Bulldogs host home semi final

WITH their next football game happening on home turf, members of the Ballarat Bulldogs Football Netball Club are calling on the community to cheer the team on during their semi-final match.

The club is set to go up against the Cranbourne Eagles at White Flat Oval this Sunday.

With the majority of their games played in Melbourne and surrounds this season, the club’s football manager and committee secretary Lexie Hardman said she wants to see the full support of Ballarat behind them.

“A home semi-final means hopefully we can get the support of the whole Ballarat community that can come out and watch,” she said.

“It’ll be a good display of football under the FIDA rules. We’ve had a big turnout with the locals before.

“People would be surprised to see the all-abilities guys. What they can do with their football is amazing.”

The Ballarat Bulldogs play in the Football Integration Development Association, a competition for players with intellectual disability, and were previously known as the Northern Knights until 2016.

The majority of FIDA games take place fortnightly throughout the AFL season.

Should they win the upcoming match, the Bulldogs will go on to play the grand final match in Coburg next weekend.

With training taking place on Wednesday nights, Ms Hardman said the club’s home game is a great reward for a well-played season.

“The team have been working all year for this. If they finished first or second, they knew they’d get a home game,” she said.

“We had about two or three here in July but most have been in Melbourne. The furthest we’ve gone is Ferntree Gully and Ringwood. St Albans has probably been the closest for us.

“In regards to their disabilities, it means so much to their mental strength having a home final and to get over the Melbourne teams.”

The semi-final match will run from 1pm.