.
2. Plan your qualifying swim at least two weeks before the Championship — this gives you time to recover if you miss a week or get disqualified.
3. Stay consistent and track your progress — every swim gets you closer to championship readiness!

So, start planning, keep training hard, and let’s see those fins making waves come Championship time! 🌊🐳

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop . Some items may require a special order to be placed with our suppliers, so planning orders ahead of time will allow for the items to be delivered.

Social Butterflies Making a Splash!

This week our younger members had another chance to get involved with a Club Merrylands–sponsored Minifit Program on Tuesday, 7th October! They were also treated with the surprise of meeting Anthony Minichiello, former NRL Roosters Captain!

It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces and energetic swimmers joining in. 💪💦

A huge thank you to our amazing Social Committee for organising everything, and to our long-time sponsor, Club Merrylands, for their continued support. 🙌

Let’s show our appreciation by supporting Club Merrylands — they help keep our pod swimming strong! 🐳💙

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

P-Plate Award

As the season rolls along keep an eye out for someone making a silly mistake. We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to do this.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Season 2025/2026 Begins!!

Today is the start of the 2025/2026 summer races season. Welcome back to all of our members and a special welcome to our new members joining us for the first time. A reminder that races start at 7:00am, so please be arrive at the pool by 6.45am to help set up and be ready for your races. All the help is always appreciated.

The Metro Southwest Championships will be held on the 25th and 26th of October, and all swimmers in the Development Squad and above are expected to attend. Entries close on the 15th of October, so be sure to get yours in on time, and if you have any questions about which events to enter, please speak with your coach. 🐋🌊

Message from our Registrar

The 2024/2025 season has ended, and members need to purchase their 2025/2026 memberships - refer to the how to join/renew link on the club website for more information.

We are again providing Free Membership for swimmers 8yrs & Under, who regularly swim in our club races. See the club website for more information about this. 🐳

Training Messages

Reminder there is no training on Monday 6th October for the Labour Day Public Holiday. Training is on as normal for all other days in the holidays. If you are away, please lodge your absences in the Parent Portal.

Breakfast BBQ – This Saturday!

After our Club races today, we’ll be firing up the BBQ to celebrate the official start of the 2025/2026 season. Come hungry, leave whale-y full! 🐳🔥

Making a splash at the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup!

It’s our turn to host the Cumberland Inter-Club Cup, happening on Saturday 15th November at Merrylands Swimming Centre. This is no small fish — it’s one of the highlights of the season, and we’re ready to whale-come everyone for an afternoon of fantastic racing.

Our Social Committee has been working like busy barnacles to final whale all the details and make sure the day goes swimmingly.

We’ll also be rolling out our set of touch pads for the meet, so here’s your early reminder: this event is a WHOLE POD effort. We’ll need all fins on deck, helping on the day. It will be truly appreciated! 🐋👏

Walk to Defeat MND – 2 Nov 2025

You can still register to join the Walk to Defeat MND on 2 November 2025. Want to donate? Just swim on over to this link:

https://www.walktodefeatmnd.org.au/fundraisers/MakeasplashforMND

Lucky Draws – Fat Jak’s Vouchers

Last week’s Lucky Swimmers were Max and Ruth – congrats on snagging $20 Fat Jak’s vouchers! That was the final swimmer draw.

This week, we’re turning the tide, 2 x $20 vouchers will go to our Lucky Volunteers!

How to be in the running? Easy – help with setup, grab a stopwatch, flip some sausages at the BBQ, or stick around to pack up. (These are things all parents/volunteers should be pitching in with anyway – don’t be a little shellfish 🐚).

From now on, Fat Jak’s vouchers will go to monthly graded point score winners, Swim for Your School winners, and more throughout the season.

If you haven’t picked up your 10% off Fat Jak’s VIP card, find Sylvia poolside. (The card can’t be used on combo deals or with other offers).

Learn to Swim – Making Waves This Season! 

📅 Program Start Date:

Our Learn to Swim program kicks off on Saturday, 18 October 2025. Full details, terms, and the process are available on our website:

merrylandsasc.asn.au/learntoswim/

Before you can enrol, all new swimmers must complete an evaluation session. Evaluation Day: Saturday, 18 October, at 9:15am Bookings Close: Friday, 16 October (or earlier if spaces fill up – and they whale-y do fast!) 🐳

So don’t drift – get your spot locked in before the tide goes out.

 🏊 Enrolments close Friday, 16 October, unless we reach capacity sooner. Remember, spaces are limited – so book early to secure your place in the pod! 🐬

 🙋 Questions?

 See or contact Kylee Murray if you have any questions – she’s your go-to guide for smooth sailing.

Donations

Our partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation allows supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the club. Funds raised help us upgrade and maintain our equipment and systems, providing better facilities for you, our members.

We appreciate the great support our members have provided since the partnership commenced. Donations can be made here.

Whale Joke of Day

Q: What do whales like to eat for lunch?
A: Fish & ships! ⚓😂

Committee for 2025/2026

The AGM of the club was held in May. The Executive and Committee elected for 2025/2026 are:

Executive Members

Committee Members

The Registrar for the club this season is Sylvia Chan. Any questions about membership should be directed to Sylvia.

Congratulations and welcome to everyone elected to positions on the club Committee.

We also have a couple of club sub-committees and these are comprised of the following Committee members:

Competition Committee

Alison Johnston (Race Secretary & Chair)
Peter Johnston
Tricia Johnston

Social Committee

Denise Assi (Social Secretary)
Sylvia Chan
Kylee Murray

Learn to Swim Committee

Kylee Murray (LTS Co-ordinator)
Leanne Tovkach
Varant Jambazian

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.