Chris Febvre • January 20, 2021
Juniors Ready
Juniors Ready
Next season’s junior footballers have taken to the field for the 2021 W&DJFL play allocation day.
The new initiative was organised by AFL North East Border, to assist the Wangaratta juniors clubs in having balanced and even teams.
Football Development Manager Zac Hedin said that normally, the process would happen at the end of the Auskick year. “This year without Auskick it’s been a bit harder to gauge where the kids are at, their standard and that sort of thing, which we’d normally get off the coaches from Auskick,” Hedin said.
“But doing it at this time of year and in a bit more depth is pretty new. “So these three sessions are designed to give us a bit of a look, get the kids back involved and kicking the footy before we send them off to their junior league clubs.”
While the new program is a great chance for the kids to get out and kick the footy around, Hedin doesn’t think it will replace the old method of player allocation.
“Normally we’d like to have these kids allocated in September/October, so they sort of know the year before they go up to junior league where they’re going to. “It’s purely been forced because of COVID-19. “It might mean that we do something a bit more in depth at the end of the Auskick year each year if this goes well.”
As for the scope of the sessions, Hedin said they are accessible to all who want to play junior club football, regardless of experience. “It’s just pretty basic drills today, just to get a gauge on where the kids are at. “Obviously, they haven’t touched a footy or had a proper kick of the footy in a little while, so we want to get them back used to bouncing the ball, kicking the ball, handballing the ball, marking the ball. “Then over the next couple of sessions we might play a few little games, get a bit more game sense, see how the kids go finding the footy and picking the ball up in a pressure situation as well.”
Naturally, the program is compliant with COVIDSafe policies. “We’ve got the QR code there, sanitiser, we get all the parents to register, that sort of thing. “They’ve all brought down their own drink bottles, their own sunscreen, that sort of stuff. “So we are trying to do the best we can with what we’ve been given.”
Hedin is assisted by a group of volunteer coaches from both the Magpies and Rovers football clubs, whose expertise and knowledge will be passed onto the future football stars. “It’s good to get them involved because obviously hopefully that’s where a lot of these kids will end up.”
ARTICLE: Nathan Devries
PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Wangaratta Chronicle. Ruby Newton in action at the W&DJFL allocation session last week.
2024 saw the launch of the AFL North East Border Volunteer Recognition Program, proudly supported by one of our long standing partners, APCO! The program recognised 20 volunteers across the region each week throughout the footy season and will do the same once again in 2025. The categories include - Club Volunteer Umpire/Club Umpire Junior/Youth Coach Auskick Coordinator/Volunteer Clubs are welcome to nominate one of their hard working volunteers throughout the year, and if they are selected they will receive a $50 APCO voucher to use in an APCO store near you. Nominations can be submitted by clicking on the following link - VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION NOMINATION FORM
Two local football netball clubs are set to receive a funding boost to upgrade their lighting infrastructure through the Country Football Netball funding program! The Milawa Football Netball Club who compete in the Ovens & King FNL and Barnawartha Football Netball Club competing in the Tallangatta & District Football League will both receive funding through the Country Football Netball Program which through a partnership between the Victorian Government, AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria aims to support county football and netball clubs infrastructure improvements and developments. A total of 7 clubs across Victoria received funding in this round, and with two clubs successful in the North East it is a great outcome for football in the region and both clubs should be congratulated for the work they have put in to be successful! We look forward to seeing these projects come to life! For more information on the program and other success applicants please click here - https://play.afl/victoria/news/funding-boost-country-football-facilities?fbclid=IwY2xjawIx1hdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYxTMXDPhmQhLOMmUjo6YAkpXU-dFqKLUzVdYIegdiFK2xGe-yf-PgwBiA_aem_EdgEJ5XDtkeJH8VGU35rfA
2025 saw AFLNEB host there now annual Club Development Day which had a focus on upskilling those who are hands on during game days throughout the season! With over 45 attendees participating in three dynamic workshops - - Club Umpire Session, - Coaching Masterclass Session, and - Building Stronger Clubs Workshop - Our Community Club Leaders and dedicated Volunteers are now equipped with the resources and skills to tackle the upcoming season! Additionally, more than 25 Sports Trainers benefited from the Level 1 Sports Trainer Course, enhancing their expertise and readiness. Massive thank you to La Trobe University Albury-Wodonga for hosting us at their amazing campus! We wish all the clubs the best for the upcoming season and look forward to further supporting them with additional sessions throughout the year!
