Chris Yeend
Rupertswood Football Netball Club is all set to go for its 2013 season launch in the Riddell District Football League. The club recently made the switch to the local competition from the Victorian Amateurs Football Association and has high prospects of a successful year on and off the field. The senior club has worked closely with the Rupertswood Netball Club to attract players to form three netball teams to join the senior footballers, and has received strong community support in its biggest move since it formed in 2000. The move of the senior team aligns it with the junior football club which has a high number of teams throughout all grades in the Riddell District Junior Football League. The committee has busily working away to ensure that the move could take place and the decision has been well-received by its star players.
"There is a really good feeling about the club (since the decision)," 199-game Rupertswood backman Nathan Webb said, "a few of us went down to the RDFL Grand Final this year with the prospect of the move to take place and we were really impressed with the standard of football."
Webb said that he is looking forward to getting on the track and taking on some of the local sides and forming some great rivalries with other players and clubs.
"There is a really good atmosphere around the league and I can't wait to be part of it," Webb said.
The club is still in its infancy since forming in 2000, a year Webb was part of the club. The team initially evolved from younger students of Salesian College and has since attracted strong interest from footballers beyond the college walls who have been attracted to the club's atmosphere and positive culture. The club has remained confident of attracting players to join the line-up and while a high number have left for various reasons in recent years, the move to the RDFL will attract and keep players at the club for longer. It had in excess of 180 players over its first three training sessions of the year, including 70 at its first session two weeks ago. According to club development manager Rob Twentyman, they are the highest numbers the club has had on the track, ever.
"It is a really exciting time, we are still a fairly young club," Twentyman said.
He said that one of the keys to the club's success is that it remains as one committee. It is determined to have Auskick, juniors, seniors and netball under the same banner.
"This forms the philosophy of keeping all of our players in the system," Twentyman said.
There are several clubs in central Victoria that have juniors and seniors in separate leagues and Twentyman highlighted the tremendous support from the junior division of the club to align the seniors and juniors together in the same league. The doors are wide open for young footballers to potentially form rivals with friends and other clubs in opposing teams while wearing the Rupertswood blue and gold colours from the start of their juniors and into their senior football career.
Twentyman highlighted the possibility of forming great rivalries with other clubs. During Rupertswood's stint in the VAFA, which had a relegation system, there were up to four changes each year in each division and it was difficult to form rivalries with other clubs.
NETBALL
Rupertswood is working towards entering three netball teams into the Riddell District Netball Association. It has not previously had a netball component to its club but has since been busily working with the Rupertswood Netball Club to attract more numbers. The netball club features teams in different age groups that compete in local competitions in Gisborne and Sunbury. The RDFL club has attracted more than 20 girls already.
"Everyone has really embraced it (having the netballers)," Twentyman said, "quite a few girls from that club will form the basis of the netball teams (in the RDFL)."
The addition of the girls into the football club is a fresh new concept that is a positive step towards making the club family friendly and grow as a stronger community club.
"We want to develop the future of the A Grade team from B and C Grade," Twentyman said.
Twentyman highlighted that the RDFL was concerned about Rupertswood getting the numbers to form an A Grade side given that netball had not been previously part of the club. Thanks to the hard work and relationship development with the netball club, Rupertswood is confident in filling all three teams.
Last Modified on 20/11/2012 12:24