The Fitzroy preseason camp marks the start of the serious
business as we head towards the season proper and the teams
certainly threw themselves in with gusto at Portsea.
Just wait until you see them in action at the first intra-club
game on Saturday 2 March at Victoria Park from 9.30. The Men
play the curtain raiser, followed by a Women’s intraclub from
11.40am.
This kicks off a calendar of pre-season games in March aimed
at getting the teams in tip top shape before Round 1 (see the
calendar later in this Red Roy).
The Senior Men have
some testing hit outs against St Bernard’s, Uni Blacks and
Marcellin. The Senior Women will have some time against St
Bernard’s with games also against Kew and Marcellin. The full
schedule across the club is a work in progress, as grounds
become available.
Meanwhile, back at camp, it was the Black team that took bragging
rights in Fitzroy’s version of the Amazing Race, but restoring
some pride, the Red team (aka the Crown Jewels, featuring both
senior captains) pulled it out of the fire with an overall
points win as camp champions.
Check out some of the pics from the weekend courtesy of Sharon Torney and Luke Mahoney.
A new Fitzroy team
Fitzroy will field an Under 23 Men’s team in season 2019 and
the call is out for a new coach.
The Board has agreed to establish another men’s team following
the high number of players registered last year. The additional
team will be an Under 23 team as the VAFA is looking at establishing
a new Under 23 competition in 2019.
The Under 23 team will be a development squad providing an
opportunity for players to bridge the gap between Under 19
and senior football, to continue to build and develop their
football skills and enable the players to continue to play
and enjoy football.
We are in the process of recruiting a coach. The ad has been
placed with the VAFA and AFL Victoria and if you know anyone
suitable, here it is.
One of Fitzroy’s 2018 Senior Premiership Players, Andrew Pettigrove,
has joined the senior men’s coaching panel as one of the team’s
assistant coaches for 2019 and will provide plenty of recent
experience and input.
The 212-game veteran ruckman provided guidance and support
for our younger players as they took on finals in 2018 – many
of them for the first time – and should slot seamlessly into
the role.
Andrew’s professional experience is also in sport, having
worked at football and cricket clubs here and overseas. He
is currently the Sport Events Coordinator at La Trobe University.
New Under 19s coach, Monty Stuart, will also be joined by
two assistants, Mel Story and Silvano Inserra.
Mel is the second female on the Fitzroy coaching team this
year and brings extensive coaching experience from junior football
and other sports. She has been head coach and club coordinator
at Northcote gymnastics club for 20 years and coaches athletics
at Collingwood Little Athletics.
Across Fitzroy, Carlton, Knights and Northcote Junior Football
Clubs, Mel has been assistant, head or line coach of several
teams, including forward line coach for the Fitzroy Colts in
2017. She is club vice president at Northcote JFC also the
Collingwood All Stars Under 16 basketball coach.
Mel is studying a double diploma in sports development, leadership
and management at Swinburne and the Richmond Institute of Sports
Leadership.
Silvano (pictured at
training) is coming full circle with this year’s appointment.
He started his coaching journey in the winter of 2008 at Auskick
at Fitzroy (Brunswick Street Oval). “I was fortunate to coach
80-odd, 6-year-old boys and girls. A large number of those
boys played for FJFC Premiership Colts team in 2018. A number
also played in the seconds squad. These are same kids will
now the eligible to play Under 19s at Fitzroy Football Club
in 2019.”
Silvano has Level 1 AFL Coaching accreditation and was until
last year a player/coaching assistant with the Melbourne Masters
Football Club (Albert Park).
Last year Silvano was runner and defensive assistant for Matt
Larkin, who was coaching the FJFC Colts 2 team. Following a
two-year stint with Auskick, he coached a FJFC side every year
from 2010 to 2014.
February is Fitzroy membership month – join in the fun!
You’ve got less than
a week to go into the running for our great member prize.
Anyone who signs up for a Fitzroy membership before the end of February will go into the draw for our prize
pack, which features the new FFC players’ singlet and a voucher
from Bontempo Pizzeria.
We’ve had a lot of interest in these singlets and the only
way a non-player can get one is to win this prize!
