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All Cashback claims to be received by the 31st July 2013 to be valid. baileyladders.com.au EDITORIAL Celebrating Women’s Round FOOTBALL has much to celebrate this weekend as we acknowledge the pivotal role women play in our great game as well as applauding an extraordinary accomplishment by North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald. As football continues to develop, grow and prosper, so, the most impact on the too, does the contribution and participation by women in environment in which the game is all areas of the game. played and can have a positive Whether it is the likes of Football Manager Marg Richards infl uence on all players that play. at North Ballarat, Port Melbourne Assistant Coach Peta Our vision is to ensure all coach education programs and Searle, AFL Victoria’s Female Development Manager the ongoing support through the Australian Football Chyloe Kurdas or Sophie Timms who has worked for many Coaches Association is of a standard in which all coaches years in the talent operations area, women continue to are confi dent to not only achieve their goals but also bring so much to the game. enhance the environment in which the game is played. And, female participation continues to soar. This year in The basic philosophy of the AFCA Victoria seminar Victoria there will be over 150 female teams playing in program is “the better the coaches, the better they are competitions around the state. Last weekend a new Youth able to provide quality opportunities for players to Girls competition was launched in Gippsland. develop”. Just last week I had the pleasure of attending the AFL AFL Victoria delivers a range of coach education and Women’s National Championships in Cairns where the ongoing training opportunities to continue to develop Victorian team claimed its 12th successive title. coaching expertise through our team of Development Congratulations to all the players who performed so well, Managers for coaches at all levels of the game the coaches, support staff and the VWFL. throughout Victoria. This success is on the back of the Vic Metro team taking The coach education component comprises of introduction the crown in the AFL Youth Girls National Championships to coaching courses for Auskick parents, market specifi c last month in Shepparton. Level One courses for Auskick, Junior, Youth and Senior coaches, Level Two course for Youth and Senior coaches, When North Ballarat hosts Sandringham this weekend, as well as identifying and nominating candidates for the FitzGerald will coach his 300th Peter Jackson VFL game annual AFL High Performance coaching course. – just the second coach in the VFA/VFL competition history. AFL Victoria provides coach education for more than 3,000 coaches annually from Auskick programs, community It is a monumental achievement by ‘Fitzy’, a person who football, school and university courses. In addition, a has done so much on and off the fi eld to promote and further 900 coaches were reaccredited this year for showcase the Peter Jackson VFL. another four years. Coaching is such a vital component of our game and AFL Victoria recognises that coaches like ‘Fitzy’ play a central Grant Williams role in starting and sustaining participation. Coaches have AFL Victoria General Manager Editor: Anthony Stanguts anthony.stanguts@afl vic.com.au Contributors: Adrian Dunn, David O’Neill Design & Print: Cyan Press Photos: AFL Photo’s (unless otherwise credited) Visy Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 Advertising: Ryan Webb (03) 8341 6062 GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 AFL Victoria General Manager: Grant Williams Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 www.afl vic.com.au State League & Talent Manager: John Hook High Performance Managers: Anton Grbac, Leon Harris Talent Operations Coordinator: Sophie Timms Cover photo: North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald Talent Operations Offi cer: Lauren Bunting www.vfl .com.au 1 MEDIA COVERAGE ABC TV Saturday June 29: Casey Scorpions vs Northern Blues – 1pm Next Week: Port Melbourne vs Bendigo Gold Peter Jackson VFL Radio Sunday June 30: Coburg vs Geelong – From 1:30pm Live on Digital Radio via Aussie, Red Time Sport and SEN I-Phone Apps, online via vfl .com.au or sen.com.au and on Vision Australia Radio on 1179AM Next game: July 14 - Werribee Tigers vs Casey Scorpions 3WBC