St Mary’s Salesian is a strong, family oriented community football club based at Ferndale Park in Glen Iris. The club plays in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) where all players play for the love of the game. We are recruiting for season 2022 across all of our three women’s teams – all new players are welcome!
St Mary’s Salesian is a Women’s Premier A club and an ideal destination for women who want to play community football at a high level in season 2022. We will be one of only nine clubs in the VAFA competing at the highest level in Premier A – alongside Caulfield Grammarians, Marcellin, Kew, Melbourne University, St Kevin’s, Old Trinity, Old Xavs and West Brunswick.
We are also an ideal destination for women who are new to the game. We are one of the few VAFA clubs with three teams – seniors, reserves and thirds – which means all our players are able to play at a level that best suits them, and all players will get a game each week.
Our team of dedicated coaches enables us to encourage each player to develop and to strive to be the best they can, no matter their skill level.
Mitch Dupljanin joins us as our new Women’s Senior Coach for season 2022. Mitch comes to us as a VAFA Women’s Premiership coach at Caulfield Grammarians, and says that “We have a proud and passionate playing group who are hungry for success and are looking towards 2022 with great excitement to begin our journey to the top end of the competition.”
We were a foundation club in the inaugural VAFA Women’s League back in 2017. We have had four wonderful seasons of Women’s Football, with Senior Women’s Premierships in 2017 and 2018, Preliminary Final appearances for our Reserves in 2018 and 2019, and promotion into Premier A.
Our sights are now firmly set on season 2022 and we are recruiting hard at all levels – so come and join us! Choosing St Mary’s Salesian is a great choice – you will have a lot of fun both on and off the field.
We are a destination club
Our club is a perfect fit for women of all ages and abilities who are looking to play football in 2022 . We are a destination club for:
– women looking to play community football at a high level
– women who are new to football and/or transitioning from other sport
– women looking for an elite pathway into the VFLW and AFLW
– VFLW players looking for a local club
– the growing number of girls who are playing football at the junior level
Pathway into VFLW and AFL and our Pathway Relationship with Port Melbourne VFLW
We are an ideal destination for players who want to play community football at a high level and also for those who aspire to go on and play at the elite VFLW and AFLW level.
We have a partnership agreement with the Port Melbourne Football Club to provide pathways and provide opportunities for women to come through community football at St Mary’s Salesian and progress into the elite levels of VFLW and AFLW football. Our relationship with Port Melbourne provides our players with opportunities to train with Port Melbourne VFLW during the season. It also provides access to their Junior Academy Program.
Over our four seasons, we have had many of our players recruited by VFLW clubs including Port Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn and Essendon.
The opportunity of playing in the VAFA Rep side is another pathway opportunity into higher level football.
Pathway out of junior football
A growing number of girls are playing football at the junior level, and we are well placed to provide them with a pathway into senior football. We are a three team club that plays at the highest level in Premier A. We have a track-record of on-field success with premierships and regular finals appearances. We can also provide a pathway into higher levels of football.
New to the game
We are well placed to provide players from other sports the opportunity to transition to football and develop their football skills. In 2021 we had more than 30 players come and join our club who were new to football. We provided them with the opportunity to learn to play the game, to develop their skills and fitness and to enjoy the friendships and camaraderie that comes from being a member of a football club.
ONE CLUB ENVIRONMENT
The club also fields three open-age men’s teams, with our senior men playing in D1 in 2022. Ours is a club with equal numbers of men’s and women’s players and we operate in a one-club environment where all players from all teams participate equally in the life of the club.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
At St Mary’s Salesian we provide our women’s players with leadership opportunities to develop off the field, as well as on the field. A number of our women’s players have joined the club committee and it’s various sub-committees, providing skill-sets and opportunities for leadership which players can take with them into their working and personal lives.
SOCIAL AT ST MARY’S SALESIAN
You will be joining a very welcoming and inclusive club which will provide you with the social environment for you to make new and lifelong friends. Ours is a young playing list, and our players come from a diverse range of junior backgrounds. We have roughly equal numbers of women’s and men’s players, and they are around the same age group which enables us to successfully operate in a one-club environment where all players from all teams participate equally in the life of the club. All our club functions are attended equally by players from all teams, and are attended by both our male and female players and supporters.
You’ll have a lot to look forward to at St Mary’s Salesian with a packed social calendar including: Cruises, Annual Balls & House party styled events.
PLAYERS, LOCAL SCHOOLS AND JUNIOR CLUBS
As a club, we are very interested in developing on-going relationships with schools and junior clubs in our area, and to offer girls a pathway into a club where they can play football once they have left school. Please email us with any questions or for more information: email womensfootballdirector@stmaryssalesianafc.com.au