Tara Murray
Donnybrook is hoping a successful summer program will help translate into the club fielding its first team in the Northern Football League next year.
The club which has had Auskick since 2021 and has junior and senior netball teams, is putting a lot of hard work behind the scenes in the community to grow the club.
New football director Micheal Farrelly said it was a really exciting time for the club.
“We’ve had netball for a little bit with senior women up and about and three junior teams as well,” he said.
“We’re looking to offer football next year. We’re doing a free summer program at the moment and there’s been 70 kids which has been fantastic.
“We’re hoping we can translate that into Auskick next year and get some of those kids into under-9s.”
Farrelly said with the children in the summer program of different ages, they didn’t yet have enough players for an under-9 team.
He said they were hoping to get some more children involved at the club so that could come to fruition.
Farrelly said with the growing communities of Donnybrook, Wollert and Kalkallo the club provides a perfect location for parents who don’t want to travel long distances for their kids to play sports.
Farrelly, a premiership winning coach at Roxburgh Park, said as well as looking to establish a junior football program they were looking ahead to possibly have senior teams.
“I’m working away in the background to piece together what a senior team might look like,” he said.
“Originally the plan was that it would be a long time away but my role is to look at all ages and types of players playing football at all levels.
“I don’t see why we can’t start to prepare what that looks like. Being located between three leagues [Northern, Essendon district and Riddell district] we’re in a good spot to recruit players.”
The club is set to move into new club rooms in the coming weeks, while their new home ground will be ready next year.
Details: www.facebook.com/DonnybrookFNC.
