THEY launched a club then the world shut down, but that hasn’t changed Armstrong Creek’s 10-year plan.<\/p>\n
Established in 2019 with just 32 players, the Sharks have grown to more than 300 junior footballers in five years.<\/p>\n
The club’s astronomical growth has been organic, built through community outreach, but its committee is not satisfied yet.<\/p>\n
Club president Chad Dunscombe said senior football is absolutely on the club agenda.<\/p>\n
“It’s been in the mix for a long time, we’ve always wanted to not rush it and make sure we built our juniors and our club up before having the option,” Dunscombe said.<\/p>\n
“We still have to talk to AFL Barwon to do all the bits and pieces, but we’re looking at two under-16 teams this year. Next year we’ll move into under-18s and then realistically from 2029 there could be potential for seniors for sure.<\/p>\n
“It’s very close. It could actually be scary when you think about it, how close we could be.”<\/p>\n
Last month, Surf Coast Suns became the first club to debut in the Bellarine Football Netball League senior competition in 41 years.<\/p>\n
Just a stone’s throw away from the Sharks, the two clubs have addressed the growing need for local sporting clubs at the southern end of Geelong and northern Torquay.<\/p>\n
Dunscombe admitted the conversation of junior to senior progression is one that is often in the background for their older players.<\/p>\n
Transparency and open conversations are important to maintaining their trust and keeping them involved with the club.<\/p>\n
“We’ve always spoken about it and it comes up every year, ‘Oh, when are seniors happening, when are seniors happening?’,” Dunscombe said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve always said, we hope our junior players will build up to the under-18s and then as we move into seniors we’d have a big mix of Sharks players be part of that first seniors team.”<\/p>\n
From the start the Sharks have had mixed teams and the club has grown to have mixed, female and male teams for their young footballers.<\/p>\n
In similar steps to the under-16 boys’ progression, Dunscombe is excited to see the club’s continual growth in girl’s football.<\/p>\n
Home to a merged under-17s team, he is confident the club will continue to grow for players of all genders.<\/p>\n
But growing a club doesn’t happen overnight, nor without input from a lot of people.<\/p>\n
And that’s what Dunscombe is most proud of.<\/p>\n
“We’ve always been an inclusive club and that’s one of the best things,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I can’t really explain it but we’ve been very lucky to have such an amazing group of players, families and community around us.”<\/p>\n
Armstrong Creek Sharks have 18 junior football teams and 12 junior netball teams registered for the 2026 AFL Barwon junior season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THEY launched a club then the world shut down, but that hasn’t changed Armstrong Creek’s 10-year plan. Established in 2019 with just 32 players, the Sharks have grown to more than 300 junior footballers in five years. The club’s astronomical growth has been organic, built through community outreach, but its committee is not satisfied yet. […]<\/p>\n