Sunday June 30: Box Hill Hawks vs Williamstown – 1pm Listen to 94.1 FM or online at www.3wbc.org.au Next game: Box Hill Hawks vs Collingwood SEN Sunday June 30 – Peter Jackson VFL review 9:05pm Thursday July 4 – The Peter Jackson VFL Show 8:30pm – 9pm Peter Jackson VFL Online Keep up to date with the Peter Jackson VFL via the following methods: Website: www.vfl .com.au @VFLnews #PJVFL www.facebook.com/vfl footy 2 www.afl vic.com.au GERARD FITZGERALD FitzGerald joins exclusive 300 club GERARD FitzGerald is no stranger to big moments. Six times he’s taken a VFL club to a Grand Final. While no premierships are at stake this weekend, it call my home – North Ballarat – and to celebrate here in doesn’t diminish the moment for FitzGerald who coaches Ballarat. his 300th VFL match. “It means a lot to me because this is where it all started It’s a moment for the ages in the competition; the enormity 300 games ago. You get a bit nostalgic, you look back at of which should not be lost on any football observer. the wonderful opportunity I was given by the footy club as FitzGerald joins legendary VFA coach and former South virtually an unknown way back then.” Melbourne star Bill Faul as the only person in the 136-year FitzGerald’s service at North Ballarat was broken by four history of the competition to coach 300 games. years. Faul, a premiership coach at Prahran and Moorabbin, who Initially, it was driven by a desire to enter politics and also coached Northcote, coached his last VFA game in represent the region, but that was a victory he was not 1959. able to secure. Until FitzGerald appeared the closest to Faul had been With the North Ballarat coaching post fi lled by Stephen former South Melbourne great Jim Cleary, who coached Wright at the time, FitzGerald moved to Springvale. 264 VFA games with Brunswick, Port Melbourne and He took the Scorpions to the fi nals, but they exited Dandenong. More recently Brad Gotch, along with after the fi rst round. FitzGerald would have been keen FitzGerald, passed Cleary, with Gotch on 268 games before to continue coaching Springvale, but the club could not his move from Casey Scorpions to Port Adelaide. commit to the full time position that he desired. “I’m really looking forward to it. Maybe as you get older Port Melbourne quickly snapped up the services of milestones mean more to you as run the cycles of life,” FitzGerald for the following season. The Borough made the FitzGerald said. Grand Final, only to lose to Sandringham. “One it is great to be in the game a long time because I But, it was not enough for FitzGerald to retain his position. still love what I’m doing. Next stop on the trail back to his spiritual home was North “And, it’s nice to be celebrating my 300th at what really I Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. After two years with the www.vfl .com.au 3 GERARD FITZGERALD Rebels, the North Ballarat coaching post opened up when four year absence from North Ballarat. incumbent coach Gavin Crossica accepted a position at “The opportunity to have a signifi cant role in community Carlton. life did appeal to me and I was offered that opportunity to FitzGerald put his imprimatur not only on the long, proud, have a crack at State politics,” FitzGerald said. distinguished history of North Ballarat, but also on the “That didn’t work out, but what it did do was reinforce that competition during his second stint as coach of the I do love coaching. I then had to do some very, very hard Roosters. years.” After two Grand Final appearances in his fi rst stay, FitzGerald has swatted up on Faul and his extraordinary FitzGerald shook the monkey off his and the club’s back career. He’s fascinated by the history of Faul’s career in when he led them to the 2008 VFL Grand Final. that it replicates the history of the competition. It was the fi rst leg of a threepeat, matched by only Just as the VFL has evolved signifi cantly since FiztGerald Sandringham (2004-05-06); Port Melbourne (1980-82); started, the change from the days when Faul coached has Williamstown (1954-56); Northcote (1932-34); Coburg been even more dramatic. (1926-28) and North Melbourne (1914-15 & 18 – WW1 None of the clubs that Faul coached – Northcote, Prahran broke the sequence when football was not played). and Moorabin – are members of the VFL. The 2008 premiership remains to the forefront of “That helps guide me in terms of my contribution at North FitzGerald’s achievements.