“IT IS WHAT IT IS”

“IT IS WHAT IT IS”

       Those who knew Steve Bazzo heard those words uttered often during his six-month cancer battle.

       The 45-year-old passed away in March this year, following his diagnosis of melanoma last September.

       After being given the all clear on Christmas Eve last year, Bazzo started having trouble with his eyes and in early March had a scheduled scan that led to the discover of tumors on his brain, in his kidneys and on his ribs.

       Less than three weeks later Bazzo passed away in his sleep after dinner with the family he adored – wife Kylie, 13-year-old daughter Kameron and 11-year-old son Rhett.

       Admired for his tenacity on the field and his hatred of losing as much as for his love of being heavily involved in his children’s sport and football in the community, Bazzo was a Life Member of both Swan Districts and Peel Thunder. He also played for West Perth.

       He made his league debut in 1995 with the Black Ducks, where he went on to play 158 games and kick 82 goals. In 1996 he headed to the Falcons and played 14 games (including one in 1997) before heading South to join Peel Thunder in their inaugural WAFL season, playing his first game in Round 9, 1997 and his last in 2000. He was made a Life Member of the Thunder in 2007.

       This weekend the Thunder and the Swans will battle it out at Bendigo Bank Stadium not just to cement their place in the WAFL top five, but to pay tribute to the man who was working with the Peel Under 16 team up until four days before he passed away.

       The Bazzo Tribute Match is on this Sunday. The game starts at 11.40am and it is $10 day. Entry to the game is $10, there will be $10 Social Memberships for sale as well as selected merchandise and $10 food and beverage deals.

       Rhett will be the Peel Rookie for the day and run out with the team, while Kameron and Kylie will toss the coin.

       While Bazzo had every right to feel anger and a sense of being robbed of many more years with his beautiful young family, he instead spent his six-month battle living his life the only way he knew how.

       "We've always been pretty positive people and that's how Steve tried to stay," said Kylie, who is just as dedicated to her kids' and community sport as Steve was. Kylie took the reins as CEO at Peel Thunder in 2001.

       “Football was in his blood and when he was coaching he seriously had the magnetic board in bed with us at night!

       “He lived and breathed sport – not just football. When our son decided to stop playing Auskick and start playing soccer Steve was horrified. But in the end the team needed a coach and he stepped up. He also didn’t really like basketball at first but our daughter made a few State teams and he learned to like it.

       “His philosophy was always that sport was more than just a game, it was life. It brought people together, you get to meet some great people and it helps lay good foundations for the rest of your life.”

       The Bazzo clan certainly have a lot of friends in football from WAFL through to country ranks.

       Bazzo hailed from Bunbury and had a dutiful bond to the South West and Peel regions of Western Australia.

       When he finished playing WAFL he headed to Pinjarra in the Peel Football League where he played in three grand finals from 2001-2003 and he also stayed involved at Peel as an assistant coach and runner.

       In 2009 he took on his first senior coaching job at Pinjarra where he stayed for two seasons.

       Then in 2013 he was the head coach at South Mandurah, where he stayed until the end of last year before heading back to Peel where he was assistant coach of their Under 16s team.

       Kylie and Steve were together for 24 years. The loss of Steve is still very raw, but for Kylie there is some comfort in knowing that their children have inherited many of their father’s traits

       “They both got his loopy sense of humour,” she said with a sense of joy.

       “Rhett is the spitting image of Steve but both kids are very determined and hate losing with a passion – just like their dad.”

Steve Bazzo’s WAFL career:

Swan Districts – 158 games 82 goals (1988-1995)

West Perth – 14 games 2 goals (1996-1997)

Peel Thunder – 58 Games 22 goals (1997-2000)

Total -- 230 games, 106 goals