MUDGEE’S INTERNAL FOCUS ON NEW WAY
MUDGEERABA Soccer Club have reformed their ideologies in recent years, focusing heavily on their junior base and developing the next crop of players for their senior set-up and beyond.
Introduced in 2019, the “Mudgee Way” was put in place to ensure the club stabilised its junior numbers and started focusing on the development of young talent at the club and in the area.
For years, the Wallabies were a perennial powerhouse in junior competition football on the Gold Coast, winning countless titles and producing some of the best players in the city.
However, in recent years club numbers have been dwindling away and the membership base has thinned out. Something had to be done.
“Implementing the ‘Mudgee Way’ has given the club direction and something to focus on for the future,” club President Paul Camaselle said.
With many clubs facing an uncertain path on development and coaching, the Wallabies
have found their solution and are sticking to what they believe in.
“We believe that all clubs should have a focus and goal in mind and ours is no different in that sense. Committees change time and time again but at least this way a vision can still be seen,” Camaselle said.
After having a brief spell of success in the Premier League midway through the 2010s, Mudgeeraba had a number of sub-par seasons in the top flight before eventually being relegated to Coast League One.
However, with a newfound process in place the club is hopeful to see the nurturing of their junior players eventuate into senior footballers as time goes on.
“The goal is to see the development of all junior players and for them to progress through to senior football. We aren’t looking to bring players in but rather develop what we have available to us at the club,” Camaselle said.
Key Mudgeeraba captain and midfielder Nicholas Buxton is proof that the club does have the talent coming through, with the youngster playing his junior football at the Wallabies from a young age.
It is something that Camaselle and his committee have identified as a point that they want to run with and work on for the future.
“The Mudgee Way needs to be given a solid foundation and years behind it to see the full extent of the benefits it can bring. With COVID disrupting the season last year we weren’t able to get a clear picture but hopefully by the end of this year we can reassess and continue to move forward.”
Much can be said about the club’s willingness to compete at the highest level across all age groups and seniors, however that is the least of their concerns at this point in time.
“It is all about the development of players and not about the titles and divisions they play in. In time it will all come together,” said Camaselle.