Auskick in trouble

By Kath Gannaway
THE future of football in Warburton may be relying on ‘down-the-liners’ if the potential local stockpile continues to miss out on the early training which plants the seed for involvement at a local level.
For the second year in a row, the Auskick program has failed to attract interest in Warburton.
“In 2005 Warburton youngsters missed the opportunity to join nearly 140,000 children involved in the Auskick program around Australia,” said football development manger for eastern region Mark Heaney.
“After running in 2004, no-one came forward to coordinate the clinic in 2005, leaving the local primary school-aged children having to travel to the nearest clinic at Launching Place.”
Heaney said the situation was the same this year.
Auskick clinics run in several places around the Yarra Valley including Healesville, Launching Place, Yarra Glen, Seville and Wandin, but Heaney has had no luck in getting people to run Auskick in Warburton.
He said Auskick was the Australian Football League’s (AFL) key introductory program for primary school-aged boys and girls and their families.
“Children learn the skills of the game through appropriately modified activities and rules, playing football in a fun and safe environment and make plenty of new friends too,” Heaney said.
He said Football Victoria was keen to re-establish the Warburton Auskick Clinic and was offering incentives in the hope of finding a dedicated volunteer to coordinate the program.
The coordinator would receive AFL Auskick apparel of a polo shirt, long-sleeve T-shirts, cap and jacket, several AFL game passes and a Victorian Football Leagues season pass.
The clinic would be allocated a game on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 15 July at half-time in the Essendon versus St Kilda game – including a pass for players and parents.
The Eastern Ranges will sponsor the coordinator or another person to become a Level 1 Nationally Accredited Coach, a course which normally costs $110, and an experienced Auskick district manager would work with and support the new coordinator.
Heaney said a knowledge of the game was not necessary to coordinate a VicKick clinic – the coordinator just enthusiasm for seeing aspiring young footballers having fun learning the game.
Mark Heaney can be contacted by email on mark@ranges.org.au or on phone 9724 9488 for more information.