SMFNC

2026 Women & Girls Footy Feature Day

In collaboration with our junior club, we’re proud to host our second Women & Girls Feature Day on Sunday 23 May at Whatmough Park, celebrating the incredible growth of women’s and girls sport across our club.

The day will feature five senior women’s and junior girls football and netball games back-to-back, showcasing players from across our program and highlighting the strong pathways continuing to develop at St Mary’s.

Following the games, we’ll host a special post-game event featuring AFLW player and former St Mary’s junior Holly Ridewood as our guest speaker.

Food and drinks will be available throughout the day, with all members, supporters and families encouraged to come down, wear their teal, white and black and be part of a great community event celebrating women and girls in sport.

Growing our netball program

We’re excited to officially welcome another junior netball team to the club in 2026, with the addition of a brand new 13&U side to our growing program.

The new team brings eight new players into the teal and black this season, continuing the strong growth of our junior pathway and creating even more opportunities for kids in our community to get involved in sport.

The team features a great mix of experienced players and players who are brand new to the sport. It’s already been fantastic to see friendships forming, confidence growing and players developing their skills together.

A huge thank you to Coach Nick Surgue and Team Manager Jess for all their work getting the team up and running ahead of the season. From helping recruit players to organising the team and creating a welcoming environment for new families, their efforts have played a big role in making this expansion possible.

We can’t wait to watch this group develop throughout the season and are thrilled to have these players and families join the St Mary’s community.

St Mary’s Netballers shine on the rep stage

We’re incredibly proud to see five of our St Mary’s netballers represent our club and the Northern Football Netball League over the weekend at the Altona Netball Association Tournament.

Jo and Amelia Denton, Holly Elliot-Pogue, Maddie Blackmore and Maeve O’Neill pulled on the NFNL colours, competing against strong opposition and showcasing the talent within our program.

Opportunities like this are a testament to the pathways being built within our club and league, giving players the chance to test themselves at a higher level, develop their game and represent their community with pride.

We love seeing our players take these opportunities with both hands, and we couldn’t be prouder of the way they represented St Mary’s on and off the court.

Marking Pat Cronin Round 2026

Over the weekend, St Mary’s proudly joined clubs across the NFNL in recognising Pat Cronin Round. This is a powerful initiative led by the Pat Cronin Foundation that aims to end the Coward Punch and promote respect, kindness and safer communities.

Across both football and netball, our players wore yellow armbands as a visible show of support. The colour yellow has become a symbol of the Foundation’s message to “Be Wise. Think Carefully. Act Kindly,” and it was worn with pride by every St Mary’s player who took the court and field.

The round held extra meaning as three of our football teams played Lower Plenty Football Club, Pat Cronin’s club. Before the senior men’s game, players had the privilege of hearing from Pat’s parents. Their words reinforced the importance of the Foundation’s message and served as a reminder of why rounds like this matter so much.

At St Mary’s, we value what sport can represent at its best. Thank you to everyone who wore yellow, showed support, and helped amplify this important message.

Win a Mazda!

As part of Pat Cronin Round 2026, we’re proud to support their raffle to raise funds for the incredible work of the Pat Cronin Foundation.

This year’s raffle offers an amazing prize, with one lucky winner set to drive away in a brand new Mazda CX-5 (RRP: $41,548)!

Every ticket sold directly supports education programs that empower individuals to Be Wise. Think Carefully. Act Kindly. These programs are making a real difference in changing attitudes and preventing violence in our communities.

There’s also something in it for clubs. Across the eight participating leagues, the club that sells the most tickets will win a $500 loaded VISA card; funds that can go straight back into supporting the season, whether that’s new equipment, canteen supplies or additional uniforms.

Tickets are just $10, making it an easy way to support an important cause while also going in the draw to win an incredible prize.

T&Cs apply. Raffle drawn Tuesday 28 July 2026 at 7:00 PM.

Buy a ticket

Pat Cronin Round 2026

Today, our club proudly kicks off Pat Cronin Round, joining more than 300 sporting clubs in taking a stand against senseless violence.

