Flying high … Yarraville Seddon Eagles are a success story.
By Charlene Gatt
THE Yarraville Seddon Eagles are soaring five years on from one of the most notable mergers in Western Region Football League history.
Now all it needs is an under 18 side.
The Eagles were born in 2007 from a merger between division one team Yarraville, the Yarraville Juniors and the Seddon Football Club, which dropped out of the senior competition after 10 rounds in 2006 due to poor performance.
After a slow start – including an uncertain period in 2008 when the club was not sure if they would field a senior team – the Eagles have gone from strength to strength.
The club placed significant focus on its junior development and now has 12 teams between under 9 and under 16.
“We want players to continue into seniors grades without having to leave our club,” club administrator Jeff King said.
“If we can achieve this the merged entity can truly claim to be successful.”
In 2010, Karen Bermingham took the reins and became the first female president of the club.
This year both the seniors and reserves team are both sitting in third.
“With over 30 new players and renovated changerooms and clubrooms, there is a positive vibe around the club as players and coaching staff strive for improvement,” senior coach Andy Willis said.
“Training has focused on game-style, setups and competitive work and players have shown a willingness to learn and progress as individual players and collectively as a team.
“The development of younger players such as Cam Vincent, Heath Clarke, Jake Connors, Ash Baldi and Nathan Kelly has also been paramount to our competiveness and we will continue to promote the players that show commitment and desire.”
The team is now working towards fielding a side in the Under 18 competition come 2012.
