The 2020 season is finally underway! Covid-19 has certainly taken a toll on a number of clubs we were to have competed against, with leagues having fewer teams as a result, and we may see further restructuring by Football West.
We at Northern Redbacks have experienced a comparatively small number of player withdrawals but are seeking to replace those players to ensure our squads are not too thin.
We'd like to wish our NPL and U23's squad the best of luck in their season openers tomorrow, as we start our efforts to secure the first-ever NPL championship. The NPL game kicks off at 3pm at our NPL home ground Kingsway Reserve. The U23's kick-off is at 1pm.
Players and coaches seem very happy with the extra lighting provided by the fourth light tower thanks to a $50,000 grant from Sport Aus.
This grant allows our players to train in a safer environment, as well as spreading the wear and tear more evenly across all the playing fields.
The enhanced training environment has helped most of our teams get off to a flying start to the season, and we are proud of the dedication shown by the players, inspired by each of our exceptionally passionate and talented coaches. All we can say is, keep up the hard work and stay focused on improving with each match and each training session. The other clubs will be hunting us down as the season progresses.
Our club patron, Janine Freeman, MLA for Mirrabooka, joined us last Sunday to celebrate the donation of match and training footballs by the Insurance Commission’s Belt Up initiative. The Under 16 team photo was a dry start to a wet day where it rained goals by the five Northern Redbacks teams in action. In the 5 games that we played, we scored 37 goals and didn't concede any! An amazing day by any standards.
The Club is blessed to have an invaluable group of volunteers who devote their skills and enthusiasm to ensuring all players are supported. We still have some roles that need filling including
· Fundraising co-ordinator
· Grants co-ordinator
· Sponsorship co-ordinator
· Cleaning of club and change rooms
· Line marking
· Photographer for each team
Roles can be shared, and volunteering can be highly rewarding … just chat to anyone on the committee or your team manager if you are tempted. I encourage you to submit to this temptation!
Finally, we are celebrating the success of the #AsOne bid which brings the FIFA Women’s World Cup to Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Western Australia and Football West will benefit from a number of matches being played at Perth Oval.
We at Redbacks are proud of the efforts of the club’s media department, and Neil Bennett in particular, in raising the profile of the women’s game and this club during the bid process. We now have a great opportunity to grow the game in WA and encourage more young women and girls to enjoy participating in the beautiful game.
Yours in football,
Tony Mullen
President