Did you know 70% of LGBTQIA+ people do not feel that sport is safe and welcoming?
Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). IDAHOBIT Day is a day is a chance to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people, but also show support to LGBTQIA+ people to live safely without fear of abuse or violence based on their sex, sexuality or gender expression.
Everyone deserves to feel safe in sport, and that’s why are committing to providing a inclusive and diverse environment for our players, members, and supporters.
Today is the start of National Volunteer Week, a chance to recognise the the vital work of all the volunteers that contribute to SMFNC and say thank you.
Volunteering brings people together and build communities like our SMFNC community. We are #bettertogether 😃
We can all agree that this Club would not be the same without your continued dedication every single week, and we all want to send you a huge THANK YOU!
Club Vice President Fiona Hocking also shared her thanks for all the volunteers at the Club.
“This week is so important as it is a chance to stop and thank the many, many people who make time in their busy lives to give back to the community by volunteering at our Club.”
“We are so grateful for their ongoing commitment to our SMFNC community, and know that keeping this club going simply would not be possible without them.”
“Whether it is helping in the canteen, making Thursday night meals, participating in the Committee, or carrying water on game day, each volunteer has made a difference and we sincerely thank you.”
This week is National Road Safety Week, and with TAC being great supporters of local footy and giving us $10k in funding last year, we want to repay the favour by promoting road safety at our Club. Every year, approximately 1200 people are killed and another 44,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads. These numbers are preventable if we all “drive so others survive!” So this weekend on your way to footy, remember these safe driving tips:
Plan your schedule with extra time for traffic disruptions
If you feel tired, take a 15 minute power nap before driving
Set your phone to do not disturb while driving You can also commit to safe driving by taking the road safety pledge today! For more information on road safety, check out our road safety highlights reel above, or visit TAC or VicRoads for safe driving tips.
St Mary’s Football and Netball Club is proud to be supporting the Pat Cronin Foundation across this weekend’s round of matches.
The Pat Cronin Foundation was formed in 2016 following the death of 19-year old Pat due to a coward punch.
Pat had just finished playing his first senior game of football at Lower Plenty alongside his big brother and was out for a few quiet drinks with his mates.
Unfortunately, when Pat stepped in to remove his friend from a brawl, it was Pat that was hit with a coward punch.
While we have a come a long way from brawls at the footy being an exciting attraction at games, negative attitudes still exist, and violence is still prevalent in sport where emotions are often high.
The Pat Cronin Foundation has been working to end the coward punch and reduce violence, but they need everyone’s support to achieve this goal.
Club President Mark Stanley shared why St Mary’s support the Pat Cronin Foundation.
“People look to sports clubs as leaders in the community, and we need to play our role in spreading the Foundation’s message and ultimately reduce violence in communities.”
“We want to be a club that embodies respect, speaks up when something is wrong, and always display good sportsmanship, and that’s why we are supporting the Pat Cronin Foundation this weekend.”
Our players will be wearing yellow armbands this weekend to honour Pat’s memory and show our support for the Pat Cronin Foundation.
Starting his footy career 17 years ago with St Mary’s Junior Football Club, and joining the Senior Club in 2014, James ‘Jimmy’ Girolami has now played about 250 games across both Clubs!
Jimmy saw lots of success from a young age across about 140 games in the Junior Club. In Under 13’s he won the Club B&F, in 2012 won the Colts Coaches Award, and in 2013 won the Gerry O’Hara Best Clubman Award, recognising his contribution to the Club culture.
He moved into the Senior Club in 2014, and after just missing out on a Colts Premiership two years in a row, was keen to finally take home the trophy. With some hard work, that dream came true, and in his first year in U19s Jimmy, along with 37 other former Junior Club players, took out the Senior Club’s first ever football premiership!
Jimmy has continued to be a standout player and key to the Club’s success, being involved in many of our best Club highlights. He was integral to the Reserves three-peat in 2016, 2017, and 2018, with the NFNL even describing him as “single-handedly bringing the Burra back into the game” in the 2017 Grand Final.
