General (IMPORTANT) Message

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Saturday Races

Welcome to Championship week 4!! This week we have swimmers competing in the 400 Freestyle! Good luck to everyone.

Please arrive at 6:45 or earlier to help us set up! Especially for today, as it is the 400 free. See if you can be nominated for a lion's club award!!

NSW Metropolitan Youth Championships

A huge congratulations to Coralie Havea and Jay Shrestha, who sawm at the Metropolitan youth Championships. They swam so well they even made the times and qualified for the state age championships.

This is the first time both swimmers have qualified for state age championships. When you see them make sure to congratulate them and wish them luck!

Whales Challenge – Coming Up this Week!

Get ready for Round 2 of the Whales Challenge!

The winning team this week will take home a delicious prize to share.

Bring your team spirit, your fastest fins, and plenty of energy, it’s going to be another exciting morning at the pool! 🌊🎉

The Whale's Challenge is a fun and competitive 3-meet intra-club series where our members go head-to-head in two teams, each proudly named after former Merrylands State Champions who went on to represent Australia.

Check the Merrylands website to find out which team you’ll be swimming for and wear your team colour with pride. 🐋🔥

https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/whaleschallenge.aspx - you can check here.

Joke of the Week

Q1: Why did the whale offer advice to the team?
A: He’s got oceans of experience…and he wanted to help them sea success!

Registrar’s Update – Masters Members

A quick message for our Masters swimmers:

Memberships for the 2026 season, including 12-month competitor and dry memberships are now available for purchase in Swim Central!

If you’re planning to compete or stay connected with the club throughout 2026, make sure to log in and secure your membership. 

Lions Club Award Nominees

For those who are not finical members within the club, cannot receive the award, but their help does not go unrecognised, thank you to all our helpers, who make run our club. If you wish to nominate someone for the lion's club award, please see the link in today's newsletter. (end)

November Graded Point Score Winners

This Saturday we will be announcing the November Graded Point Score winners!

A $20 Fat Jaks voucher will be awarded to both the top male and top female point scorers for the month. Good luck, Whales, and keep chasing those PBs! 🐋💨 

This Week’s Spotlight – Denise Assi

This week we dive into the story of one of the key members of our Merrylands community: Denise Assi. She’s not just a supportive parent and a volunteer but also someone with a fascinating journey to share.

Q1. What’s been your journey to the Club?

 A: It all started with Darla, my eldest daughter. She was doing Squad training at ABC Swimming at Guildford Pools and had her first primary school swimming carnival coming up. So, the evening before the carnival, we went to Merrylands Pools to get a feel of swimming 50m for the first time (Guildford Pool only has 25m). The Merrylands Squad was there practicing and Peter noticed Darla swimming. He did a mini trial on the spot and invited Darla to join squads the very next Monday! It wasn't until about a year later that we attended Saturday morning club races as it clashed with Little Athletics. Throughout the next 10 years, my other two children Joseph and Gabriella joined the MASC community as competitive swimmers, and I helped by volunteering as the Chief Timekeeper and Social Secretary.

Q2. What do you love about the Club?

A: The families and the people that share the same passion for swimming and the sense of community. Whilst I don't swim nearly as good as my kids, I do swim laps for fun, and my kids laugh at me and try to correct my technique. I love watching my kids swim and helping where I can.

Q3. A message for the swimmers

A: Know what you want and don't be afraid to go and get it!

Q4. Something interesting about you

A: I have lived the 'Devil Wears Prada' life. I grew up in fashion—creating it and shopping for it! I had to endure a boss just like Miranda Priestly and worked my way from the bottom and now run my own boutique custom gowns business for children. I love shopping, and my legs (and bank account) get the best exercise at the shopping centres.

Club Captain Skins

Get ready for one of the most exciting events of the season, the Captains’ Freestyle Skins! This knockout-style sprint challenge is fast, fun, and guaranteed to get the whole pool deck cheering.

Each Club Captain will select four swimmers to represent their team in this high-energy event. The Skins are raced over four rounds, with competitors swimming a short, explosive freestyle sprint each round.

