GRAHAM Moran, the new junior co-ordinator of the Truganina Hornets, says his club wants to be the “changing face of soccer in the Western Suburbs”.
The Hornets have taken the next important step in their quest to challenge the historically-accepted norms of local soccer culture and will this year field four junior teams for the first time in its short history.
A successful registration campaign attracted more than 80 juniors to the club that boasts about the fact it is the first sporting club in the region using the Truganina name.The four new teams will add to the mix of three senior men’s teams and two women’s teams that will wear the orange and black this winter.
However according to Moran, the club’s strategy for growth won’t be driven by what the scoreboard says on any given Saturday or Sunday.
“We don’t want to be what every soccer club is,” Moran said.
“The growth we will get will not be from the seniors and won’t be from the women.
“It’ll come from our grassroots academy and the under-7s and under-8s to retain that talent within the club and grow it through to senior level.
“There are not too many clubs in the Western suburbs that would do that. A lot of them are buying and paying talent.
“We don’t want that. We want home-grown talent.”
The Hornets will judge their success both now and in the future on the strength of their junior program.
“Success shouldn’t be about winning leagues and winning cups,” Moran said.
“That’s not what we’re looking for. What we’re trying to do is grow the local talent and be a feeder into these A-League sides or into the Green Gullys and Melbourne Knights of this world.
“That’s where our success will come from.”
Truganina recently teamed up with Melbourne Victory as part of the A-League club’s community and grassroots program, which Moran says will be vital in building a culture he hopes will ensure junior talent remains loyal with the Hornets for years to come.
“It’s got to be about the honour of wearing the shirt and the colours, and that’s what we want to build here,” he said.
Junior registrations will remain open until later this week, with the season to kick off a month later.
