Last Saturday at the 2024 Dingos award night Irishman and great Dingos clubman, Gaz Conlon, was inducted as a Dingos Life Member.
In 25 years of Dingos history there’s been more than 600 players who have pulled on the red and black, with just 18 awarded Life Memberships, with the following criteria needing to be met in order to be inducted:
Meet ONEof the following: | OR – Meet TWO of the following: | OR – Meet THREE of the following: |
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Life Member Criteria Accomplishments:
50+ Games Played (96 Total)
3+ Years On The Executive Board
10 Years Paid Member
Other:
Best & Fairest Winner (Div 2) - 2012
Premiership Player (Div 2) - 2013
Premiership Coach (Div 2) - 2015
Coach's Award Winner - 2014 & 2018
Team Manager - 2019-2023
Social Committee Member
Social Media Director
Games - 96*
Goals - 21*
Gaz has been an integral part of the Dingos since he joined the club way back in 2012 both on and off the field, coming back from multiple injury setbacks across his tenure to forge a great career in the red and black. However, probably one of Gaz's most significant achievements was the key role he played in keeping the club afloat during the pandemic.
"As team manager it was particularly challenging to recruit and getting people to come out to training and games. But credit to our club president and executive team at the time who did an amazing job keeping the club alive and growing it into the powerhouse we have seen over the last two seasons!"
Looking back on his 12 years as a Dingo, Gaz joked bout the difficulties of summarizing a decades worth of memories into a few key points:
"It's hard to condense 10+ years into a few things, I have so many great memories on the field that I can't fit them all in. Obviously getting Div 2 B&F in my first year was incredible (for someone who never played before), then winning the Div 2 flag as a player and later as a co-coach with Jimmy Duggan was wonderful."
Gaz then continued to speak to probably the best aspect of the Toronto Dingos:
Off the field I loved all our park and island picnics, Ottawa nights out, warm days at the Backpackers pub post game, fuzzy nights at SCC for the Grand Final, and the 100s of individual and smaller hangouts with all my friends over the years, including my wedding in Ireland! Also, without the Dingos Honey Beard would not exist!
Reflecting on what this honour means to him, Gaz said:
"Being picked to play and wear the red and black was always a very serious thing for me, and being a Dingo is my identity (just check out my social media bios!). Even if I was to never play for the club again, it will remain one of the best things I have ever done, and it is an honour to named a life member."
Join us in congratulating Gaz on being awarded Dingos Life Membership!
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