Tom Hayes
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND By TOM HAYES GLENGARRY Football-Netball Club have begun a program which feeds kids for free on a weekly basis, and continued to extend on the possibilities it provides. Starting in the middle of the 2022 season, Glengarry president Alan Whitty spoke to people at Yallourn Yallourn North Football-Netball Club, who gave him the idea to start the program with the Magpies. “Most clubs have a Thursday night dinner, for footballers and netballers to hang around, and you can share the messages, what needs to be said, that whole lot,” Whitty explained. “I got talking to Yallourn North (Football Club) last year, and they got a sponsor that pays for the thirds, under 17s and under 15s, and I thought ‘What a fantastic idea’, so I took the concept back to Glen. “It grew from there, so this season we’ve talked to our junior club (Glengarry Junior Football Club).” A couple of weeks ago, Glengarry FNC were proud to announce that they were able to serve around 170 juniors, which range from thirds footballers, to under 15 and 17 netballers, as well as the Glengarry junior footballers from the Traralgon District Junior Football League. “The one that caught me off guard was a couple of weeks ago where between the juniors and the seniors … we fed 170 kids that night, and it was like a bloody carnival,” Whitty said. Thursday, July 20 is set to be a big night for the club, as they not only unveil their indigenous jumper which is set to be used in a home game against Churchill, but also hope to set new standards. Whitty has formally invited the junior netballers to come and get a free meal, adding to the numbers posted throughout the year. “The numbers are slowly growing,” he said. From this, Whitty hopes that the club can set record numbers, with the goal of surpassing 200 kids served. “Were going to extend the invitation to the junior netballers, a further eight teams, so I reckon that Thursday night we’ll feed an excess of 200 kids for free,” Whitty said. Whitty and the Glengarry FNC have found that the program has not only improved numbers at the club and seen people return, but it has also improved mental, physical and social health in the kids. “It’s just getting them out and getting them mixing, understanding how the club runs,” Whitty said. Whitty hand-wrote a letter to every thirds, under 17s and under 15s player, telling them to enjoy the club, insisting they will get more out of it off-field if they get involved. “I just know that that’s a fact,” Whitty said. “I had a mother who texted me … and she said, ‘I can’t believe what you guys are doing for the club.'” That text came after the daughter explained how she had found her ‘footy home’, because of the support she had received from coaches and players. There is a whole lot more to the program, as it opens the doors for kids to become more involved in the club, from being a volunteer like senior members do to creating better relationships with senior players. “It’s the experience that they’re seeing that’s really rewarding,” Whitty said. Whitty believes that clubs should join forces for off-field programs like this, which allow them to keep junior numbers high and allow them to develop friendships with the senior groups. “The clubs should share information, where it helps other clubs,” Whitty believes. “But, if something like this works, its bringing kids back to playing footy and netball. “I’d love to put the challenge out that all 11 clubs in North Gippy, we pick a night, and you all do it (free meals program) at your own club, then report back how many kids, and try to get that number to grow over the next few years. When it comes to volunteering, Whitty believes kids thrive in situations where they feel most comfortable working within their own bounds, so he doesn’t opt to throw them in the deep end, which would in turn intimidate them. “That’s why I think our volunteer numbers are so good,” Whitty said. “We had two girls in the canteen for four hours, and they were happy to help because we were swamped. “I just think it’s so important that we are creating the right environment for those kids.” Whitty has even gone as far as being a reference on resumes of junior players, thanks to their hard work as a volunteer around the club. At the end of the day, the juniors are the future of the club. “It’s the feeling of belonging, these kids they know where they are, they know where they belong, there know where their mates are, it’s a safe environment,” Whitty said.