🔥 How the Skins Work

• Teams are chosen by the captains before racing begins
• Swimmers race four consecutive rounds
• After each round, the slowest swimmer from each team is eliminated
• The intensity builds as the field narrows, leaving the fastest Whales battling it out for team glory in the final round

This format rewards speed, stamina, and strategy, and it’s always a crowd favourite!

So, keep an eye out for the team selections, warm up those sprinting fins, and get ready to cheer loudly…the Captains’ Freestyle Skins are coming! 🐋💨💦

Christmas Breakfast BBQ – Saturday 20th December

Join us after club races for our annual Christmas Breakfast BBQ!
There will be food, fun, Christmas novelty swim races, and plenty of festive cheer.

Christmas Raffle Prizes

Every member and volunteer attending on the day will receive one free raffle ticket.
 Extra tickets can be purchased before or on the day:

• $2 each
• $5 for 3 tickets

🌟 Prizes include:

• $20 Fat Jaks vouchers
• $50 Bunnings voucher
• Kyle Chalmers autographed T-shirts, caps & hoodies
• L'Occitane hair care travel kit
• TYR Junior goggles pack
• Christmas lolly jar (strawberry & tutti fruitti candy canes)

Lolly Jar Guessing Game

• $2 per guess or $5 for 3 guesses
• Available from Week 6 at club races & squads
• Winners must be present on 20th December to claim prizes

See Sylvia for raffle tickets and lolly jar guesses.

Secret Santa

Kids and adults are invited to join in!
Bring a wrapped gift (maximum value $10) if you’d like to participate in our Club Secret Santa.

Raging Waters Club Day – Saturday 10th January 2026

After club races, we’re heading to Raging Waters for a club day out!
Discounted tickets are available for $45 per person.
If you’d like to join, contact Sylvia (0435 178 628) by 20th December.

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) 

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.

Merrylands' team of 2 had amazing results at the NSW Youth Metropolitan Championships this weekend.

This was the first time that Coralie Havea and Jay Shrestha qualified for this event, and qualifying is a great achievement in itself! 

On Day 1, Coralie competed in the 50m Freestyle and had a wonderful performance where she achieved a new personal best time of 30.47. Coralie was just outside the top 10, coming 11th out of a field of 70! Coralie's time also qualified her for the NSW Senior State Age Championships for the first time.

Coralie then swam the 50m Butterfly and further reduced her mark with a new best by over half a second, finishing in 36.27.

On Day 2, Jay had a fantastic race in the 50m Breaststroke and took over half a second off his previous best to finish in 40.08. Jay's swim also qualified him for the NSW Senior State Age Championships for the first time.

Our coaching team is so proud of the growth of these two swimmers and seeing their application of skills developed at training executed in a representative meet. Jay started in our Club's Learn to Swim Program, and Coralie started in our Novice Squad program, and the Club is very proud of their progress.

Coralie and Jay will now compete at the NSW Senior State Age Championships in 2 weeks. Congratulations, Coralie and Jay!

Saturday Races

Please arrive at 6:45 to help us set up! See if you can be nominated for a lion's club award!!

NSW Metropolitan Youth Championships

A huge congratulations to Coralie Havea and Jay Shrestha, who have both qualified for — and will be swimming at — the NSW Metropolitan Youth Championships this weekend!

This is the first time both swimmers have qualified for Metros, which makes the achievement even more exciting.

Events & Race Times

Coralie Havea

Session 1 – 50m Freestyle

Approx. 11:33am, Saturday

Session 2 – 50m Butterfly

Approx. 2:18pm, Saturday

Jay Shrestha

Session 4 – 50m Breaststroke

Approx. 2:42pm, Sunday

Enjoy your swims — we are incredibly proud of your achievements and the way you represent our club at these championships.

May the Whale be with you both! 🐋💙🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️

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!!

Swim for Your School – This Saturday!

