Bernie's Bulletin

2026 Event Calendar  Bold = updated events

Professional tennis coach Matt Gregory (1998) has channelled his love of the game into a global career helping players of all ages achieve their best.

Captain of the ACC Tennis team at St Bernard’s, Matt went on to gain coaching accreditations with Tennis Australia, the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and the Global Professional Tennis Coaching Association (GPTCA).

His career has taken him far beyond Melbourne, with coaching experience across the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, Grand Slams, ITF events, and the Davis Cup. He has worked as a touring coach for ATP player Jimmy Wang—who has been ranked inside the world’s top 100—and contributed to the Chinese Taipei Davis Cup program.

Today, Matt remains deeply connected to community tennis. Through his coaching programs at Royal Park and Taylors Lakes, he and his team have introduced thousands of players to the sport, nurturing everyone from beginners to nationally ranked juniors. 

Well done Matt for being an outstanding coach and mentor to so many!

If you know any old collegians who have been successful lately, let us know at development@sbc.vic.edu.au - we'd love to celebrate them!

Our Golden Years Reunion is open for registration!

The classes of 1976 and earlier are warmly invited to return to the College for this complimentary event sponsored by the St. Bernards Old Collegians Association. The day includes a Mass, morning tea, guided tours of the grounds and exclusive access to the St Bernard's archive collection.

The day will run as follows:

9:00 am – Arrival & Sign-in
O'Brien Gymnasium

All guests attending Mass must sign in at the doorway to the gymnasium

9:30 am – Mass Commences
O'Brien Gymnasium

10:45 am – Morning Tea, College Tour and Archive Room Experience
Peter Hogan Boardroom

12:00 pm – Complimentary Lunch and Beverages
Peter Hogan Boardroom

2:00 pm – Event Concludes

Please enter via GATE 8 for parking and sign-in. Transport around the school grounds will be provided. Those not attending Mass may arrive from 10:45 am, park in Beryl St and enter via Gate 4. You must sign in at Reception before proceeding to the Peter Hogan Boardroom.

Bookings are essential - please register your spot at this link: https://www.trybooking.com/DNEZF or by contacting the College at the below details:

Email: development@sbc.vic.edu.au
Phone: 03 9289 1000

Whether it has been 50, 60 or even 70 years since your graduation, we look forward to welcoming you back to St Bernard's College to reconnect with old friends, revisit cherished memories and celebrate the lifelong bonds that make our community so special.

The wait is over…welcome to the renewed Frank FitzGerald Auditorium! ✨

A space that has hosted generations of musicals, concerts, and unforgettable moments has now been beautifully transformed for the future, ready to inspire the next generation of performers at St Bernard’s College. View the new space here: First Look - Frank FitzGerald Auditorium Renewal

This incredible transformation was supported by the generosity of our community - thank you to all who have taken their seat so far and contributed to such a vital space in the life of the College. Seats are still available to purchase for any old collegians wishing to leave a legacy while supporting our arts program for the future.

We're so excited to see our students back on the stage, and can’t wait to see the magic come to life in Beauty and the Beast this July (you can book tickets here!)

St Bernard's College has claimed the ACC Senior Premiership with an impressive 17-point victory over Parade College at North Port Oval last Wednesday.

Coming up against a squad going for a fourth flag in a row, it was a team-wide effort that allowed our squad to control the game and lead at every change on their way to the flag. A special mention to Tevita (Year 11) who was awarded Best on Ground for his dominant performance in the midfield.

Nine months of hard work, commitment, and preparation from the entire squad have now been rewarded not only with a premiership, but also qualification for the Herald Sun Shield competition in August.

We thank Parade College for a great game and commend them on a fantastic season. We also thank our head coach Steve Alessio, assistant coaches Mr Aaron Heppell and Mr Paul Groves, and all the staff, students, parents, and community members who have supported the team this year.

To our boys, we couldn’t be prouder - well done and good luck for the Herald Sun Shield!

Check out our Latest News webpage for a detailed match report.

Last week, St Bernard’s College hosted another fantastic Networking Evening for parents and alumni, this time focused on the construction, property and trade sectors.

The Peter Hogan Boardroom was buzzing with conversation as alumni, parents and community members made new connections over drinks and canapes.

Thank you to our amazing panel of guest speakers Fonda Zahopoulos, Fiona Grogan and Loris Rebeschini, who generously shared their experiences, learnings and advice in a candid conversation. A special mention to our MC, Teo Torrelli from MKS Lending Group, who hosted the night impeccably and sparked fruitful discussion amongst our panelists and guests.

And finally, thank you to our partners MNG Lawyers, McDonald Upton, BMW Essendon, MKS Group and MKS Lending Group, for helping to make events like these possible.

We have been thrilled with the participation from our community in these networking events, and look forward eagerly to the next one!

We invite all our old collegians to join Alumnly, our social platform helping our old collegians to connect and grow.

Whether you're browsing through photos from cherished moments, exploring or posting job opportunities, staying updated on upcoming events, or curious to know where your old classmates are now, our platform is here to cater to your needs. You can also share your own achievements and stories, fostering deeper connections within our vibrant community.

It has been great to see lots of sign-ups already and Old Boys have begun networking, updating their profiles and reminiscing with photos from back in the day.

This week we're heading back to 2017 to check out this fantastic photo montage from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, our co-production with St Columba's that year.

Honouring our esteemed old collegians is deeply important to the College. If you wish to submit Vale notices for inclusion in The Strand magazine, please send them via email to development@sbc.vic.edu.au. Your contributions allow us to respectfully remember and celebrate the remarkable individuals who have been part of our community and have sadly passed away since our last publication.

We are now in the mailing process of the June 2026 edition of The Strand - thank you to all who have submitted a Vale notice. From now on, Vale notices submitted will be acknowledged in the next edition of the Strand in Term 4 of 2026.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us honour their memories.