Footy season is just around the corner for Castlemaine Football Netball Club Juniors (CFNCJ) and the club is primed for a big year ahead. The Under 12s will be the first team to get things started, scheduled to play in the afternoon on ANZAC Day, while the Under 14s & Under 16s will have their first games the following day on April 26. The Under 9s and Under 10s have to wait a little longer, starting their campaigns on May 9.
Vice-President of the CFNCJs, Mekaal Hassan, says the club is ready for the season ahead. “We’ve had lots of excitement from our new and returning players who are now just keen to get the games started. Our volunteer coaches have been running training sessions for some time and all is ready-to-go.”
One change followers of the Juniors may notice is the club referring to their home ground at Wesley Hill as ‘Castlemaine Fresh Oval’. This is in recognition of long-time club sponsor, Castlemaine Fresh, who have continued their support for junior football in Castlemaine into a 30th year. Mekaal says, “When the opportunity came up to continue our association with Castlemaine Fresh we jumped at the chance. We’re
also pleased to have a new connection with Grainger Legal who have come on-board with a focus on our volunteers.”
Excitingly, the club will also have a new clash jumper to unveil this season that has been created by local First Nations artist, Daikota Nelson. The club is seeking to launch the design as part of a round of home matches early in the season and Mekaal hopes negotiations with the Bendigo Junior Football League about this are finalised shortly. “All fans of junior sport are welcome to any of our games. Our kids love having supporters there to play in front of. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for fixture updates.’ Anyone interested in playing or being involved is welcome to contact the club via email (cjfc@outlook.com) or the see the club Facebook page for further information. The Castlemaine Mail looks forward to keeping our community updated on the progress of our young Magpie stars.