by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A junior football club is in the mix for a glut of premiership glory this coming Sunday (13 August).
Four sides from Noble Park Junior Football Club – the under 11s, under 14s, under 15s and under 16s – won their way to Eastern Football Netball League grand finals.
The rare achievement is all the more meritorious given the club has defied a waning in Australian-Rules junior player stocks in the region.
Not to mention being based in shipping containers and portable toilets for two years during renovation works at Ross Reserve.
“We just got our clubrooms back this year,” NPJFC secretary Kylie Milne says.
“It was difficult but we managed. We had great support.”
While several neighbouring clubs are folding or under threat, NPJFC has grown over the past two seasons.
It fields more than 200 players across eight teams from under 8s-under 17s.
Milne puts the club’s success down to “dedication, commitment, leadership, teamwork”.
“If it wasn’t for our volunteers, our club wouldn’t be here.”
Another key feature is the club offering free registration fees for players, and welcoming cultural diversity.
Several juniors are ‘Bulls Ambassadors’, who promote the sport at their soccer-dominant schools.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve played before. We welcome everyone regardless of skills or nationalities,” Milne says.
This coming Sunday will be a busy one for Milne and club fans. She’ll be travelling to all four grand finals across different venues in the region.
The club will be hoping for four trophies to the fore.