Bring your school spirit to the pool! This Saturday, swimmers have the chance to represent their school at our club races. The school with the highest points on the morning will take home a special prize!

Invite your friends to join in and help boost your school’s score — all they need is a Come & Try membership to participate.

🗓️ When

• Saturday 29th November, 2025 – 7am to 9am
• Saturday 14th February, 2026 – 7am to 9am
• Saturday 21st March, 2026 – 7am to 9am 

🏊 How to Get Involved 

Current Club Members

• Enter Club Races as usual via Swim Central
• Make sure we know which school you attend

Friends / New Swimmers

• Register for a Come & Try membership
• Enter Club Races via Swim Central
• Let us know which school you attend

Let’s see which school will make the biggest splash! 🐋🌊

Whales Challenge – Coming Up Next Week!

The Whale's Challenge is a fun and competitive 3-meet intra-club series where our members go head-to-head in two teams, each proudly named after former Merrylands State Champions who went on to represent Australia.

Next week is our first Whales Challenge meet, so make sure you check the Merrylands website to see which team you’ve been placed in!

🏊 How the Whales Challenge Works

• Members are divided into two teams.
• Swimmers compete to earn points for their team.
• Team names honour two of our club’s past champions.
• Swimmers must wear their club cap in their team colour while racing to ensure their points count.
• Entries are submitted as usual through the normal Saturday morning process.
• Team lists will also be posted on the Club Notice Board.

Maroon “Turner” Team

Named after Darren Turner, Merrylands’ first-ever State Champion.

In 1977, Darren won the Boys 10yrs & Under 100m Backstroke at the NSW State Winter Championships and claimed Bronze in the 100m Freestyle. During his time at the club, he set 21 club championship records and won the 50m Backstroke at the NSW Shell Age Series.

Darren later became one of the world’s best open water swimmers, winning the 1989 Australian Marathon Swimming Championships and representing Australia on the 1989 Australian Marathon Swimming Team Tour of the USA.

White “Emery” Team

Named after Mitchell Emery, another star in the club’s history.

Mitchell won the 10yrs 100m Breaststroke at the 2001 NSW State Age Short Course Championships and claimed Silver in the 50m Breaststroke. He also won the 50m Breaststroke at the Shell Age Series and set 11 club championship records.

Mitchell later excelled in Water Polo, representing Australia at the 2015 FINA World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Get ready, the Challenge begins next week! Check the Merrylands website to find out which team you’ll be swimming for and wear your team colour with pride. 🐋🔥⚪💪 

Free Membership for 8yrs & under!

Thanks to the generous support of Club Merrylands, we are offering FREE Membership for swimmers aged 8 years & under who regularly participate in our club races. This free membership is provided as a reimbursement of membership fees and is limited to the first 30 registrations who meet the eligibility criteria below.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the free membership, swimmers must:

• Be a First Claim Member in the Club Swimmer category or above
• Be 8 years & Under at the time the membership fee is paid

And meet one of the following:

Existing Swimmers

• Must have participated in 25% or more of Club Races in the previous season

New Swimmers

• Must have completed a 4-week trial of Club Races
• Must have attended at least 75% of those 4 weeks

Please note:

• Swimmers who only participate in Learn to Swim or Squad Training are not eligible
• If joining in a higher category, only the cost of the Club Swimmer membership fee will be reimbursed

📝 How to Claim Your Reimbursement

1. Register as a Swimmer in the Club Swimmer category (or above)
2. Complete the Reimbursement Form, including your bank account details

The club will then assess your eligibility and, if approved, reimburse your membership fee directly to your bank account.

New Club Record – Congratulations Leo!

A huge congratulations to Leo Zhu, who set a new Club Record this morning in the 100m Backstroke Championship!

Leo swam an outstanding 1:12.10 in the 16yrs 100m Backstroke, taking an impressive 3.4 seconds off the previous record, which had been held by Robert Griffey since 2000.

