Sport
4 April, 2024
Maryborough Giants make long-awaited first appearance tomorrow, 12 months in the making
There’s a big, big sound coming to Hedges Oval tomorrow, with the Maryborough Giants making their debut. The Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League’s (MCDFNL) newest club makes its mark on the competition when they host the B...
There’s a big, big sound coming to Hedges Oval tomorrow, with the Maryborough Giants making their debut.
The Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League’s (MCDFNL) newest club makes its mark on the competition when they host the B.A Road Services Talbot Hawks in their inaugural game, with all eyes from around the league transfixed on how the new club will perform.
Born from the amalgamation between Maryborough Rovers and Royal Park, it’s been a pre-season which has been longer than most — a point not lost on co-president Kate Balzan.
“It is exciting, but the practical reality of getting on the field as a new club has been lots of work, and a long 12 months to get to this point. But everyone is excited to get out there. The pre-season has been strong on both sides,” she said.
“We wanted to make sure we started on the right foot and made sure we had some of the heritage parts there, and not just be the Giants. We wanted to keep that heritage, but move it forward as the Giants, so getting the branding spot on has been exciting, but it’s great to see that it’s taking form at Hedges.”
With Damian Cupido taking the football coaching job, and Annalyse Carroll coaching the A grade netballers, hopes are high for both clubs to be competitive straight off the bat, although, as fellow co-president Mark Raven puts it — the little wins need to come first.
“I’m feeling good, but a little bit nervous and excited for the weekend. I think it’ll be a big sigh of relief — a lot of planning behind the scenes which started back in April last year, running our separate clubs, and trying to organise a new club, so there’s been a lot of work going on. But it is exciting to get the first game underway and get the club going,” he said.
“Doing the amalgamation, with three clubs in the town, and clubs in the outlying areas, there was always a struggle getting players from the senior and the junior side of things, and even volunteers, so that was why we were doing this, and it was long overdue.
“The impact that we’re going to have, if we can make finals, that’s a win. We’ve been two bottom teams for a number of years, so to bring them together, it’s not going to form a grand final side in my opinion, as we’re coming from a long way back.
“But if we can have a few wins on the board, get enough juniors going, that’s a win for us, and if we can get some more volunteers, that’s another win. From a committee point of view, once we get going, we want to get in and make finals if we can.”
The club has been steadily building excitement across the supporter base over the last few weeks, launching their new jumper and dress design for the first game, as well as unveiling their sponsors.
The club will wear a predominantly charcoal jumper and dress, with splashes of orange, which was launched last week.
Balzan believes the colours will make their mark across the league.
“It’s come together really well and it’s nice to have a standout point. We think it will pop on the field and on the court,” she said.
Both Balzan and Raven have been encouraged by the support from businesses and people around town ahead of their first game tomorrow.
Balzan says the harmony between members from both clubs has been impressive.
“We’ve been lucky to have people who have done lots of these roles from before, so it was important to band together and use the Giants as a way forward. We’ve used that perspective all the way through,” she said.
“We’ve been lucky enough to have Mark and I as co-presidents, I think it’s worked really well to have the perspective of both clubs and everyone is involved.
“We also have sub-committees that branch out and get lots of people involved as our main committee, and it’s been working really well.
“The sponsors have been really great, and there’s been a lot of interest. We haven’t had to pull sponsors from two clubs, we’ve banded together really well and said we are the Giants now, and the local Maryborough team in the district league, so it’s been exciting in that way.
“There’s been lots of people who have been supportive and helping us maintain that movement forward as Giants. There’s lots of interest and lots of support from outside of the two clubs previously, which has been good.”
Raven also stressed the importance of both clubs finding a “happy medium” when coming together as the Giants.
“It’s important to keep remem-bering where we came from, but ultimately, we’re now the Maryborough Giants, so we have to make sure our playing bases and the players that have come along from other clubs, as well as the new ones, understand that this is the Giants, and this is what the future is, as well as having recognition of the past,” he said.
“Coming together with committees and two different groups of people, there are challenges, and you have to work through them. You just have to have an understanding of how Royal Park did things, and vice-versa to how Rovers did things, finding that happy medium, and we’ve done that to the best of our ability.
“Sponsorship-wise, it’s been excellent, getting good companies on board that wanted to be involved. I think they are realising there’s a lot of exposure with this club, and a lot of eyes, so their name will be prominent in people’s faces. The supporter base has been very encouraging, and from our life members, which has been very positive.”
Tomorrow’s action at Hedges Oval between the Giants and the Hawks starts at 9 am on the football field, while the first netball game will be played at 9.55 am.