By Mikayla van Loon
South Belgrave will take part in a double header of veterans football in Chirnside Park this weekend for the first time in Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) history.
Both the women’s and men’s teams will be heading out onto Kimberley Reserve on Saturday 1 July to take on Chirnside Park, with an afternoon and evening lineup of football.
Chirnside Park Women’s Veterans Captain Gabrielle Dosser said with only three clubs in the EFNL who have both a women’s and men’s veterans side, it makes this quite a special event.
“For the two teams to go up against each other, it’s the first time in EFNL history that’s been able to happen,” she said.
“So we’ve decided to make an event of it down at the club and our women play at 4pm and the men play at 6pm…and it’s encouraging people to come down with their families to watch the game and see what veterans football is all about.”
While men’s veterans football has a well established and long history, for most women’s sides it’s still relatively new, with Chirnside Park’s team only entering the league less than five years ago.
“It’s still quite new and emerging so the more teams we can get out there, the more promotion for that division, the better,” Gabrielle said.
By bringing the men’s and women’s sides together, Gabrielle said it helps create a more “family focused environment” as well as building a community within the club, especially with many of the players having children in the junior divisions.
Although women’s football is growing in popularity, Gabrielle said this is the first year more than one club, being Chirnside Park, has had both a men’s and women’s veterans side to enable a back to back match lineup.
“In the past, our women’s veterans team would always try to align our games with our senior women so that we would play before or after them just to build and strengthen women’s football.
“[It allows] women playing senior footy [to know there is] a pathway for them as they get older, or if they wanted to come back after having kids and things like that.
“We’ve always tried to link up with as many teams or more people within our football community just to make sure that everyone is aware of or knows that we exist.”
Building the profile of veterans football, Gabrielle said is a major focus for Chirnside Park Football Club’s veteran program, to give adults a space to connect with others and enjoy some physical activity.
“Anything that can get women in general but especially women that are mothers and don’t prioritise themselves, back into sports and doing something for themselves, I think it’s a positive.
“That’s one of our objectives, with the women’s veterans program is to get women more active and stay active and do it to their physical and mental health.
“With the men’s veterans team, it gives them a community around them, and this is highly generalised sexism, but men aren’t great with communicating, they don’t put the networks around them like women do but they’ll do it in a footy team.
“They’ve got each other’s backs, they know they’ve got a community, they’ve got support and I think that’s really important for men’s mental health.”
With brand new facilities at Kimberley Reserve, with dedicated women’s change rooms and an inside view over the field, Gabrielle said it is the perfect place to showcase veterans football and hopes to see families enjoy the display on Saturday.
Despite being half way through the season, Chirnside Park Football Club is always actively looking for players to join the ranks across all ages from juniors to veterans. To find out more, contact the club at CPFNC@chirnsidefc.com
