Healesville honoured

By Dion Teasdale
HEALESVILLE Junior Football Club has been honoured with one of Football Victoria’s highest awards and is on track to take out the big prize.
The club was named Football Victoria’s Community Club of the week in July and then beat four other weekly winners to earn the title of Community Club of the Month.
Last week, Football Victoria’s community football development officer, Peter McDougall, presented the club with a cheque for $500 at a ceremony held at the club’s home ground at Queen’s Park.
He said the club would be one of five from across the state to contest the title of Community Club of the Year to be announced at a gala presentation in February next year.
“Football Victoria selects one Community Club of the week for every week of the football season and then we end up with five monthly winners,” he said.
“The awards are open to all 11,000 football clubs across the state, so it is a great effort to make it through as one of our monthly winners.”
Mr McDougall said the awards were about recognising the hard work football clubs carry out in the wider community.
“We think it is important to recognise the fund raising efforts of clubs and the work they do assisting other community groups and projects,” he said.
“Football clubs are about much more than just having a run and a kick. Clubs like this one are often the heartbeat of the local community.”
Mr McDougall said Football Victoria was very impressed with Healesville Junior Football club’s activities in the surrounding community.
“We are always keen to promote clubs that show initiative, create partnerships in the wider community, and foster community spirit in players and supporters,” he said.
He said Football Victoria was impressed with the club’s umpire training program, mentoring programs, food donation drive for Healesville Interchurch Community Church Inc and with its involvement in community celebrations such as Anzac Day.
Healesville Junior Football Club president, Mick Connell, said the club was thrilled with the award.
“This is great for us. It is wonderful recognition of the club’s hard work. To be chosen for this out of so many other clubs across the state is a terrific honour,” he said.
“We are one of the biggest sporting clubs in Healesville and we rely on the community for their support and we believe it is important to put something back whenever we can.”
Mr Connell said the club would put the $500 prize towards the expansion of its club rooms and player change room facilities, and that club players and supporters were confident of taking out the Community Club of the Year title next year.