Before we close out National Reconciliation Week, we’re excited to share the initial concept for our new First Nations guernseys!
Made possible by a $4,500 grant from First People Assembly of Victoria, both our Senior Women’s teams will wear the guernseys during NAIDOC Week later this season.
The original artwork was designed by Toneya Kennedy, a proud Barkindji woman, celebrating culture, community and connection through a uniquely meaningful design.
We can’t wait to see these jumpers out on the field.
We’re currently leading the Plenty Valley league in The Pancake Parlour Club Rewards Program.
If we can stay on top of the leaderboard, the club will win $2,000 in Pancake Parlour vouchers, with additional cash prizes of up to $5,000 available for overall competition winners.
Supporting the club is easy! Simply join “St Mary’s Senior Football & Netball” in The Pancake Parlour app or mention our club name when paying in restaurant. Every dollar spent earns one point for St Mary’s.
It’s a simple way to support the club while enjoying a meal with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who has already supported the club through the program. Let’s keep the momentum going and bring home the prizes for St Mary’s!
In 2026, we are committed to ‘Be The Difference,’ helping create a culture of road safety and supporting the mission to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on Victorian roads.
As players, coaches, volunteers and supporters, we know that the choices we make don’t just protect ourselves — they protect our teammates, families and community.
Thanks to the incredible commitment of our club, we’ve received more than $22,000 in TAC Club Rewards funding since joining the program in 2020. Let’s continue leading by example and make an even bigger impact in 2026.
As part of National Reconciliation Week, St Mary’s proudly hosted a panel discussion focused on reconciliation, inclusion and the important role community sporting clubs can play in bringing people together.
Hosted by one of our First Nations players, Judhil Canendo, Troy Bickerton, Tane Cotter, Sarah Johnston and Natalie Cora, shared their thoughts and experiences around representation in sport, creating inclusive environments, and what it means to be “All In” for reconciliation.
The panel reflected on the power of sport to unite people from different backgrounds through shared goals and highlighted the importance of seeing First Nations representation across AFL, netball and wider sport.
Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged so openly in the conversation. We hope everyone took something meaningful away from the discussion and continue to reflect on how we can all contribute to reconciliation and inclusion within community sport.
Special thanks to Judhil for the idea, and to Micaela Hanlon and Jess Bickerton for organising the event.
Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week.
The theme for #NRW2026 is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.
The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long.
Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us. We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and we encourage everyone at St Mary’s to play their part to build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.
Over the past two weekends, five St Mary’s netballers proudly represented the NFNL at the Association Championships, competing against some of the strongest representative teams from across Victoria.
Congratulations to Jo Denton, Holly Elliot-Pogue, Amelia Denton, Maeve O’Neill and Wynter Broad on their selection and performances across the championships.
Holly’s team, 15&U Reserves competed strongly throughout the tournament, finishing sixth in their pool while taking on high-quality representative opposition.
Jo’s team, 15&U Championship, enjoyed an outstanding campaign, winning their pool and finishing runners up overall. After defeating seven teams across the day and winning their semi final convincingly, the side fell just short in the Grand Final by only a few goals.
The result secured Jo’s team a place at the Parkville Association Championships Finals in June. This is a fantastic achievement and an exciting opportunity to compete in front of Netball Victoria talent scouts.
Amelia, Maeve and Wynter also represented the NFNL with pride across the championships. While results didn’t fall their team’s way on the day, all three players put in strong performances and gained valuable representative experience against quality opposition.
Well done to all five players on their achievements!
St Mary’s celebrated Women & Girls Footy Feature Round in the best possible way; fantastic wins, strong club support and a weekend that showcased the growth of women and girls football across every level of our community.
Both senior women’s teams came away with impressive wins, while our junior girls teams saw some wins and enjoyed strong support from players, families and supporters across the weekend.
One of the special moments was seeing senior players Sarah Johnston and Matilda Eames coaching their respective junior girls sides. Watching senior players mentor the next generation highlighted the strong pathways and community culture continuing to grow at St Mary’s.
The celebrations continued after the games with a special event featuring AFLW player and media personality Holly Ridewood, interviewed by senior women’s co-captain Sarah Johnston. Together, they spoke about football, leadership and the continued growth of women’s sport.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the weekend possible, including players, coaches, volunteers, supporters and families. Women & Girls Footy Feature Round was a celebration of not just football, but the people helping grow the game every single day.
This National Volunteer Week, we’re celebrating two people who have helped shape St Mary’s both on and off the field for more than 15 years — Lauren and James Ind.
