The Wanneroo Amateur Football Club welcomes the 2014 season, kicking off in April, with excitement for what this year’s football, both on and off field, holds for us.
We proudly compete in the Western Australian Amateur Football League (WAAFL) which was formed in 1922. With 66 clubs, 243 teams and over 17,000 registered players, the WAAFL has grown from a six team competition to the largest single organised football league in WA, catering for players from the age of 16 years, as well as considerable volunteer personnel and social supporters.
The WAAFL provides a quality high standard of competition for our players not wishing to endure the commitment to WAFL training due to study commitments, career commitments or simply a lifestyle that considers football as a recreational pursuit.
We go into the season with a very experienced and enthusiastic coaching team. Our coaching team is led by club coach Blake Arnold who comes to the club with an extensive WAFL playing experience at the highest level. Charlie Holmes is the League Colts Coach having coached them to the clubs first colts Premiership in the Ian Dargie league in 2012.
This will be the Roos 29th year in the WAAFL having nominated 1 side back in 1985 which was graded in 'J Grade. Before the start of the 85 season the club had already expanded to a second side in 'L' grade and within a year had a colts team. The club is now in the WAAFL ‘B’ Grade, fielding four senior teams as well as league and reserve colts. The Wanneroo Amateur Football Club is now one of the largest and strongest senior clubs in Western Australia.
The club has consistently progressed through the grades since inauguration collecting 8 premiership flags in the process. The club had been in ‘A’ grade for 5 years, being in the Grand Final in 2004 and reaching the Preliminary Final in 2005. Since then the club has been relegated and promoted on a number of occasions and is now in ‘B’ Grade. For the 2013 season we had 4 of the 6 teams play in the finals with the League and Reserves making the Grand Finals with success eluding us on this occasion.
The club is confident of ongoing success in that we have 2 colts teams in 2013 comprising just on 100 colts players. The average age of our League team is only 23 years.
Our home ground, the Wanneroo Showgrounds, has been our base for both on and off field success. The Roo’s have, arguably, the largest supporter base in the 66 club league. A $170,000 lighting upgrade in 2005 saw the club play its first night game that season, which was attended by well in excess of 1,500 spectators. In 2013 we hosted 12 night games, some of these were junior under 17’s with Women’s league games to be also fixtured in 2014. The night games have become a social event for the community attracting significant crowds.
The club has forged a strong link with the community where the Saturday games, day and night are a major community event, for both young and old.
The club prides its self on what it gives back to not only to the community, but also to the football fraternity. We aim to sponsor our local junior teams as well as providing a source of coaches. We have also had, over the years, representatives on the WAAFL executive, which sets the policy for the league. We have also produced recruits for the Fremantle Dockers, West Perth, East Perth, State and All Australian Amateurs teams.
With limited resources and finances we have endeavoured to give back to the community in more than just football terms. Examples of such are as follows:
- Donated to the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfire appeal
- Annually conduct a pink Ladies Day Fundraiser for Breast Cancer raising in access of 1,000 per annum
- Openly addresses male depression and youth suicide within the club offering free ligature and a support base
- Sponsors and provides equipment to the Lao Elephants AFL club
- Currently developing Football Scholarships for African immigrants
- Assists the Joondalup Womens Football Team with training and clubroom facilities
We are currently a Bronze accredited quality club and are seeking to be Gold accredited by the end of this season and also working to become Green accredited AFL club in 2014
The Clubs main focus is it’s on field performance, player welfare/enjoyment and building its standing and support within the community. With this formula we continue to grow as a family friendly club and as a sense of place for the community.