What an incredible achievement — congratulations, Leo, on an exceptional swim! 💙🌊🐋 

🗳️ Inter-Club Cup 2025 Feedback Survey

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s Inter-Club Cup. Your feedback helps us improve and make next year’s event even better! Please take a moment to complete the survey here:

https://forms.microsoft.com/r/atHKnWEBD6

Thank you for helping our pod grow stronger each season! 🐋💙

How You Can Help – Become a Technical Official!

We have a small but dedicated group of Technical Officials (TOs) in our club and we need your help to grow this team. Having qualified TOs is essential for our Saturday meets to run smoothly and for our swimmers’ times to be officially recognised by Swimming NSW.

Many of our members are already qualified as Timekeepers, and we would love to expand this number, as well as develop more TO roles across the club.

Becoming a TO involves two simple steps:

1. Online theory training (free and self-paced)
2. Practical assessment (completed at a Metro Southwest Area meet)

Once qualified, you can choose to help just at club races, or, if you wish, you can also help at other meets — with Metro Southwest providing payment for each session you assist with.

🏊 How to Get Started

• Online theory training is available through Swimming Australia:
  Swimming Australia – Online Training for Technical Officials
• You can also find a QR code on the club room screen every Saturday morning to register quickly.
• The Metro South West Area website has additional resources and information:
  https://metrosw.org.au/officials/
• Speak to Graham, our club’s TO Co-ordinator — he can guide you through the process, answer questions, and help you get started confidently.

🔄 Re-Accreditation Support

If you already hold a TO accreditation, the club will assist you with your four-yearly re-accreditation. This is simply a form noting your contributions at club races and meets over that period.

Helping as a TO is an invaluable way to support our swimmers and strengthen our club — and we’d love to have more Whales join the team! 🐋💙

Swimmer Spotlight – Lisa Shrestha

This week we dive into the journey of one of our long-time Whales — Lisa Shrestha. She’s a familiar face in the lanes, a returning teen-squad swimmer, and someone who embodies persistence, passion, and pod spirit.

Q1. Tell us about your swimming journey.

A: I joined the club in 2016 starting in Novice and progressed through and was swimming my best, but high school pressures and other commitments made it hard to stay consistent, and my motivation faded. Returning to the teen fitness squads, I've felt that spark returning and bit by bit I’m rebuilding my strength and stamina... whilst still juggling school, part time work and Cadets.

Q2. What’s your favourite stroke?

A: Freestyle. I like how the stroke feels and I love it even more after improving my kicking.

Q3. What do you like about the Club?

A: The community feel and the effort everyone puts in. I like the exciting events we hold, the raffles etc.

Q4. An interesting fact about you?

A: I do my best thinking when I'm swimming. It's when I feel a “genuine flow state”. It's where I get to process my thoughts and have actual time to think without distractions.

Q5. A swimming goal for 2026?

A: To participate in an open water swim. The last one I did was in 2022.

Christmas Raffles & BBQ

As we close in on Christmas (and the halfway point of the season) make sure you have Saturday 20th December locked in your calendar, as this is the last morning of club races and we will have a range of events including raffles, bbq and novelty events. The Social Committee are already working hard on plans for the morning, so if you have any ideas or would like to help them, please let them know.

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) 

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.

This weekend, two of Merrylands' rising stars will take to the pool at the NSW Metropolitan Youth Championships, competing against some of the best young swimmers in Sydney.

Coralie Havea and Jay Shrestha have both qualified for their first Metropolitan Championships—a fantastic achievement that reflects their hard work and dedication. Coralie and Jay will represent Merrylands in three individual entries across the weekend.

Coralie Havea

• Session 1 – 50m Freestyle - approx. 11:33am Saturday
• Session 2 – 50m Butterfly - approx. 2:18pm Saturday

Jay Shrestha

• Session 4 – 50m Breaststroke - approx. 2:42pm Sunday

Head Coach Alison Johnston congratulated both swimmers, saying:
“Qualifying for the NSW Metropolitan Championships is a great achievement. I’m very proud of the progress Coralie and Jay have made, and I look forward to seeing them race.”

The Championships are being held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on 29-30 November, 2025.