There are some other great parts to the package too. Our friends
at Bontempo Pizzeria on Brunswick Street will provide a $50
voucher to the winner. And although it might be hotter than
hades right now, a hand knitted Fitzroy beanie will come in
handy in mid-June; there's a brand new batch and they're looking
good. So this prize has you covered all year round. There might
be some other surprises too.
This year we have some new member benefits, designed to encourage
people to come down to Brunswick Street and join in with the
after-match festivities and/or the famous barbecue. Check out
the membership packages on our website. There is also a business membership package.
And fear not if you got in early. If you already have your
membership for this year, you’ll automatically go into the
draw.
All you need to do is pick the best membership for you, sign up and pay online by midnight on Thursday 28
February.
The winner will be drawn and announced at the season launch
on 30 March at the Fitzroy Victoria Bowling Sports Club.
And look out for our new membership postcards, coming soon
to a letterbox in Fitzroy!
When Irish eyes are smiling
Tom O’Donnell and Emma
Delaney have been selected as Fitzroy’s representatives, when
the VAFA takes on the Victorian Gaelic Athletic Association
as part of a festival of Irish Sport over the St Patrick’s
Day weekend.
The men’s and women’s games of International Rules will be
held at Elsternwick Park, along with a Hurling display and
a Kids Zone on Saturday 16 March,
For more details of what promises to be a great day, check
out the VAFA website
The VAFA is keen to make this a big family day, so get along
if you can.
Umpires: we can’t play without ‘em
Do you have
a passion for football but playing is not your thing?
Love to run? Want to combine to the two?
If you’ve said yes, yes and yes then we have the role
for you: VAFA Field Umpire!
We are required to have club field umpires for a number
of our teams including the Women’s teams and the Thirds.
You can either be a club umpire and only do our home
games, or you could join the VAFA ranks and go into
the pool of umpires and be paid by the VAFA. If going
into the pool, you can still do our home games. With
either option you will receive training.
The games simply cannot start without field umpires
so this is an extremely essential component to the
game day happening!
If you’re interested in becoming a club umpire, please
contact Sharon Torney, Director Football Operations
on 0415 420 487 or email secretary@fitzroyfc.com.au
If you’re interested in becoming a VAFA umpire, then
email Haydn O’Connor, VAFA Umpire Operations Manager,
haydn@vafa.com.au - don’t forget to tell him you’re from Fitzroy FC.
Kick start for the South Pacific
The Fitzroy
Football Club will be getting behind an AFLPNG and
AFL South Pacific Kick Start Program and collecting
old football boots for those who might like to give
the game a try.
Men’s and women’s boots no longer required here, will
be shared with PNG, Solomons, Vanuatu, Nauru, Fiji
and Tonga who are all under the AFL South Pacific Development
program.
Fitzroy Under 19 player, Callum Harrison – who is
eligible to play in the International Cup for PNG next
year – and his parents Peter and Helen, are heavily
involved in the development of the game in PNG and
are planning on taking the boots over to the South
Pacific in April.
Once we get back to BSO, in the fortnight leading
up to the season, players will find a box in the changerooms
where they will be encouraged to leave their old boots.
It would be great to help the development of the game
in the South Pacific in some small way, so have a hunt
around in the bottom of the cupboard and find those
boots!
Photograph of the Binatangs team (PNG) 2015, by Peter Harrison.
Volunteer game day roles for all
One of the best
ways to help your footy club and get some real-life
experience at the same time, is to put up your hand
for a volunteer role.
The club is constantly on the lookout for reliable
volunteers for everything from running water, to selling
raffle tickets, social media and writing to managing
one of the teams. There is literally something for
everyone.
If you want to know more or are keen to get more involved
with the Fitzroy community, have a look at some of
the roles on our volunteers’ web page and contact us about your area of interest. You can
use the online form or contact Director Volunteers, Gabrielle Murphy at
volunteers@fitzroyfc.com.au
Family fun with the Lions and Bulldog
Fitzroy will again have a presence at the Lions’ Victorian
Family Fun Day at the State Netball and Hockey Centre on Sunday 10
March.
