Clovers claim first comp win

SINCE forming last year, members of Ballarat’s only Gaelic football club have been flying high following their first competition win.

Ballarat Clovers’ triumph came after competing in three rounds as part of the Koroit Irish Festival Gaelic tournament in late April.

Club vice-president Louise Callaghan said the Clovers’ first major win is a great step forward in the team’s development.

“We’ve had some great momentum since starting off,” she said. “Being able to compete for the first time was beyond words for us.

“The Koroit Festival was an unreal experience and this was the first year they set aside a tournament on the Sunday whereas they usually do exhibition matches.

“We were over the moon to get a team together to join in on that, and it was the biggest festival they’d ever had.

“It’s been great to see the community coming together and the interest we’ve had. It means a lot to be able to put on a jersey and represent the community.”

Six of the club’s members took part in the comp with players from Warrnambool and St Kevin’s Gaelic Football Club helping to fill out the 11-person team.

Ms Callaghan said their debut tournament win is a great first step towards achieving their goal of joining Gaelic Games Victoria.

“We really want to get the momentum going in the Ballarat community before stepping onto the Melbourne stage in terms of competitions,” she said.

“If that means playing challenge games and going to smaller competitions like Koroit and the regional games in Geelong, I think it’s a great first step for us.”

With the aim of expanding with new equipment, Ballarat Clovers members are set to host an Irish-themed trivia night fundraiser on Friday, 23 June at the Ballarat North Bowling Club.