James’ journey with St Mary’s began long before the senior club even existed, playing his entire football career through the junior club. When the senior club was first being established, he was one of the first to jump on board and became the club’s inaugural captain, leading our first (and only) team at the time, the Under 19s in 2009, before later captaining the Senior Men.
Lauren’s connection to St Mary’s began through James. As their relationship grew, so did her involvement with the club and she began playing netball in 2011 before stepping into the role of Netball Coordinator in 2013, after being inspired by the hard work of other volunteers.
Reflecting on early years of the senior club, James said it showed just how important volunteers were to the growth of community sport.
“We only had 12 players by February that year, so without some really dedicated people behind the scenes, the club wouldn’t have got off the ground. Everyone just pitched in however they could, and to then field a team and win the club’s first ever game made it even more special.”
Since then, Lauren and James have become two of the club’s most dedicated volunteers.
Over the years, Lauren has also volunteered as Event Coordinator, Secretary and Vice President, and remains an active committee member today. Meanwhile James has always been someone the club could rely on, whether it’s helping behind the bar, cleaning up after functions and even organising events like Past Players Day.
But all the hard work felt worth it when St Mary’s was named Club of the Year in 2018. For Lauren, who was serving as Vice President at the time, the recognition reflected years of commitment from volunteers who had helped build the club both on and off the field.
Their own commitment was later recognised in 2024 when Lauren and James received the Livio Basile Club Person Award, acknowledging their years of service and the lasting impact they continue to have on the St Mary’s community.
Despite the awards and recognition, for Lauren and James it has always been the people and the culture that keeps them coming back.
“The friendships and connections you make through community sport are really special,” Lauren shared.
“We’ve made lifelong friendships at St Mary’s, and now seeing our kids grow up in that community means so much to us. We want to help create and continue that culture for the next generation, just like others did for us.”
Today, their involvement continues with their two gorgeous kids Asher & Emberley now also part of the St Mary’s community.
Thank you, Lauren and James, for everything you continue to do for St Mary’s.
Today marks the start of National Volunteer Week, a chance to celebrate the people who are the heart of community sport.
From coaches, team managers and committee members, to scorers, canteen volunteers, social media helpers, trainers, bar staff, chefs, set up crews and the people who are always first to arrive and last to leave — St Mary’s simply wouldn’t exist without volunteers.
This year’s theme, Your Year to Volunteer, is a reminder that every contribution matters. Whether it’s helping once a week, once a season or once in a while, volunteering creates connection, strengthens community and helps our club continue to grow both on and off the field.
In 2026, the United Nations International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development recognises the important role volunteers play in building inclusive and thriving communities around the world — and we see that impact every day at Whatmough Park.
Club President, Mark Stanley shared the impact of our incredible volunteers:
“Community clubs are built by volunteers who give their time so others can belong, grow and create lifelong memories. At St Mary’s, our volunteers are the reason our club continues to thrive both on and off the field.”
To every person who gives their time, energy and passion to St Mary’s: thank you.
Like many community clubs, a lot of the work is carried by a small group of dedicated volunteers. If you’ve ever thought about getting involved, maybe this is your year to volunteer.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along and supported our 2026 Bottomless Brunch yesterday!
This year’s event was our biggest yet, with more than 130 people filling the clubrooms! The support shown for the club was amazing to see and we’re so grateful to everyone who bought a ticket, donated prizes, volunteered their time or helped behind the scenes.
A special thank you to Liz Mace, Brenna Mace, Robyn Irvine and Jo Kitchell, who prepared all of the food for the event. It was an effort that involved around 60 hours of preparation and cooking and as always the food was absolutely brilliant!
Thank you also to Michelle Cotter, Sinead Hanlon, Micaela Hanlon, Deb Blakey and Fi Hocking, who prepared the silent auction, with about 7 hours spent on wrapping alone.
To our set up crew — Micaela Hanlon, Ciara and Sinead Hanlon, Georgie O’Sullivan, Shelley Daisley, Michelle Cotter, Fiona Hocking, Heather Stewart and Lauren Ind — thank you for transforming the clubrooms and bringing the Palm Springs theme to life. The set up continued late into Friday night, with volunteers at the club until after 11pm to make sure everything was ready for the day.
A special thank you also to Livio Basile, who spent the entire week preparing the bar and was still at the club after 11pm on Friday night helping get everything ready. Alongside or bar team on the day – James Ind, Luke Pearson and Andrew Bennett – thank you for keeping everyone’s drink filled all afternoon!
Events like this genuinely would not be possible without the incredible people who volunteer their time and energy to our club. Community sport is built on people willing to pitch in, help out and create opportunities for others, and yesterday was another great example of that.
SMFNC 