THERE may be hundreds of them in Victoria alone, but junior footy clubs are a labour of love for the people behind them.
Lalor Stars Junior Football Club president Ollie Musolino has been with the club for 19 years. He says they struggle for numbers at times. “We’ve been around a while and it’s always been a bit of a struggle,” he says. “For example we’re still hunting for under 11s and under 13s at the moment.
“It can be hard to get help sometimes at junior footy clubs. Most parents are great but some just drop their kids off and don’t realise we’re volunteering.
“Our club is based in an established area as well, so like a number of other clubs it can be hard to attract new players.’’
Despite the hard recruiting work, Musolino says he loves being club president.
“My cousin brought me down here when he was president,” he says. “And my son was playing here before he started chasing girls. It’s a very strong club, family-oriented, and that’s what attracted me to it.
“It’s something to keep me going and I love watching kids have fun on the ground. There aren’t many better things to watch than that.”
The club’s profile has enjoyed a significant rise in recent years, through its relationship with the Rusty & Unfit Football League.
As the name suggests, it’s a football league for those who don’t play regular football for a range of reasons.
Founded and organised by Travis Euesden, the league has been an immense support for Lalor Stars.
The league uses Lalor’s WA Smith Reserve as its match ground and last year player Chris West gave the Lalor Stars the $5000 he won as part of the TAC’s safe driving campaign, My Blood Oath.
“They’re really our colleagues now,” Musolino says. “We can cater for them at the club and it’s good for us, it makes us bigger and better.
“They always get a good turnout on match day as well, and every little cent helps.”
The Stars have always been ahead of the game. Girls’ teams are being created at many clubs across Melbourne each season, but Lalor has had one for five years.
“We were one of the first clubs to launch [a girl’s team],” Musolino says. “We had girls playing in with the boys, and then when they couldn’t play any more they had nowhere to go. So we decided to get it happening and it’s been working competitively ever since.”
Details: call the club on 9465 5510.
