2020 is going to be a pivotal year for the Vic Park Raiders. To survive and prosper as a club we need to be more outward-looking and form strong alliances with other related sporting bodies.

As part of this, at the next committee meeting (Friday 13th March at 6.30 pm) I will be asking all those in attendance to ratify the two proposals tabled below. Please take some time to consider them.

MoU 1: Victoria Park Raiders JFC & Carlisle Cougars Amateur Football Club  

The Raiders have a long-standing relationship with the Carlisle Cougars Football Club. Amber Hazell (former president of the Raiders and now president of the Cougars—go girl!) has proposed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). Below is her version.

  1. Pathway for young players: To cultivate their desire to play football in a supportive and stable environment that has had a long history between the junior & senior club. 
  2. Provision of regular first aid services on away scheduled games: A regular and committed crew of qualified Senior First Aiders who are prepared to attend Year 7–12 Raiders away games, (every 2nd weekend) of the footy season, including finals. This will engage valuable time with older football players that have a history in injury recovery and warm-up and cool-down exercise work (as well as a nominal encouragement & football knowledge). *NB: We have put out an expression of interest to all registered players to ensure we have the people to follow through. Depending on this request we may be able to accommodate all Modified and Youth teams.   
  3. Overflow for footy training at Carlisle Reserve: When Higgins Park is at capacity – on those nights when the Year 11/12 boys’ team can train with the Colts players that they will play with in the future, and opening up space to squeeze all Vic Park Raiders teams on a regular roster.
  4. Every two weeks, or as required by the Raiders to host a regular Friday night home game environment at Carlisle Reserve as their home grounds for the junior teams to be able to play under lights. On these occasions, the Carlisle would also like the opportunity to open the canteen and after the gamer the bar facilities as required.
  5. Carlisle Football club opens the use of our Facilities to the juniors as required for their fundraising actives, furthermore, Carlisle Cougars will continue to support and advertise all Raiders events. 
  6. Carlisle Football club will continue to foster and nurture the juniors by providing qualified coaching staff for the older playing juniors as well as some training and game day clinics to support safe football environments.  

MOU 2: Victoria Park Raiders JFC & Curtin Wesley Tigers Amateur Football Club 

We have also reached out to our nearest neighbour, the Curtin-Wesley Tigers, and sought their assistance. They were very supportive of our girl’s teams last season, hosting Friday night matches on their second oval. Their senior women’s team provides an excellent pathway for our junior girl’s teams and it is this relationship that we wish to promote further.

  1. Academic pathway for young indigenous women to cultivate their desire to learn and study. Ideally, the involvement of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University will provide an overarching framework for extending the experience that the girl’s teams share on the sports field into other areas unrelated to sports – and more related to personal development. 
  2. Provision of regular first aid and physio services on game day at Higgins Park. A regular and committed crew of physiotherapy undergraduates who are prepared to attend all of Raiders juniors’ games (both boy and girls) every weekend of the 12-week footy season. They will gain valuable work experience (as well as a nominal encouragement stipend). In exchange, Raiders will not need to provide parent volunteer first aiders who are inadequately trained to respond to any critical injuries. Related to this request is the desire to have regular fitness training conducted on a fortnightly basis, led by sports science undergraduates who are also seeking similar work experience in a local community sports club.
  3.  The Tigers to host a regular Friday night home game environment at their Curtin home grounds for the junior teams. On these occasions, the Raiders would also like the opportunity to conduct two other activities:
    1. Fortnightly sports fitness program that will be conducted on the neighbouring second oval – coordinated by Sports Science undergrads – for both boy and girl Raiders.
    2. Allow the Raiders to utilise the Tiger club room facilities and liquor license for fundraising activities. This would be run by a regular crew of volunteers, not just catering to parents of boys and girls who are running around outside, but all Raiders supporters who also want to socialise. This would provide a much-needed avenue for 2020 fundraising.
  4. Overflow for footy training when Higgins Park is at capacity on those nights when the Tigers are not engaged in their own training activities. In 2020 we are anticipating the formation of two or more girls’ teams and the return of the Year 11/ 12s boys’ team (who have been integrated into the floating South City Thunder team of the last three years). This will pump up the current number of 17 teams to 20 and we simply do not have enough space to squeeze all teams in on a regular roster.