It’s nearing the end of September and you don’t have to look too closely to discover it’s finals time.
Our Echuca Moama community has been adorned with club streamers, balloons, posters and flags these past weeks and there’s still more to come.
And it’s not just the big dance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 3 stealing the headlines. I’m more interested in the stories of passion and dedication displayed at our local football and netball clubs. Not to mention the enormous success each and every local club has tasted so far this season.
It sounds cliché, but these clubs are the heart and soul of our local towns and communities, particularly the smaller ones.
So this week, our #spreadingthegoodstuff shout-out goes to the footy/netball clubs of our region and what they mean to the people who give up their time each week for their beloved Bombers, Magpies or Eagles.
I was reminded of this just last week when we were talking with our children about the thing they loved to do more than anything in the world and our 10-year-old daughter said “going to the footy on a Saturday” (at Victoria Park in Echuca) where she can play with all of her friends at the same time.
This struck a cord with me as we had spent the most part of 20 years in and around the Echuca Football Netball Club and still see the club as our home.
It’s where we met and fell in love, where we were lucky to meet a large contingent of the dear friends we still have to this day and it’s where we learned the art of being part of a team, a club and a family of like-minded people who share the same values around ‘giving’ and not taking.
Another cliché: Local football and netball clubs provide the glue that connects people from all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This we know for sure.
They are places where men and women, boys and girls, come together to wear the colours of their club, give their all on the football field and netball court and for some, proudly sing the club song in victory or hold the cup aloft on grand final day.
And the taste of success can be sweet. So far this season we’ve seen the Echuca United Eagles come away with no less than seven netball premierships (clearly some sort of record), and the Moama Magpies, with four football sides in the grand final, take home the chocolates in the under 17s and reserves.
In addition, the Echuca Murray Bombers under 18 footballers and both A and B grade netball teams have booked a spot on Goulburn Valley League grand final day.
This collective of success speaks volumes for the competitiveness, and subsequent health, of our local clubs and all members, both on and off the field and court, should be very proud of their achievements. Success is why we play, isn’t it?
If you surveyed those involved with football and netball clubs, near and far, you might be surprised to learn that it’s about much more than just winning and best on ground performances.
You’ll discover it’s also about friendship and loyalty and supporting each other – win, lose or draw. It’s also about social connectedness and belonging.
Behind every successful team or premiership win there’s a huge contingent of people, worker-bees, parents, supporters and sponsors who help each and every player take to the court or field each week.
Three collective cheers for our local clubs and may they be around for many more years so our children can continue their love affair with going to the local game and one day, feel the all-important sense of belonging to a club.
Take note: community football and netball clubs rock!
Go Bombers!
Christy xo
#spreadingthegoodstuff
