Woady Warriors want you

A NEW junior football side in the Woady Yaloak area has been established and the team is on the lookout for new recruits.

Known as Woady Yaloak FNC, or just the Woady Warriors, the club has been cleared to field two sides in the upcoming Ballarat Junior Football League’s Western Bulldogs under 9s comp.

Club president Adam Liversage said the Warriors were born out of a need for more kids’ sport options in the north of Golden Plains Shire.

“We’d been coordinating Auskick in this area for a while and parents were asking why there was no junior football club in this area,” he said.

“I approached Golden Plains Shire about the possibility of a Haddon club and it’s grown into the Woady Yaloak catchment area.

“Covering the Woady Yaloak area means we can offer something where there is no junior sport, or at least football and netball. It’s about extra opportunities for our kids.”

While the club is aiming to get a couple of sides on the park for the under 9s in 2020 under a special invitation from the BJFL, there’s hope they can grow their program.

It’s something the people behind the Woady Warriors have had success with before, taking the Haddon Auskick program from under 20 kids to over 60 in five years.

“The BFNL will be looking closely at our footy club over the next 12 months and how we operate and get involved and hopefully if we’re successful with numbers and our approach to the league we’ll push for a proper invitation to the under 9s again,” Mr Liversage said.

At this stage the club will train at the Haddon Recreation Reserve and but when it comes time to host their round of the Friday night under 9s comp, the games will be played under the lights of Woady Yaloak Recreation Facility in Smythesdale.

Preparations for the season ahead are well underway with a team logo confirmed and strip set to be unveiled soon.

As a FNC, the Woady Warriors will be aiming to deliver a netball program as well.

To begin with they’ll be supporting Ready Net Go in Haddon Stadium, once the new floor is in place.

“We’re going to run it in line with Auskick this season,” Mr Liversage said. “Netball Victoria are getting behind it and supporting it as well.

“We hope to have netball sides in 2021.”

Ballarat Football Netball League operations manager Shane Anwyl welcomed the new club and said there was opportunity in the space the Warriors are seeking to occupy.

“They can differentiate themselves from the old Smythesdale Bulldogs but also capture that whole region,” he said.

“They’ve got some good people there with Adam Liversage. He’s certainly got some good ideas.

“They approached us about entering the Ballarat junior competition, which we then spoke to them about some criteria that they need to put in place to ensure their long-term viability, which they are on track to do.”

As part of getting ready for the upcoming season, the Woady Warriors will be holding a come and try day on Sunday, 9 February between 10am and 12pm at the Haddon Recreation Reserve for both netball and under 9s football.