Community Bank Wantirna October Newsletter – featuring our Women’s Team!

Boronia Hawks have entered in to a great new partnership with our long-time bankers at Community Bank Wantirna, associated with Bendigo Bank. As part of this partnership, we are very proud that the Bank will be the jumper sponsors for our two Women’s Teams in 2021.

It is terrific to see this support for community sport and recreation and particularly in the booming growth of women’s footy. Thanks again to John and the team at Community Bank Wantirna!

Check out the full newsletter here!

Community-Bank-Wantirna-Oct-Newsletter


Development of Gender Equity Plan

A working group of sixteen Club members got together last night via Zoom to launch the development of the Club’s Gender Equity Action Plan. The people involved represented all aspects of the Club’s operations and each recognised the benefits that flow on from the effective and equitable participation and integration of girls and women across the Club.

Many thanks to Karen Little and Scott Nicholas for their work in drafting the action plan.

Thank you also to the members of our working group, including Amanda Cellante, Ash Johnson, Bec Allen, Ben Robertson, Candyce Wright, Carly Dymond, David Nicholas, Greg Hannon, Julia Bortoli, Kat McMahon, Kristan Wood, Nathan Allen, Rhianna Little, Samantha Dunkinson, Wayne Preston and Ye Jeffries.

New Grant for Women’s Football

The Club’s Grants Program has had another successful application. We have just been granted funding of $2,960 for a program to support Leadership for Young Women in Football.

The Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions offered this grant opportunity under the 2019/20 Community Activation Grants Program. We are very grateful for the government’s continued encouragement of community sport, particularly by backing clubs with the booming popularity of football for women and girls. Special thanks go to Claire Dyson from the Office for Women in Sport & Recreation and to Jackson Taylor MP.

As we grow our Women’s Football Program we have identified a number of young players who will benefit enormously from this opportunity to develop their leadership skills through this structured learning aimed specifically at their age group.

Although the leadership development program has been delayed for this season due to the COVID-19 lockdown, funding has been provided so that we can proceed with the training in 2021.

Once again the Club can thank Kerryn Westcott, our Grants Co-ordinator, and Karen Little, Director of Community and Inclusion, for their work in submitting a successful application for the grant. The Club’s Grants Program continues to provide an outstanding benefit in the enhancement of our facilities and membership support programs. Recent grants include:

  • Millers Scoreboard;
  • Tormore Scoreboard;
  • Uniforms for U17’s team;
  • Tormore Lights;
  • Millers Kitchen Upgrade;
  • Female Coaching and Development;
  • Mental Health Support for senior players;
  • COVID survival package;
  • Leadership for Young Women in Football.

Club Statement on the 2020 Season

As a club, and Boronia community, we’re all feeling disappointed with the decision to cancel the 2020 season for senior men and women.

The club plays such a huge part of the lives and wellbeing of so many people, and to know that we will need to go without it for the foreseeable future, in a time when perhaps we need it most, is hard to swallow. With so many sad and tragic events in Australia and around the world, we must keep our footy in perspective but we all could do with the support of our footy family that comes from sharing a laugh at training and on game day.

In saying this, we appreciate and acknowledge the leadership of the EFNL in navigating through an unprecedented situation. We recognise that this has been a difficult decision with a number of factors in play, and ultimately the decision has been based on the health and safety of all of our members, and the future viability of club’s within the league. In a tough time, we can’t do anything but respect this decision and appreciate the work that’s occurred and will continue to occur, behind the scenes for the betterment of football and netball in the east.

As a Club we are in strong position, and we have an amazing group of volunteers and supporters. We’ve created some serious momentum and our Board and Committees will keep pushing to ensure we are in an even stronger position when senior football and netball returns in 2021.

Thank you to all of our club members for their positivity and resilience over the past few months. I couldn’t be more proud of the club and know we will face the next period in the same way.

While we’re thrilled our junior footballers will be able to participate in a modified season, and look forward to supporting our little Hawka’s in 2020, we still face a number of challenges, but will meet them with thorough planning and optimism.

We will continue to build our Club off the field with renewed enthusiasm to ensure that we continue the momentum we’ve created over the past few years. We will come back stronger.

Our focuses are clear for the remainder of 2020:

  1. The health and wellbeing of our senior players and members – the consequential impacts on the health, wellbeing and social connection of club members can not be underestimated. Continuing engagement and support will be the overwhelming priority over the coming months.
  2. Building our momentum off-field – we will continue our work off the field to strengthen our strategic and operational efforts.
  3. Our Juniors – what a fantastic opportunity for the Club to throw its full support behind our junior teams for the coming months and help foster the next generation of Boronia men and women.

We understand this news has been devastating for our members and encourage everyone to look at the wellbeing hub on our website, and continue to connect and support each other in a difficult time.

We also our encourage our members to be respectful with any commentary made on social media, as we understand that many may be feeling frustrated and disappointed with the decision.

For our Juniors, we’re excited to support you with all of the Club behind you. Coaches will begin to communicate with each group in the coming days.

If anyone has questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Scott on 0403 238 494. Thanks again to everyone in the HAWKA community. You’re all amazing, and YOU are the reason this Club is what it is today.

GO HAWKA.

Scott Nicholas

Chairman, Boronia Hawks Football Netball Club Inc.


Boronia Hawks at the Knox Festival

Boronia Hawks have secured a site at the Knox Festival being held at Wally Tew Reserve, Glenfern Rd, Ferntree Gully on Saturday 29th February and Sunday 1st March. It’s an opportunity to showcase our fantastic club to the Knox community and to attract new Junior (boys and girls) and Women’s team players. We will have activities for the kids, with Hawka brand caps and mini stress footballs as giveaways.

If you’re available to help at our stall over that weekend, please add your name to the roster via this Volunteer Link.

Over the two days of the festival, between 10 am and 5 pm, we would like a minimum of three volunteers for each time slot but it would be great to see more. The more people we have at our stall and the more activity we generate, the more interesting it will be to festival attendees.


2020 Junior Fixture – lock in the dates!

The 2020 Eastern Football Netball League junior fixture dates have been officially released. 

The respective home and away seasons for boys and girls will kick off on Sunday, April 19, while the Under-10 Girls Lightning Premiership will be held on Friday, April 17. Meanwhile, Respect Round takes place across Round 3 and 4, as the Under-9 Boys’ Lightning Premiership is scheduled for Round 14. EFNL Presentation evening will be held on Tuesday, September 1.

Boronia Juniors are proudly supported by Dan Bolton and Fletchers Mooroolbark.
Boronia Juniors are proudly supported by Dan Bolton and Fletchers Mooroolbark.