Senior Blues are set to rise again
Senior AFL is set for a return to Woolgoolga after a 13 year break!
Following an incredible response at a public meeting on 14 October a 13 member strong committee was created to drive the formation of the Northern Beaches Blues. The club plans to enter the AFL North Coast Senior Competition in 2019 with a Reserve Grade and Women’s team and will grow from there in the coming seasons.
Craig Hundle, Secretary of the newly formed Blues, said that everything was coming together quickly. “The response to the public meeting was overwhelming and we now have around 50 names of people who are willing to commit to either playing or running the club in 2019. Included in this is a strong number of Women which is fantastic, and we’ve organised a free Women only come and try session at Centennial Oval in Woolgoolga for Sunday 28 October from 2:30pm to 4:00pm to build that number. This session is open to Women from any town that wants to try footy whether they’re interested in playing for the Blues, another club, or just want to try something new.”
“From Sunday 4 November we’ll be having a weekly social kick at Centennial Oval from 3:00pm so that everyone can engage with the club. These sessions will be open to people of all ages and if we get enough interest we could even enter an Under 17 team in next year’s competition.”
Paul Taylor, Community Football Manager, said that the creation of the new club has the full support and backing of AFL NSW/ACT. “We’re working closely with the committee to ensure that the club is ready to enter the competition next season, with a focus towards both the on and off field aspects.”
“The North Coast has seen exceptional growth in the Junior competition over the past three years, and the introduction of Women’s footy this season completed the local female pathway. The introduction of the Northern Beaches Blues is the tip of the iceberg for growth in the Men’s competition as our strong Junior numbers start to come through.”
The Woolgoolga Blues were a foundation club of the North Coast League and won nine Senior Premierships. The new club has retained the Blues name and will don similar colours to acknowledge the heritage but has selected the Northern Beaches name to reflect a drawing area that reaches from Sapphire Beach through to Red Rock and across to Glenreagh. This is a huge growth area with many families building new homes in these towns and the club culture will have a strong focus on a positive family and female friendly environment.
To make contact with the club go to the Northern Beaches Blues Facebook page, or contact Craig Hundle on either 0418 550 337 or chundl10@hotmail.com. For more information on the free Women only come and try session on 28 October contact Alicia Toms on 0455 414 932 or aliciamay79@gmail.com.
