Club News | Federal FNC ready to bring back country pride to Saturday's. It’s an ode that stood the test of time – country football and netball. Saturday’s wrapped up in a community so close knit it felt homely to be inside club room walls.

Well now is the time to resight the ode, to rally together and to bring the fire back to the belly of Federal Football Netball Club.

We currently have two of the strongest Under 11’s junior sides we’ve seen come through the years, skilled players who will go far. It is the senior sides where our numbers have fallen. Though we have a dedicated committee who not only believe in the club and they can only push so hard to see the return of our numbers.

The past few years have been an ordeal for our little club, like a lot of clubs Covid confined us all to our homes and forbid the game. We got hit with a new building that is in desperate need of Federal identity, this meant a sad goodbye to our clubrooms that held memories and the sense of community it had boasting from the rafters. In the interim we had a whole year misplaced in portable mishmash waiting for the new building. So, by no means has the past few years been easy, it’s taken a toll on the game and misplaced the sense of ‘home’ a lot of locals had when it came to their Saturday. I guess you could say now is the defining point for Federal Football Netball Club, the past few years that shaped us to where we are now comes to this very point, some would say it’s breaking point.

Country ‘’footy’’ has been the heart and soul of Corryong for many years, many of our players are getting older, volunteers are becoming alarmedly scarce and paid athletes are at increased essential to not only our club, but many in our league. Not to mention the decrease of junior football grades has halted a pathway to senior football within our grounds. Now we are left in a state where we desperately need numbers to not only pull our club out of our slump but to bring back the hymn of country footy, to let it sing loud through the streets of Corryong once again.

It’s never too late, despite the challenges we have faced and are facing. This will be the year life is brought back to the Upper Murray League, there needs to be changes in order for this league to survive.

We have been a very successful club over the years, producing six members who have gone on to play in the AFL. A proud and successful history that shines through our players, wonderful men and women who have gone on to the Ovens and Murray league to become competitive champions. Federal members have always pushed our players to strive to their top most potential, while at times this come at a cost to our numbers. Top AFL talent has been a talking point to the Federal Club over the years, players flocked to our region to play some of the most competitive football in the state.

Premierships that hang proud on our clubroom wall, A grade netball being one of our strongest feet. Our history of championships is rich, it runs back to 75’ where our football side began to really flourish. Ever since, we shaped some of the strongest players, players who grew old under our club, players who we still see for a beer on a Saturday evening. Whilst they no longer play the game, they are the beating heart behind our club. It’s the fresh players we need, the new family's to town, the ‘young bucks’ who long for a competitive game. We need to bring the life back to the Upper Murray League, the hype of crisp winter mornings on the football oval shall ring loud once again.

It’s a scary thought that if we don’t get a influx of players, our club could crumble. Fears for the up and coming generation, the generation that will have to drive hours to training and hours on their weekend, they’ll forget there was once a strong league that was right on their doorstep. A league that was strong, compassionate and competitive. The falling of one club could mean the fall of many clubs, this is a time to rally together, to show the next generation country football and netball is still here. There was a time Saturday mornings were filled with rivalry, a deep anger burned in our bellies to win the game, to hold bragging rights in town on Monday and to be the best we could to compete it out in our tiny little town. A town that hosts three separate teams, three vital teams to a five team league. Again, with the fall of one, the fall of many…

Federal Football Netball Club need you. They need numbers to build up their side, but solely they need to keep country football and netball alive. Let’s bring back Thursday night training under bright lights, let’s bring back chilly Upper Murray Saturday mornings wrapped in woollies, let’s bring back community. There was once families who lived and breathed for their football club, please dig deep and try find that passion again.

For football and netball are more than just a game. They are a sense of belonging, belonging to a social hub. Whilst yes exercise is wonderful for you and your mental health, so is social connection. A beer, a wine with a mate in the change rooms after the game, a mark on the calendar to look forward to every weekend.

Federal Football Netball Club are in a more than adequate financial position, we have some strong past players returning, we have a building that’s ready for identity, now all we need is you. You to call upon a friend to join our club, to spread the word country football and netball is back, its back with vengeance. The pride and rivalry is ready to ring loud through the starting bell again.

Sing it loud - Cheer cheer the red and the white!

Written by Bridie Sheather on behalf of the Federal Football Netball Club

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