Honours are great, but being involved is the real reward
Published on 16 September 2026
Player, president, vice-president, secretary and recruiting manager – there’s not much Steve Laffan hasn’t done in more than 60 years with the Oakleigh Districts Football Netball Cricket Club.
A life member of both the cricket and football clubs, he was acknowledged in the June King’s Birthday honours with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division - for services to the community through voluntary roles with sporting associations.
The honour floored the Oaks stalwart like a heavy bump from a burly defender on a winter Saturday.
“I got this letter in the letter box one day and it said, ‘Will you accept the appointment of an OAM’?” Steve laughed. “Well, I was stunned. You just don’t expect to receive anything like that.”
While humbled to receive the King’s Birthday acknowledgement, Steve said just being involved in a sporting club or organisation has been the greatest honour of all. He champions the important social connections and support people can find by rolling up their sleeves and joining in.
“Working with people who have the same set of objectives that you have,” he said. “Being involved with a team or a group of like-minded people, it’s really, really enjoyable. It’s family.”
A back injury suffered on Anzac Day sidelined Steve through most of the winter footy season this year and the club veteran has been itching to make his return to action ever since.
“You just don’t realise how good it is (being involved in a club),” he said. “I was feeling a bit lost, it’s been such a big part of my life since I was eight.”
Whether as player or official, sport has always given Steve the opportunity to challenge himself – another important reason he continues to roll up, season after season.
“We’re all volunteers and we all enjoy the successes when they come along,” he said. “But I’m built a little bit differently, along the lines of ‘yes we all enjoy the successes, but we can always do better’. And what drives me every minute of the day is that there’s always a challenge to find that better way of doing things.”
MONASH, IT'S TIME TO JOIN A CLUB
With the summer sporting season approaching, now’s the perfect time to get out and connect with a local sporting club or recreation group.
Whether it’s cheering-on your local team from the sidelines; volunteering to help at a community club or even dusting off the cricket bat and having a hit yourself – there’s so many ways to get involved.
Monash boasts almost 100 different sporting clubs, find out how to get started.