Ready for your next step on your property journey? Chat with our club sponsor Marty from Mortgage Choice Rosanna about your home loan before 6 December 2024 for the chance to win $30,000 (and other great prizes)!
Whether you’re buying your first home, investing in property, or refinancing, Marty’s expert advice will help you understand your options.
Expert advice AND the chance to win? Now that’s what we call a win-win!
Welcome back Troy Bickerton as the Senior Women’s Coach for 2025!
Troy has proven his incredible leadership by guiding the team to back-to-back premierships across Division 1 and 2. Troy and his family’s passion for the team and the Club has taken our women’s team to new heights and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for the upcoming season.
Joining Troy once again is Scott ‘Soxy’ McLaughlin as Assistant Coach. Together, they make an unbeatable duo, and we’re confident that they will continue to elevate our team.
Please join us in congratulating Troy and Soxy on their continued roles.
What a fantastic evening we had at our annual Presentation Night! The atmosphere was exciting as we celebrated our players, enjoyed a delicious dinner and dancing.
Congratulations to the big winners of the night:
We also welcomed our new life members: Robyn & Kym Irvine, Debra & Rodney Johnson, and Peter Minuz. Your contributions to the club are truly valued!
A huge thank you to everyone who made the night special, especially Lauren Ind for organising the event and to Michelle Cotter, Sinead and Micaela Hanlon for arranging our silent auction, which raised over $3,000 for the Club!
A special shoutout to The Neil family from Toyworld for their generous donation of $300 worth of vouchers, Chef in a Box for donating a salami masterclass for 2 (worth around $380) and The Great Escape for their $306 voucher donation.
Here’s to celebrating our achievements and looking forward to another amazing year ahead!
Please welcome our 2025 Reserves Coach Matthew Centofanti!
Matthew joins the club with over 300 games of experience, having played for West Preston, Northcote, and Epping. His deep understanding of the game, both tactically and strategically, positions him as a strong leader for our club.
Over the past two years, Matthew has successfully transitioned into coaching, working with both junior and senior teams (West Preston Under 19s & Reserves) to foster player development and growth. As an assistant coach at West Preston, he was instrumental in guiding the U19s and Reserves, helping young players refine their skills and transition into higher levels of competition.
This year, he took on the responsibility of head coach for the Colts at St Mary’s Junior Football Club, where he focused on developing players for senior football, working closely with senior coaches Fab and Trevor to ensure smooth progression for the team.
We look forward to the expertise and energy he will bring to the club as we prepare for an exciting season ahead.
We’re excited to share that Trevor Little will remain as our Under 19.5 Coach for 2025!
After leading the Under 19.5s to a perfect season and premiership, Trevor’s success speaks for itself. His leadership and passion has fostered a winning culture that has inspired our young players.
In addition to his work with the Under 19.5s, Trevor has played a pivotal role in the Senior Men’s success as an Assistant Coach and as a runner. His Division 1 coaching experience being put to use and greatly benefitting our teams.
We are excited to see how he will continue to develop our Under 19.5 team in the coming season.
Please join us in congratulating Trevor on his continued role!
We’re pleased to announce Jack Bianchin as our new Senior Coach for 2025!
Jack has been a valued part of the St Mary’s community since his junior days, playing over 130 games across both the junior and senior clubs. After 260 senior games, we’re excited to support him on this next step in his footy journey.
A talented athlete from a young age, Jack represented the Northern Knights in 29 matches and later gained valuable Division 1 experience at Macleod, where he took on leadership roles and was part of a Premiership-winning team.
Since returning to St Mary’s, he’s been a two-time Best & Fairest winner, earning the respect of his fellow players who have appreciated his experience and guidance over the past two seasons.
Having worked closely with outgoing coach Fab and benefiting from mentorship from other coaches along the way, Jack is perfectly positioned to guide us forward.
He has an impressive plan to elevate our club to the next level, and we can’t wait to see his fresh ideas in action.
Please join us in welcoming Jack to his new role!
Another fantastic year for St Mary’s! We were so proud to see our players ranked among the league’s best at the NFNL Rosbrook Medal Night.
Senior Women’s Football
Our biggest winner of the night was Brigid McEntee, who took home the NFNL Senior Women’s Division 1 Coaches MVP Award, with a remarkable 58 votes—5 clear of her nearest competitor!
After battling injury and considering sitting out the year, she decided to return, thanks to the encouragement of Coach Troy. Brigid’s stellar performance not only contributed to our Premiership-winning team but also earned her the title of Premiership Best on Ground. What a comeback!
Additionally, we want to recognise Emmison Zealley for an outstanding season, finishing third in the Coaches MVP with 50 votes.
We also want to congratulate Georgia Kitchell, who finished second in the Senior Women’s Division 1 Best and Fairest, alongside Elyssa Rees and Brigid McEntee, who took third and fourth, respectively.
Meg Girolami also placed second in the league goal kicking, with teammate Sarah Johnston not far behind in fifth place.
Men’s Football
On the men’s side, Rory Hanlon finished fifth in the Senior Men’s Division 2 Best and Fairest. Vaughn Clamp and Emile Gill-Haimowich, placed fourth and fifth in the Under 19.5 Division 2 Best and Fairest, respectively. Emile also placed 2nd in the league goal kicking.
Other Awards
A special shout-out is in order for Livio Basile, who was nominated for NFNL Volunteer of the Year! Out of countless nominations, Livio was one of only five shortlisted, and we couldn’t be more proud. Since joining our junior club in 1992, Livio has been a cornerstone of our community, managing the bar and coaching the undefeated Under 19.5s. While he may not have taken home the award, his impact on our Club is immeasurable.
We’re also thrilled to announce that St Mary’s was one of three finalists for Club of the Year. This speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in our Club.
We look forward to building on our successes in 2025. Here’s to another great year ahead for St Mary’s!
It is with a mix of appreciation and sadness that we announce Bernie Girolami has decided to step down from his role as Reserves Head Coach.
Over the past two years, Bernie has brought an incredible amount of dedication to the team, guiding the team through finals and ultimately helping shape the future of our players.
Football Director Greg Hanlon shared, “Bernie has and will continue to be an integral part of our Club, but his passion and support as coach will be missed. We’re so grateful for everything he’s done, and we know he will always be a big part of our St Mary’s family.”
Thanks again Bernie! You will always be a valued member of the St Mary’s family.
A massive congratulations is in order for our Under 19.5 team who have achieved a perfect season—an incredible undefeated run culminating in a well-deserved Premiership!
The players have shown exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the season, which has made this achievement possible. A massive thank you goes out to all the coaches, with a special shout-out to our head coach, Trevor Little.
A special congratulations to Zane Gibson for being awarded Best on Ground in the Grand Final!
We also deeply appreciate all the volunteers whose support and efforts behind the scenes made this journey smooth and successful.
Here’s to celebrating this fantastic accomplishment and looking forward to more successes in the future!
As we wrap up another exciting year, it’s great to see two of our own players recognised among the top talents in the league: Rory Hanlon and Jeremiah Antypas.
Rory Hanlon’s inclusion at number 15 is a testament to his exceptional consistency throughout a challenging season. Despite missing three games, his impact on the field was undeniable. He was named in the best nine times across his 15 appearances, including a strong finish to the season as he worked tirelessly to keep St Mary’s in finals contention.
Jeremiah Antypas has secured the 30th spot in the rankings, and it’s easy to see why. As one of only three players from the Burras to feature in all 18 games this season, Antypas has shown remarkable durability and consistency. He managed to kick 32 goals across 18 appearances, including four-goal performances on three occasions.
Well done Jeremiah and Rory!
SMFNC