Back from left: Brad, Mark, Eumemmerring Secondary College assistant principal John Lyall, Football Victoria southern regional manager Darren Flanigan, Chris, Jesse, and front, Ben and Will.By Marc McGowan
EUMEMMERRING Secondary College’s burgeoning sports academy recorded yet another coup last week when Football Victoria presented the program with a $3000 sponsorship.
As reported in the News in November, the college has developed alliances with the Dandenong Stingrays (Australian Rules football), Cricket Victoria, the Dandenong Rangers (basketball), the Melbourne Storm (rugby league) and Football Federation Victoria (soccer).
Eumemmerring’s Sport and Recreation coordinator Ben McGee held discussions with Football Victoria operations manager David Code and Football Victoria southern regional manager Darren Flanigan to flesh out the deal.
“There is so much competition from soccer and rugby league, and the money they provide will offer further opportunities for kids to be a part of the AFL academy who may not have been able to afford it,” Mr McGee said.
A major incentive for Football Victoria to contribute the money to the college is the area’s vast multicultural population.
“David is aware that this is a strong multicultural area and it allows AFL to be promoted to multicultural communities,” Mr McGee said.
“The numbers in the academy this year reflect that as there are a number of Asian kids, as well as European kids, in the program.”
The money will help finance Eumemmerring’s trip to Wodonga in April where the college’s AFL participants will take on Wodonga Senior Secondary College, which also has an AFL program.
The students will train on the Monday with former Carlton star and current Murray Bushrangers coach Peter Dean and attend an academy dinner the same night.
They will play a ‘friendly’ match on the Tuesday and round it out by going to the Anzac Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG the following day.
“That will be super – that’s the way you want to finish it off,” Mr McGee said.
“Getting multicultural kids into that atmosphere, not only in a footy atmosphere, but now we are starting to talk about assimilation in regards to Australian culture.”
Mr McGee praised the involvement of former Geelong player Flanigan, who has been pivotal in the program coming on in leaps and bounds in the last year.
“I doubt there’s anyone in Victoria doing so much to get kids playing at the grassroots level as Darren Flanigan,” Mr McGee said.
The fact eight members of TAC Cup under-18 side Dandenong Stingrays are involved, which is up from just one last year, evidences the success of the program.
“That just goes to show the quality of program the school is running,” Mr McGee said.
