THE SWOOP - Round 9 v Hepburn

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It's hard to believe we're at the halfway mark of the season. As we head into another home game this weekend, it's a good opportunity to reflect on the effort being put in across the entire club.

Every week we see players, coaches, trainers, volunteers and supporters contributing their time to ensure the Clunes Football Netball Club continues to thrive. While everyone naturally focuses on results, there's a lot happening behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed. The commitment shown by so many people throughout the year is what keeps our club moving forward, and it's something we should all be proud of.

This Saturday we'll be holding our Community Day as we play Hepburn. It's another chance to welcome local groups and supporters to the club and showcase the impact a community sporting club like ours can have. We hope to see plenty of familiar faces around the grounds throughout the day supporting our footballers and netballers. Remember, it's free entry for non-members with a Clunes postcode on a valid ID, for this weekend only!

A special mention should also go to our Senior Football side this weekend as they take on Hepburn in the annual Bing Baker/Laurie Steart Cup clash.

First contested in 1978, the cup is one of the longest-standing traditions in the Central Highlands Football Netball League. It honours two great club and community figures - Hepburn's long-serving president and publican Bing Baker, and our own Laurie Steart, whose contribution to Clunes and local sport needs no introduction.

The mutual respect shared between the two clubs saw Laurie's name added to the cup in 2013, creating a fitting tribute to two men who gave so much to their communities. After bringing the cup back to Clunes last season following a 12-year wait, our seniors will be keen to retain it on home soil this Saturday. We wish the boys all the best in what is always a fiercely contested and highly respected fixture, and thank you to Mark Allen for providing those who are unaware with some context.

After the seniors, the action shifts to the social rooms with Hypno Hysteria kicking off from 6:30pm. This promises to be a great night of entertainment and plenty of laughs, with tea included in the cost of your ticket. See our social channels for more information!

Finally, thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, committee members and supporters for everything you continue to do for the black and white. Your contribution doesn't go unnoticed, and our club is stronger because of it.

Good luck to all football and netball teams this weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the club on Saturday.

Go Maggies!

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NETBALL REPORT

Well, here we are already at the halfway point of the season.

It's been a mixed bag of results across the courts so far, but one thing that has been consistent is the effort and commitment shown by our players each week. Whether it's our youngest netballers learning the game, our junior teams continuing to develop, or our senior grades battling it out every Saturday, there has been plenty to like about the first half of the year.

We've seen some terrific wins, a LOT of close contests and a few tough lessons. The improvement shown across all grades has been fantastic, and it's been great to see players continuing to challenge themselves and support each other throughout the season.

A huge thank you must also go to our coaches, team managers, scorers, umpires, parents and volunteers. The amount of work that goes into getting teams on court every week often goes unnoticed, but it definitely doesn't go unappreciated.

This week we welcome Hepburn to Clunes for another big day of netball. We know they'll provide some tough opposition across the grades, but these are the games you look forward to. Hopefully we can put together four strong quarters in every match and continue building some momentum as we head into the second half of the season.

With Community Day during the day and Hypno Hysteria kicking off from 6:30pm, it's shaping up as a great day and night around the club. We encourage everyone to stick around after the games and enjoy what should be a fantastic evening.

Go Maggies!

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FOOTBALL REPORT

Looking back to the Bungaree games a fortnight ago and we started the day with two victories as the U/12s notched a second consecutive win and the U/15s climbed to fifth on the ladder after their fifth win of the season. The remaining games highlighted why Bungaree is a perennial finalist in CHFL competitions. Their ability to create turnovers and then capitalise on them has them sitting third in the U/18s and Reserves and top in the Seniors. They are where we aspire to be and we learn a lot each time we take on the power teams in the league.

This week we play Hepburn with the coveted Bing Baker/Laurie Steart Cup up for grabs in the senior football match. Mark is absolutely correct that our senior team will be giving their utmost to retain the cup this weekend. Nothing would please all connected with the club more than if we retain the cup and start our own winning streak of multiple years. We welcome Shaun Finlayson, Fletcher Burger, Zane Bedford and Tyrese Nunn back into the team this week. Experience, energy, physicality and athleticism comes into the lineup with that quartet.

Senior Player I’m looking forward to watching this week: Last round Shaun Finlayson missed his first game with Clunes since arriving at the start of last season and we missed him. Looking forward to having the big energiser back in the midfield, leading from the front and motivating his teammates with his unique mix of enthusiasm and experience.

Reserves player I’m looking forward to watching this week: Pat Boag is a new player to the club who made his debut last game. Pat caught the eye of knowledgeable supporters with his mobility and ball winning ability. As he develops his fitness, we hope to see his game continue to improve which will have him in contention for a game in the top grade.

Junior player I’m looking forward to watching this week: I had a chat with Chloe Booth at the U/12 Carnival a few weekends ago and was impressed by how passionate she is about her football. Chloe loves playing and will be trying her hardest against Hepburn, as she does against every opponent.

Go Maggies!