President's Address: December

To our valued corporates, sponsors, members and fans, 

How good is it to be home?
 
I hope you all enjoyed being back at our fortress on Saturday night to watch the boys come away with a gritty win. The Cairns Convention Centre looks amazing, and we look forward to continuing to improve the game night experience for the Orange Army. Again, I want to thank Curtis Pitt MP and Michael Healy MP for their ongoing support in helping us deliver home games at the pop-up last season and getting us back home again this year. We think it was worth the wait!
 
It certainly has been a hectic off-season, with multiple changes to the NBL schedule (again!) and the added difficulty in border restrictions. There were several delays to getting our team to Cairns (from both overseas and interstate) which made it incredibly hard in an already jam-packed calendar. We were lucky to squeeze in a last-minute Corporate Launch and Members Day last week, and we hope you enjoyed those events and got to rub shoulders with the new guys.
 
We also managed to fit in a quick pre-season trip for the team with Nathan Jawai, and finally fulfil his dream of taking the Taipans to Bamaga. We have spoken with Nate about this over the years and we found a window of opportunity for a valuable team bonding experience. We sincerely thank the Northern Peninsula community for their warm welcome and special memories. 
 
Looking ahead - Queensland Public Health measures will obviously change access to the Cairns Convention Centre and impact our patrons starting from this Saturday. Only fully vaccinated fans will be permitted to enter, so please be aware of this and the possible delays it may cause. The quickest option for access will be to link your vaccination to the Queensland “Check-In” app (so a green tick appears) or you will need to show a printed copy of your certificate or immunisation statement. More info: here
 
We are hoping to have Scott Machado back this weekend, but unfortunately, his initial scans returned inconclusive due to swelling yesterday. We expect to have more information in 48 hours, with further imaging. Cross your fingers!
 
Regarding the Annual General Meeting – as a result of uncertainty around the competition schedule, the NBL Blitz that was held at short notice and urgent priorities of the off-season, the Club requested and has been granted an extension to the AGM date from the Office of Fair Trading. The AGM will be held prior to Apriul 30, 2022 and we will advise of the date in the new year.
 
Thank you to all our corporate partners, members, and fans for sticking with us throughout the year. Your support NEVER goes unnoticed, and we are so grateful for your loyalty and ongoing encouragement. Thank you.
 
On behalf of the Taipans Board, I also want to thank our staff (in particular, Nick Gamble) and volunteers for their tireless work in getting ready for the season in such challenging circumstances. A renovated stadium, modified seating plan, new broadcast partner and COVID-19 policies have been no easy feat and getting a game (and a win!) behind us is a huge achievement.
 
On behalf of the entire organisation, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and we can’t wait to ring in 2022 with you on NYE. Don’t forget: if you haven’t already, memberships are still available and it would be great if you signed on for the rest of the season – it’s only just started, and it’s going to be fun.
 
Regards,
 
Troy Stone
Taipans President