Good luck Coralie and Jay and may the Whale be with you!

See Also

• 2025/2026 NSW Metropolitan Youth Championships

Our last training session for 2025 will be held on Thursday, 18th December, while our last week of club races will be held on Saturday, 20th December.

Club Races will resume on Saturday, 3rd January, 2026 with Training resuming on Monday, 5th January.

Our Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, 20th December in conjunction with the Club Races from 7am to 9:30am. All squad members are encouraged to attend the club races and novelty events. We would love to see you there. Enter online here.

Do you need to put your enrolment on hold?

if you are going to miss a full calendar month of training you can put your enrolment on hold for that month. To put your enrolment on hold for a full calendar month, submit the form below by the last day of the previous month. For January 2026, the form must be completed by 20th December. If the form is not submitted by then, you will be charged for the next month.

Training Break Form

If you are going to miss a small number of sessions, you can submit your absences through the Swim School System.

The Committee and Coaching Staff hope you have enjoyed the first part of the season. Have a Merry Christmas and keep training hard as school carnivals and the Merrylands SwimFest approaches.

See Also

• Training Break Form
• Training Schedule
• Club Races - Online Entries

Congratulations to Leo Zhu on setting a new record in the 100m Backstroke Championship this morning.

Leo set a new record in the 16yrs 100m Backstroke in a time of 1:12.10, taking 3.4 seconds off the record held by Robert Griffey since 2000.

Congratulations to Leo on his swim.

See Also

• Championship Records

Saturday Races:

Welcome back to Championship week 3!! This week we have swimmers competing in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke this week! Good luck to everyone.

Please arrive at 6:45 to help us set up! See if you can be nominated for a lion's club award!!

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 Johnston for organising and creating the video!!

Club Captains! 🏆

We’re excited to announce the Club Captains for the 2025 season! 

💙 Male Club Captain:

• Matthew Vicic

💙 Female Club Captain:

• Lisa Shrestha 

Cumberland Inter-Club Cup – A Whale of a Meet!

Well, what a Saturday afternoon for an outdoor swimming meet! Even though the weather wasn’t on our side, it certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of our swimmers, families, volunteers and supporters. We managed to complete the full program — minus the relays — due to the pool’s 7:00pm closing time.

A Massive Thank You to the Pod

A very big thank you to everyone involved in the planning, preparation, set-up, delivery and pack-up. It was fantastic to see so many members pitch in to ensure we were ready for a 3:30pm start, and the pack-up crew made sure we were out before dark.

Our Social Committee did an amazing job providing catering and raffles, and a special thank you to those who baked cakes and goodies — what an incredible (and delicious!) spread we had. At this rate, we might need to rename ourselves the Merrylands Swimming & Baking Club! 😄🍰🐋

In the Water

Our swimmers and coaches delivered outstanding performances, with PBs flowing everywhere — “PB” was definitely the word of the day!  Coach's Report can be found here. 

Final Point Score

Despite being outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, our mighty Whales put up a tremendous fight:

• Parramatta City – 1,042 points
• Merrylands – 833 points
• McCredie Park – 233 points

Congratulations to Parramatta City on the win this year.
Next season, we take our pod to Granville Swimming Centre, ready to swim even harder and reclaim the Cup! 🏆🐳

Unclaimed Raffle Prize!

One of the raffle prizes from the Inter-Club Cup is still unclaimed. If you purchased tickets, please check your numbers on the Club Noticeboard — the winning ticket is posted there. Don’t miss out… your prize may still be waiting for you!

Inter-Club Cup 2025 Feedback Survey

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s Inter-Club Cup. Your feedback helps us improve and make next year’s event even better! Please take a moment to complete the survey here:

https://forms.microsoft.com/r/atHKnWEBD6

Thank you for helping our pod grow stronger each season! 🐋💙

This Week’s Spotlight: Xaiver Ou (Junior squad)

Each week we dive beneath the surface to get to know one of our amazing young Whales. This week we had a chat with Xavier, who was more than happy to share his swimming story — sneezes and all!

