The Coburg Football Club would like to announce and welcome two new members to the board for 2018, Gerardine ‘Ged’ Kearney and Jasmine Breen.
Kearney joins Alex Sapurmas, Dario Ascenzo, Jason Milani and Rob Butera on the board of Directors, and having been President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) since 2010, is ready to bring her unique skills and attributes to the club in her new role.
‘The reason I want to join the club is because I think a club like this is the essence of community,” Kearney said.
“It gives back to the local people in so many ways and can be a hub for people to get back to basics of fun, getting together and being involved.”
Kearney, who describes herself as “very enthusiastic about football”, hopes to bring an understanding of how boards run through her governance experience in the ACTU.
And as one of two women joining the Coburg FC board, she also hopes to inspire young women to get more involved in the football and sporting industry.
“I also really hope to bring a greater involvement of women to the club; I certainly hope that if young women can see women like myself are involved in the game then it might encourage people to get involved too.”
“It’s really exciting to be here at the same time as Jasmine as she’s got a great plan for the club, and at a time where football is really starting to focus on women; I think that’s great,” Kearney continued.
Jasmine Breen joins the board in a new role as Football Engagement Officer, which will see her plan junior and youth football clinics, and local community events.
Daughter of current Coburg FC President Kevin, Breen’s background in women’s football adds experience, which will be greatly appreciated.
A key focus will be to build the juniors of the club, which currently only has one under 9’s boys team. Breen is aiming to get a junior girls teams started in the near future, along with potentially fielding a second boys team.
“With everything going on in the football world at the moment, and even with the AFLW and VFL Women’s, I’d like to try and get some junior girls teams started here and then hopefully within the next couple of years a senior women’s team as well,” she said.
“I want to give young girls the opportunities I didn’t have, and it’s a really exciting time for girls who want to play football.”
“I know a lot of girls that played when they were younger aspired to be something, and that’s what young girls have the opportunity to be now.”
“It will be a bit of work but it’s the way football is heading so we need to put in the hard work now.”
Kearney and Breen both look forward to their new positions, in what looks set to be an exciting time for the Coburg Football Club.
The Coburg Football Club will aim to have an under 12’s and under 15’s team in the local EDFL competition in 2018. This, coupled with having a female football side under the Coburg banner for the first time in the club’s 126-year history, shows a strong commitment for male and female opportunities at the club into the future.
On Saturday 16th September at 10am, we will be running a skills clinic for young girls to come and try playing footy, in the lead-up to the Swisse Wellness VFL Womens’ final at Piranha Park!
Open to girls aged between 7 and 14 years, no previous experience is required, but we do ask you please register attendance by emailing info@coburgfc.com.au.
You can also e-mail the same address to find out more and to put forward your expressions of interest about our junior teams.
Hear the Lions Roar!
By Brooke Varney.
Photos courtesy of Mozzed Video and Photography.