The entire Brisbane Men’s team will be on hand, before
heading over to watch the Round 6 AFLW clash between
the Lions and Carlton at Ikon Park. And rumour has
it one Kevin ‘Bulldog’ Murray will also be making an
appearance.
Fitzroy Director Member and Sponsor Relations, David
Leydon, who has a deep, abiding passion for both clubs,
will be ensuring the connection with ‘old Fitzroy’
as he spruiks beanies, memberships and all things FFC.
If you’d like to help him out, email David at client_relations@fitzroyfc.com.au
Head on over to the State Netball and Hockey Centre
from 1pm to check it out.
Season launch all set for Saturday 30 March
Saturday 30 March will be a stern test for the full club
as we take on Marcellin in all grades at Brunswick
Street Oval; a nice curtain raiser to the season.
The games will be followed by a season launch at the
Fitzroy Victoria Bowling and Sports Club from 5.30pm.
Everyone is welcome.
Hope to see you there as you meet the new coaches
and players and hear about the season ahead.
Footy’s back function at The Royal Derby
Our home away from home, the Royal Derby, is throwing out
the red carpet for both of its beloved teams on Friday
29 March.
The Derby will hold a football launch for the Brisbane
Lions and Fitzroy fans and sponsors, featuring past
Fitzroy champions Chris Johnson and Laurie Serafini.
Tickets ($30, which covers finger food throughout
the night) will be available via the Derby website
in the days ahead but can be purchased now from the
hotel bar. The night will kick off at 6.30 for 7pm.
Book in for the Fitzroy Golf Day – 24 March
Bookings are now open for our 2019 Golf Day and this year we’re heading out to Freeway
Golf Club in North Balwyn.
Last year’s winners, Fitzroy IT, got in early and booked their
spots. We think they need a bit of competition!
Join our players, supporters and sponsors on Sunday 24 March
for a bit of fun in a friendly two-person Ambrose format starting
at 1pm.
You can book online for yourself and your partner or book separately. We can partner
you up if you want to book as an individual.
There'll be prizes for the winner, the longest drive and closest
to the pin. Don’t miss a fun day before the footy starts.
Important dates
Saturday 2 March: Fitzroy intra club games,
Men and Women, Victoria Park, 9.30am
Sunday 10 March: Brisbane Lions Family
Fun Day in Melbourne, State Netball and Hockey Centre,
1-3pm.
Saturday 16 March: VAFA International
Rules, Elsternwick Park
Sunday 17 March: pre-season games v St
Bernard’s
Saturday 23 March: pre-season game v Uni
Blacks (men’s squad) and Kew (women’s squad), grounds
TBC
The Senior Men have
some testing hit outs against St Bernard’s, Uni Blacks and
Marcellin. The Senior Women will have some time against St
Bernard’s with games also against Kew and Marcellin. The full
schedule across the club is a work in progress, as grounds
become available.
The Fitzroy coaching
team keeps getting stronger.
Silvano (pictured at
training) is coming full circle with this year’s appointment.
He started his coaching journey in the winter of 2008 at Auskick
at Fitzroy (Brunswick Street Oval). “I was fortunate to coach
80-odd, 6-year-old boys and girls. A large number of those
boys played for FJFC Premiership Colts team in 2018. A number
also played in the seconds squad. These are same kids will
now the eligible to play Under 19s at Fitzroy Football Club
in 2019.”
You’ve got less than
a week to go into the running for our great member prize.
Tom O’Donnell and Emma
Delaney have been selected as Fitzroy’s representatives, when
the VAFA takes on the Victorian Gaelic Athletic Association
as part of a festival of Irish Sport over the St Patrick’s
Day weekend.
Do you have
a passion for football but playing is not your thing?
Love to run? Want to combine to the two?
The Fitzroy
Football Club will be getting behind an AFLPNG and
AFL South Pacific Kick Start Program and collecting
old football boots for those who might like to give
the game a try.
One of the best
ways to help your footy club and get some real-life
experience at the same time, is to put up your hand
for a volunteer role.
Footy’s back function at The Royal Derby 
