John Mustafa named as Fitzroy-ACU Women's coach

John Mustafa has been appointed as coach of the The Fitzroy-ACU Senior Women after Gray Barton stepped down from the role at the end of the 2019 Season. Fitzroy thanks Gray for his service and dedication to the Club and wishes him all the best.

John joins Fitzroy from the VU Western Spurs where in 2019 he coached the Division 2 team to a premiership. An outstanding achievement.

Before his time at the Spurs, John was also an assistant coach with the Diamond Creek Football Club. The Club is excited to have John on board for 2020 to bring his talent and experience to the Fitzroy-ACU Senior Women's team.

John is passionate about coaching and has especially been thrilled to be part of the women's football space and see the game grow for women.

"The positive trend behind football has been due to women. The increase in the game's participants by 200% in three years, this trend is bringing more people to the game."

His love of coaching comes from finding joy in helping people realise they have the capacity to succeed.

"I love seeing people do things they couldn’t before, understanding the hard work that is required and seeing the excitement on their face when they realise they can do it."

Coming onboard with the club late last year, John has had the chance to start training with the squad and likes what he sees.

"The squad seems hungry, raring to go as they all want to succeed. Something that drives me is continually wanting to improve and be good at what I do. I’m hoping this rubs off on the squad so we can all taste that ultimate success!"

The history of Fitzroy is also something John is excited to be part of as he joins The Roys.

"The culture created, the history, I think is a match made in heaven for me. I love footy so much and the opportunity to be part of something with so much success and development, I honestly couldn’t say no."

The Club welcomes John to the Fitzroy fold. We're excited to follow your journey in 2020.

New appointment for the under 19s

Danny Hecker has also recently been appointed as coach of the Under 19s.

Danny comes to the club with 7 years coaching experience at youth club and representative level including working with the Yarra Magpies Academy (YJFL and Collingwood partnership) and Gold Coast Suns (Youth) Summer Skills program.

Danny was also the 2018 Season Head Coach with U16 Tweed Coolangatta Division 1 AFLQ Gold Coast.

The Club also extends its thanks to Monty Stuart for coaching the Under 19s in 2019.

Welcome to the Roys Danny!

Clothes swap fundraiser for those affected by bushfires

Fitzroy-ACU Women's players Jess Hayes and Gemma Minuz have led the charge on organising a great event to assist in the fundraising efforts for those directly affected by the Australian bushfire crisis.

Join us at the community rooms at Brunswick St Oval on Sunday 2nd February from 2pm - 5pm for a clothes swap and BBQ to help raise funds that the club will contribute to the Bendigo Bank's bushfire appeal that is in partnership with The Salvation Army.

For a $10 donation, we encourage everyone to bring at least 6 items of clothing in good condition to participate in a swap. There will also be items for sale and a BBQ with all funds going to the bushfire appeal.

The club is proud of the playing group for being so passionate and proactive in supporting communities who have experienced so much hardship during this terrifying time.

We welcome all Roys supporters to attend the event or contribute what they can to the appeal.

2020 pre season in full swing

Pre season training is now in full swing as we prepare for Season 2020. Thanks to those who braved the elements on Monday night for our first session of the year - it certainly wasn't the best welcome back to the track!

Training officially commenced for our 2020 campaign on Jan 20, and the full pre season schedule is now up including intra-club and practice matches.

New women's and men's players are still most welcome to attend pre season sessions and come down to chat to our coaches about joining our club this season.

Download the full Fitzroy Senior Men's Pre Season calendar here.

Download the full Fitzroy-ACU Senior Women's Pre Season calendar here.

2020 off field campaign - we still want you!

We want you! Yes we do.

The Fitzroy Football Club is gearing up for a big season 2020. And we are still looking for people to join our community and be part of our great club.

Players – men and women – just rock up for training or call our Director Player Recruitment and Wellbeing, Michael Pickering on 0419 849 662. We’ve already started pre season training so get the gear on and come on down. Even if you can only come down for one session, we’ll welcome you with open arms.

Sponsors – we can feel a beautiful partnership in the wind! We’ve got big ambitions to take our teams back up to the Premier divisions of the amateur football competition and with a significant focus on the local community, let’s all grow together. Have a look at our sponsorship packages and call our Sponsorship Director, Rob Olney on 0413 767 907. You can join as a Business Member for as little as $250 or if you want your name up in lights, that might cost a little more. Talk to us. You can also sponsor an individual player.

Volunteers – there are no games without you! We have lots of ways to get involved – everything from running water to stay fit, to keeping stats, sports writing and photography or team managing. There is literally something for everyone supporting men’s and women’s teams. If you’re already at the games, see if you can get involved. Contact us and register your interest.

Members – the proudest, most passionate supporters of any footy club, bar none. Other clubs say they love coming to BSO for the outlook, but we don’t think they like it when our ‘travelling crowd’ rocks up and cheers on the red, yellow, blue #GoRoys. You are the lifeblood of the club. Memberships for 2020 are staying at the same price and are available online now. If you’re old school, call up Bill Atherton at the Fitzroy Shop during business hours on 03 9580 6464 and he can process the membership for you.

Supporters – our VAFA season starts on Saturday 4 April with a Senior Men’s home game at Brunswick Street Oval against Uni Blacks. Once we have the women’s draw, we can tell you about that too. We’re continuing to work with our partners to improve the facilities at Brunswick Street while we retain the heritage and the beauty that makes it great. Come on down, join us on game days or for a drink afterwards. Maybe just think about a membership for 2020.

Order your Fitzroy gear now for 2020!

It's nearly time to take off the hoodie and switch to the polo shirt! What? You haven't got one? Easily fixed.

Online orders can be made here https://www.fitzroyfc.com.au/merchandise/fitzroy-supporter-gear

Choose from the following items:

adult hoodie: $60 + postage and handling
children's hoodie: $50 + postage and handling
polo (pictured): $45 + postage and handling
long sleeve t-shirt (pictured): $40 + postage and handling
jacket: $90 + postage and handling