Footy’s back … and the fans can’t wait

The 2022 Phillip Island Football Netball Club (PIFNC) season opens this weekend, with players, coaches, volunteers and friends all finally looking forward to an uninterrupted competition after two years of Covid lockdowns.

PIFNC president Chris Ross said everyone is ready and rearing to go, after a hugely successful four years, in spite of the interruptions of Covid in 2020 and 2021.

Covid basically denied the Club the chance of bringing home four straight premiership cups.

After winning back-to-back premierships in 2018 and 2019, the island’s senior teams ended interrupted seasons in 2020 and 2021 on top of the ladder; but were declared minor premiers, with no Cup awarded because of the number of games not able to be played.

So there’s plenty to look forward to and prove in 2022, with training in full swing since early in the year and some new names on the seniors list.

Joining our champions seniors list is Cameron Brown from Tooradin who is now a Bulldog, and to the delight of everyone, Jack Taylor is back on the island after a year in North Queensland, where he played for Trinity Beach.

Beau Vernon is at the helm again this year, coaching the seniors, and with two premiership cups under his belt, he is aiming for three in a row.

Reserves coach this year is James Stirton. Kurt Lane and Alex Duyker will coach the Under 18s, and Steve Duggan is taking on the role for the Under 16s.

Scott Huther is in charge of PIFNC Football Operations.

There are some 2021 Under 18 players enthusiastically advancing into the seniors squad including Coby Olarenshaw, Will Taylor, Cooper Logan and Jack Opitz.

“It’s great to see these exciting young players now take their place in the seniors and reserve squad,” said Chris Ross.

Numbers wise, the Club is not quite where it would like to be, following the Covid interruptions, he lamented, however.

Covid has taken its toll, with some players not returning to the Club after the two year hiatus.

The problem is not peculiar to Phillip Island.

“This is a statewide problem. Clubs across Victoria are experiencing the same thing.

“Hopefully, once the season starts, there’ll be former players with itchy feet, and some will come back.

“We will welcome them with open arms,” said Chris.

While Phillip Island will field four footy teams in the West Gippsland Football League on Saturdays and seven junior teams every Sunday, as well as a woman’s side, other Clubs in the League have been unable to, and there will be gaps in some sides.

A new innovation for Phillip Island this year is an Over 35 footy team, entered into a veteran’s football competition operating throughout the AFL’s outer east.

The veteran’s competition starts on April 10, and will play fortnightly, mainly on a Sunday.

“It’s exciting to see some of our great former players pulling on the boots again in this team,” said Chris.

Chris commented that Phillip Island is one of just a few Clubs in the League not struggling for numbers at junior level.

In fact quite the opposite is the case.

“A number of our League neighbours are finding they are having great difficulty in fielding a team at some junior levels,” he said.

“It is a very worrying trend.”

Chris said the Phillip Island Club has about sixty volunteers who will take their place on and around the ground on Saturday as the season gets underway.

From coaches, trainers, goal umpires, gate keepers, score keepers, timers, runners, it takes an army of volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the day.

Playing on Saturday and starting at 9am will be the Under 16, Under 18, Reserves and Senior sides.

On Sunday, two Under 10 sides, two Under 12 sides, two Under 14 sides and a Youth Girls side will compete.

It is a huge logistical exercise to organise some 100 players into teams on Saturday and 200 players on Sunday, as well as 120 netballers on the weekend.

This is addition to finding space on the ground in a limited time period for bi-weekly training night sessions.

The announcement of a $350,000 grant to install state of the art lights around the ground has been a god send and will relieve the pressure, said Chris.

This will make a huge difference and extend available training hours.

“It has been impossible to juggle a dozen teams training nights in the very limited day light hours available after school and work and nightfall.”

A second grant secured through AFL Victoria to erect netting behind the goal posts is also being hailed.

“It will save volunteers having to climb the cypress trees to retrieve balls mid-match, or even worse, chasing them down along Dunsmore Road when they soar out of the ground.”

Auskick for pre juniors will start in Term 2, with Bianca and Alison again at the helm, with the help of a myriad of parent volunteers.

The Auskick program attracts about 150 youngsters each year aged between 5 and 10.

The young players hope to get a guernsey to compete on the mighty MCG at half time during an AFL match, after missing the chance thanks to Covid last year.

Chris has taken the opportunity this week to extend the Club’s sincere thanks to the many sponsors, large and small, who enable the Club to tick.

Major sponsors are the Bendigo Bank in Cowes, the Phillip Island RSL, Endeavour Petroleum, Ray White Real Estate, San Remo Hotel, North Pier, Ray White Real Estate, Terra Firma Excavations and McLardy McShane Insurance.

The 2022 season for Phillip Island kicks off this Saturday at Cora Lyn, against Cora Lyn.

The traditional match against friendly rivals Kilcunda Bass is now back in its Easter Saturday time slot.

This year, because of a split  draw, the Club’s traditional Anzac Day ceremony will also take place on Easter Saturday, in conjunction with the Phillip Island RSL.