After a challenging season, the Coldstream Junior Football Club has begun preparing for the next season.
The junior sporting club, with over 130 years of history, struggled with numbers prior to the commencement of the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, the club lost some players, which resulted in losing teams for a few age groups.
The club only had two teams, U8s and U9s, playing this year.
President Darren Doggett said the club is now recruiting new members to re-establish for the next season.
“We’re looking to have a new number of U8s come through next year, and we’re bringing this year’s U8s and U9s together to form an U10s team next year,” he said.
“We were looking to have U12s and U13s teams in the 2025 season, but we didn’t have sufficient numbers to get those two teams up.
“A lot of those players who went to other clubs have reached out and said that they would love to come back and play with Coldstream next year, and a couple of them, unfortunately, are saying if they don’t get to play for Coldstream, they’ll probably give football away, because they’re so closely aligned with Coldstream that they’d rather not play than play for another club.”
Right after wrapping up the 2025 season, the club’s committee started working diligently to get what the club needs before the next season.
The committee is trying to establish another U12s and U13s teams or U12s and U14s teams to give more football opportunities to local children.
Mr Doggett said the Coldstream Junior Football Club offers a unique small-club feel where every child is known and valued and can feel a sense of belonging that larger clubs with multiple teams in each age group cannot provide.
“We’re a great small community. We’ve got really good people around the club and a wonderful environment for young kids,” he said.
“Our Auskick program is fantastic. We’ve got about 50 kids turn up each Friday night. It’s a real carnival atmosphere. The junior club trains with the Auskickers on a Friday night.
“What we’re seeking to do is continue to build on the legacy of our club’s history, of the hard work and dedication of the committees in the past and re-establish Coldstream as a significant contributor to the Eastern Football Netball League.”
As president, Mr Doggett has been at the front line in promoting the club, reaching out to primary schools and high schools through social media.
He has also communicated with other football clubs to check if they have surplus numbers.
The Coldstream Junior Football Club is planning to train the younger age groups once a week on Fridays and the older age groups twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The president said the club doesn’t want to tax families too much, with having to be at the club more than they’re able to be.
“We found Friday night to be a really successful night because everybody’s closing off their week, they come to the club, they watch their children participate in their sport, and then they go away and enjoy their weekend and come back on Sunday to play,” Mr Doggett said.
Coldstream senior footballers have supported the junior footy club.
They run Auskick sessions, and the senior coach encourages junior footballers to play at halftime at home games a couple of times a year.
“Most importantly, it was amazing to see our junior kids join in with the senior players at training on a Thursday night,” Mr Doggett said.
“As our junior kids were running around the ground with their senior idols, it brought a smile to everybody’s face.
“With that support, we’re laying the foundations for our young future superstars to see the pathway to what they can become as a successful senior footballer at Coldstream or beyond.”
The preseason for next year will start in February.
Anyone interested is welcome to reach out to Mr Doggett by phone on 0419 500 022, via email at coldstreamjnr@efnl.org.au or on the Coldstream Junior Football Club’s Facebook page at facebook.com/coldstreamjuniorfc
