YVMDFL boss Stephen Walter and Olinda netball co-ordinator Helen Wositzky are getting ready for their clash with Kinglake at Marysville.By Kath Gannaway
MARYSVILLE will host a clash of the YVMDFL’s mountain-top football/netball clubs next Sunday, 21 March, in what promises to be a huge pre-season clash.
Kinglake will play Olinda Ferny Creek in the first non-social match played at the beautiful Gallipoli Park Oval since the Marysville club folded in the 1980s.
Kinglake president Cameron Caine said football and netball had helped the people of Kinglake last year by providing a social and sporting outlet and that the club now wanted to lend a helping hand to the Marysville community.
Mr Caine said he would like to see a thousand people packing the streets and the oval.
“If everyone each spends $10 or $20 then it’ll be a big day for Marysville,” he said.
Olinda Football Club president Peter Hayne said Kinglake and Olinda Ferny Creek attracted a huge crowd of 5000 people to their grand final last September.
“The game was such a hit all the commercial television stations covered it and Channel Nine broke into its normal news service to run the scores live,” Mr Hayne said.
He said it was a very special moment in community sport and was unlikely to be repeated but that the whole club was looking forward to clashing with Olinda Ferny Creek again.
It is also believed to be the first time the venue has hosted netball.
Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League chief executive Stephen Walter praised the Lakers and Olinda Ferny Creek for staging the big clash, saying it was possible that when Marysville’s new pavilion was built the league might consider staging other games there.
The under-18s will start at 11am with the senior match beginning about 2pm.
Describing the Olinda and Kinglake fans as “sensational” last year, he said he hoped they would get behind their teams again this season.
Mr Caine said the Kinglake footballers were eager to do well against Olinda, which won promotion back to first division, but added that it was important that the biggest winner on the day was the Marysville community.