However it was after the third Premiership in 2018 that his skills were recognised and rewarded as he won the Club B&F, NFNL Division 3 Reserves Leading Goal Kicker with 72 goals, and placed 2nd in the NFNL B&F!
Senior Assistant Coach Ben Joyce shared how much he has enjoyed working with Jimmy.
“Jimmy has been one of my absolute favourites since he walked into the Senior Club for the first time in late 2013.”
“In his first season he played as a full-back and had a really strong year with a great ability to intercept and kick the ball with precision.”
“Alongside the other bottom age boys like Castagnini, he was a key part of our side in the 2014 season and added plenty of skill to the group.”
“Over the years, Jim eventually settled as a key forward and was instrumental in the Reserves three-peat success.”
“He has been one of our best and most reliable performers in finals; nobody could forget his match winning after the siren smother in the 2016 Grand Final against South Morang (and the celebration after it – I’ve never seen him move so fast!).”
“However, for me his best game was the 2017 Grand Final against Banyule. We looked like we were in trouble in the third quarter but he turned the match around.”
“Footy clubs are built on people like Jim, and he has been a huge part of creating a great culture at St Mary’s.”
This season we are working with St Mary’s Greensborough Junior Football Club to help develop future footy stars!
Senior Club players are joining Auskick each Friday night at Whatmough Park, led by U19s Coach Ben Shelton, to help the youngest players start to develop footy skills through fun and exciting activities.
In return, the Auskick kids have been coming along to the Senior home games to provide half-time entertainment, and show their support by giving out high-fives to all the Seniors as they take to the field.
We absolutely love being involved in St Mary’s Junior Club Auskick, and can’t wait to meet more of the up-and-coming players this season!
Today is World Red Cross Day. The theme is #BeHumanKind which encourages everyone to participate in acts of kindness to combat the tough years we have all experienced. While there are many acts of kindness, one thing you can do it #takethebloodyoath and make a blood donation. Three blood donations are needed every minute, and with people still unwell and isolating many blood donation appointments have been cancelled resulting in blood shortages for people that need life-saving donations. There will be a blood donation challenge between local football and netball clubs later in the year, so why not start our tally now and get a head start on the other clubs? Senior Co-Captain Nick Gedge has already started and donated earlier this year! Just remember to tell them on the day, or when you book online that you are donating for St May’s Football and Netball Club! Our nearest donation centre is in Bundoora and you can make a booking here.
Starting with St Mary’s Junior Club back in 2004, Daniel Castagnini spent his whole junior career at the club and eventually made the move up to the Senior Club in 2014 where he could continue playing with the friends he had made over the last 10 years.
While he saw lots of great success in the Junior Club and even made Colts Team of the Year, his first ever Premiership was with the U19s in 2014 – his very first year at the Senior Club. In fact this Premiership team was made up of 37 players from the Junior Club. Showing himself as a promising player, he also made his senior team debut in 2014.
Fast forward a few years and he was a standout player in the Senior team! In 2017, he placed 2nd in the club Best & Fairest, and was recognised by the league as a strong halfback in their annual Team of the Year. In 2018, he was a key part of the Senior team winning their very first Premiership!
When the Senior team moved up to Division 2 in 2019, he was praised by the Herald Sun as being a “prolific off half-back” and by the NFNL as “instrumental” to the team’s first win the Division. His success and achievements saw him be recognised as part of the Club’s Team of the Decade in 2019.
Having now played over 100 games with the Senior Club, Daniel remains an important part of the Club and the Senior team each week.
Senior Head Coach Fabian Carelli shared just how much Daniel contributes to the Club.
“Casta, as he’s affectionately known to the playing group, has been an integral part of the backline since my arrival at the Club.”
“As a half-back, he has a great ability to defend the 1-1’s, often showing no fear when putting his body on the line for his teammates, while still creating great drive off half-back as running defender.”
“Having watched him over the last few years, I am proud that he has stayed true to the Club throughout his senior career, and become a key contributor in driving future success for St Mary’s.”
SMFNC 