The Werribee Football Club has announced the launch of a new program that will work in partnership with North Melbourne’s next generation academy for multicultural and Indigenous boys and girls in Wyndham.
The program is a joint initiative between the AFL, Werribee Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club focused on identifying, engaging and developing underage talent in non-traditional communities.
The program will target multicultural and Indigenous boys and girls aged 11 to 13 and provide them with access to both high performance resources and facilities as well as high-level coaching.
Werribee Football Club chief executive Mark Penaluna said it was an excellent opportunity for the club.
“We consider ourselves a leader in terms of what we deliver in the community,” he said.
“We’ve been introducing football to people of all ages for many years through in school programs and a range of other initiatives, and we’re thrilled to be adding to that.
“It’s wonderful that the AFL and North Melbourne have given us the tick of approval to partner with North Melbourne’s NGA program, which captures the Wyndham region, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to invest further in the game in Wyndham, particularly in women’s football.
“Wyndham is one of the most culturally diverse areas of the state and we’re excited to start work on increasing the talent pool of multicultural and Indigenous male and female players.”
Over recent months the club has been delivering development programs for boys and girls in years 7 to 9, completing a four-week program at Point Cook College and The Grange College in Hoppers Crossing.
Werribee has been running community initiatives across Wyndham since 2007 and now employs one full-time and two part-time staff, along with a casual work force.
The club delivers a range of programs with many Wyndham-based schools, local Auskick centres and other organisations including Reclink Australia, Wyndham City Council and The Salvation Army.