This round honours Pat Cronin, a young man who tragically lost his life 10 years ago as the result of a coward punch. His story is a devastating reminder that a single moment of violence can have lifelong consequences, not only for the victim, but for families, friends and entire communities.

Across both our netball and football programs, players will wear yellow armbands as a visible reminder of our collective responsibility to stand against senseless violence.

Sport plays a unique role in shaping culture. At St Mary’s, we believe respect sits at the heart of everything we do. Respect for our teammates, our opponents, our officials and our wider community. These values are critical in ensuring our club remains a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for all.

By taking part in Pat Cronin Round, we’re reinforcing that every player, coach, volunteer and supporter has a role to play. The standards we set on the field extend beyond the game — they shape the kind of community we want to be part of.

We are proud to stand alongside clubs across the country in honouring Pat’s memory and continuing the important work of raising awareness around the impact of violence.

Learn more

Honouring ANZAC Day

Yesterday, our club came together to honour Anzac Day in a moment that truly reflected the spirit of unity and remembrance.

Our St Mary’s GJFC junior players stood alongside the senior men as The Last Post played ahead of the Anzac Day clash

A special moment for our club, bringing all generations together in respect and remembrance.

Lest we forget.

You’re Invited: 2026 Bottomless Brunch

Tickets are officially on sale for our annual Bottomless Brunch!

Join us for an afternoon of great food, drinks and fun as we come together to support our club. Proudly run by the netball program, this event plays an important role in supporting our the continued growth of our sports program.

Your ticket includes a delicious lunch, along with bottomless slushie cocktails, plus sparkling wine, beer and soft drink flowing throughout the day.

Beyond the food and drinks, there’ll be plenty happening to keep the energy high, with a silent auction, fun games and prizes all part of what promises to be a fantastic event!

After selling out in just two weeks last year, we’re expecting strong demand again, so be sure to secure your tickets early and lock in your spot.

Book now

Honouring Richard Kissane

A very special moment took place at our home game on Saturday, as we proudly installed a banner in memory of Richard ‘Dick’ Kissane, who sadly passed away last year at 97 years of age last year.

Our sincere thanks to his son-in-law Ian Halewood for arranging this tribute and helping us recognise someone who was most likely our oldest supporter, and certainly one of our most passionate. Dick’s presence at St Mary’s was a constant over many years, and he was a much-loved part of every match day.

He rarely missed a game, and you could almost always find him stationed in the forward pocket at Whatmough Park, binoculars in hand, surrounded by family. Whether it was cheering on his grandson Connor and step-grandsons Jake and Ben on a Saturday, or proudly supporting his granddaughter Molly, Dick’s passion for his family and the club was unwavering.

This banner now stands as a lasting tribute to a dedicated supporter who truly embodied the spirit of St Mary’s.

Exciting club upgrades

There’s been plenty happening behind the scenes at St Mary’s, with a number of important upgrades and improvements taking place around the club during the off-season.

Our brand new undercover pavilion and upgraded stairs are now complete, thanks to successful grant funding and the efforts of our junior club. The new space already proved its value over the weekend, where it provided much-needed shelter for supporters during the wet weather!

We’ve also recently completed upgrades to our kitchen facilities, made possible through grant funding and driven by Riverside Cricket Club. These improvements will help our incredible volunteers continue to deliver food and service efficiently on busy game days and at club events.

Inside the rooms, we’ve been fortunate to receive a brand new massage/physio table thanks to Back in Motion Eltham. This replaces our old wooden table, which had certainly seen better days, and is a fantastic addition to support player recovery, treatment and overall wellbeing.

Player and spectator safety has also been a major focus, with the installation of new safety netting behind the goal posts. This finally puts an end to footballs disappearing down the embankment and the risk that comes with retrieving them.

This initiative was led by our senior club, with a big thank you to Micaela Hanlon and our committee for driving the project over the past 12 months. Supported by Banyule Council and the Telstra Footy Grants program, it’s a significant improvement for the safety of everyone at the ground.

We look forward to seeing everyone enjoy the improved facilities throughout the season ahead.