Q1. Tell us about your swimming journey to our Club.

A: I was doing the Council's Learn to Swim at Wentworthville Pools and got up to the Turtle level. I was finding it too easy and my friend, Daniel B recommended the Merrylands Club because “it's good and I can swim good.”

 Q2. What do you like about the Club?

A: I like the people — they are kind and donate stuff. And I have fun with friends.

Q3. What’s your favourite stroke?

A: Freestyle — it's easy and I can go fast. My least favourite is backstroke because I drown when I do it.

Q4. What’s your swimming goal for next year?

A: To beat Daniel in 50m free.

Training Activities:

This week, for backstroke training, the coaches decided to test their groups head positioning...with cups on their heads!! See for yourself!

While completing backstroke drills swimmers had to balance cups on their foreheads. This helps them train their heads to be nice and still. A drill that's always a lot of fun for both swimmers, coaches and parents watching.

Christmas Raffles & BBQ

As we close in on Christmas (and the halfway point of the season) make sure you have Saturday 20th December locked in your calendar, as this is the last morning of club races and we will have a range of events including raffles, bbq and novelty events. The Social Committee are already working hard on plans for the morning, so if you have any ideas or would like to help them, please let them know.

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.

I am so proud of our team of 42 swimmers not only their performance in the pool but also their display of camaraderie and teamwork. While we weren't able to win back the cup this year against a team of 81, there were amazing results across all age groups. 

We had several new families compete for the first time and it was pleasing to see the support from our more experienced swimmers.

Thank you to our new Club Captains for 2025/26, Lisa and Matthew, with support from Niushka for assisting with the event numbering which is always an exciting way to start the meet. 

Our activation went well with all our younger squad swimmers knowing their routine and it was great to see our Adult team joining in too! With a pep talk and promise of ice cream (regardless of the result!) our swimmers were ready for their pool warm up.

Majority of our squad swimmers had been practising the pre-race warm up throughout the week so went through their paces and our mini swimmers swam a shortened version. Then it was time for the meet to begin!

Freestyle was the first stroke to be swum and the clouds were getting darker. Our swimmers achieved 14 new personal best times and a new State Qualifying time by Event 5 and then the storm hit!

The swimmers handled themselves very well with the delay and I am very pleased how well they reset to continue racing. We finished with 20 new Freestyle personal bests.

During the Backstroke events it was great to see some beautiful starts being executed after our swimmers had been working on them for the last few weeks. There were 13 new personal bests in Backstroke. 

Breaststroke was next and our swimmers continued to demonstrate great skills, particularly in the pull-outs. 15 new bests were achieved. 

At this point some of our littlest swimmers had completed their campaign and were enjoying their well-deserved ice-cream. I would like to thank all the swimmers for listening and waiting to enjoy the ice-cream truck until after their events were completed.

With the cancellation of the relays due to the storm, Butterfly was now the last event to be swum. Our swimmers successfully achieved 9 new personal bests. 3 of those swimmers had already achieved a personal best at club races in the morning! 

Throughout the meet, our swimmers cheered and supported each other. There was a good display of friendly rivalry and our swimmers celebrated each other's success regardless of their own results. Our swimmers also had some good silly fun with their inspirational tattoos and storm related frivolity!

Congratulations to all!

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.

Leo Zhu set a massive four new Championship records in the Club Championships this morning.

Leo set new records in the 16yrs 100m Freestyle and Open 100m Freestyle in a time of 1:00.23. The 16yrs record of 1:01.29 had been held since 2000 by Robert Griffey, while the Open record of 1:00.41 had also been held by Robert since 2003.

Later in the morning Leo set new records in the 16yrs 100m Breaststroke and Open 100m Breaststroke in a time of 1:16.36. Anthony Ventra had set the 16yrs record in 2009 in a time of 1:19.48, while Leo took 1.17 off the Open record of 1:17.53 that he had set last year.

Congratulations to Leo on his swims!

See Also

• Championship Records