SMFNC

Celebrating junior success

On Wednesday night, was the 2025 NFNL Junior Presentation Night, dedicated to recognising the achievements of junior athletes and the clubs that support their growth.

We’re incredibly proud to share that our very own Chloe Rennie, from the 15 & Under netball team, finished 3rd in the league Best & Fairest. Chloe’s commitment and consistency, on the court have been incredible all season.

In even more exciting news, our club was also named a finalist for Best Junior Club in the league. While we didn’t win, being listed in the top four is a huge honour, especially for a club still in our first 12 months. It’s a testament to the strong culture we’ve built and the supportive environment we strive to create for every player and their family.

The future of our club is bright, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for our junior program!

Kicking fundraising goals

A huge thank you to everyone who supported St Mary’s by purchasing a $5 ticket in the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle.

Every single ticket sold plays a part in keeping local sport alive and thriving at our club. Your support directly helps us maintain programs, upgrade gear, and keep the footy and netball dream alive for players of all ages.

This Friday, one lucky ticket holder will drive away in a brand new Toyota — fingers crossed it’s one of our own!

A special shoutout to our top fundraisers this year: Cotter Family, Chapman Family, Bradley Stephens, Hanlon Family, Georgia Rizza, Kieran Abbot, Molly Itter and Michelle Christofferson.

You’re absolute legends, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks again to everyone who got behind us. Community sport is stronger because of you.

Seven stars earn league recognition

Congratulations to the seven amazing players from our club who have been invited to the NFNL Junior and Senior Presentation Nights this week and next!

This is a huge honour and a reflection of their hard work, talent, and dedication throughout the season.

Netball: Ciara Hanlon (St Mary’s 1), Matilda Blakey (St Mary’s 1), Clare Nicholls (St Mary’s 1) and Chloe Rennie (15&U).

Football: Huon MacGibbon (Senior Men), Meg Girolami (Senior Women) and Emmison Zealley (Senior Women).

We’re incredibly proud of you all. Best of luck on the night, and thank you for representing the club with pride!

Preparing for R U OK? Day 2025

This Thursday 11 September, we will again be supporting R U OK? Day.

This annual day of action encourages us to have genuine conversations about mental health and make a real difference in someone’s life. Often, the people we care about may not openly express their struggles, but small signs of change in their behaviour can indicate they’re not OK. If you suspect someone is struggling, initiating a conversation can be a vital first step.

Here’s some resources from R U OK? Day so you’re prepared to have mental health conversations:

More resources

A safer game for our women

We’re pleased to be recipients of a Telstra Footy Country Grant this year to support our senior women’s team.

Thanks to this funding, we’ve been able to purchase goal post padding for their home ground at Telfer Reserve, improving safety for our women’s football team and creating a safer playing environment for all.

It also means less weekly work for our amazing volunteers. No more transporting and setting up padding each week, so they can focus on other valuable contributions around the club.

Big thanks to Luke Paramanthan from the NFNL for all his help with the project!

Junior netballers shine in first winter season

Congratulations to our 15 & Under netball team on an outstanding first winter season!

Finishing as minor premiers and making it all the way to the Grand Final is an amazing accomplishment. Although the result didn’t fall our way on the day, reaching the Grand Final is a testament to the hard work, talent, and determination shown by every player.

A huge thank you goes out to Coach Mick Denton for his leadership, to Tony Ryan for his support as assistant coach, and to Kelly Rennie for her work as Team Manager.

We also extend a big thank you to the parents, who spent hours driving to and from training and games, and braved the winter cold each week to cheer from the sidelines.

And of course we need to thank the players. They gave 100% every single week, and that spirit is what made this season such a success.

We’re proud of everything you’ve achieved and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Women’s Health Week 2025

At St Mary’s, women are a big part of our club, as players, coaches, volunteers, mums, supporters, and much more.

But while you show up for others, it’s just as important to show up for yourselves.

This Women’s Health Week, we’re encouraging all women in our community to “Say yes to you” by prioritising your health, because when women thrive, so do our teams, families and communities.

There’s a different focus each day of the week, but today, the focus is “Every Check Matters” — a call to keep up with your regular health checks.

Head to jeanhailes.org.au and try their new health check tool. Just answer a few questions and get a personalised list of the health checks you need and when to get them.

Learn more

St Mary’s keeping young people in sport

Our club has successfully secured a Volunteer Grant through the Department of Social Services, with the support of Federal MP Kate Thwaites.

A huge thank you to Kate and her office for backing local community sport and helping make this happen. We’d also like to thank our own Micaela Hanlon for her work in securing this funding.

These grants are designed to support volunteer-run activities that promote the development and wellbeing of children and young people (under 18).

That’s why we’ve used the funding to cover the cost of U19.5 guernseys for our players this year.

President Mark Stanley shared the positive impact of this grant.

“We know cost can be a barrier to participation for players, and for not-for-profit community clubs like ours, it’s tough to support our players financially and keep the club running.“

“Grants like this make a huge difference. They help us make sport more accessible and ensure we can keep delivering a great experience for young people in our community.”

We’re proud to be part of creating a community every young person has the chance to play, grow, and belong.

Seniors support junior Grand Final dreams

This week, the St Mary’s 1 senior netball team showed what true team spirit looks like by joining the 15&U team at training to help them gear up for their upcoming grand final.

It was a great opportunity for the younger players to practice their skills and gain extra confidence, with the seniors bringing plenty of encouragement. But, the session wasn’t just a boost for the 15&U team, it also gave St Mary’s 1 some extra court time ahead of their own big final on Friday.

Best of luck to both teams as they take on their finals!

We’re launching a second women’s football team

We’re excited to announce plans to launch a second women’s team at St Mary’s in 2026!

With a fantastic and growing group of players, we want to make sure no one misses out on game time and everyone has the opportunity to develop, play, and thrive.

This second team will help us cater to all levels and make sure every girl gets the chance to play the game they love.

This is a big step that will strengthen our women’s program while continuing the amazing culture we’ve already built together.

We’re currently assessing numbers to see if we can support a second team.

So, if you or someone you know is keen to join the footy family, get in touch!

You can reach out to one of the current players or email us at stmarysfc2009@gmail.com.

Reach out