Crows building for success
A successful season has seen Longwarry football and netball clubs participate in finals.
Longwarry’s junior club has been building since it entered the Warragul District Junior Football League.
A successful junior registration day set the tone for a competitive season, with the under 10 team becoming the first Crows team to play off in the WDJFL finals.
The success of the club’s involvement in the WDJFL is beginning to become to fruition, with players graduating to the senior clubs under 16 team that proved competitive for the majority of the 2017 season.
The senior team is also showing signs of building, with new coach Daniel Fry leading the team to a sixth-place finish.
The team were unlucky in some close losses in season 2017, and will be looking for more improvement next season as they aim to push up the ladder.
Young talent such as Dom Pullen and Jonah Serong, who made their debut at senior level this year, could help lead that improvement.
Personal football milestones included Paul Williams playing his 300th club game and Leigh McDonald playing his 200th game with the club.
In the Ellinbank District Netball Association, Longwarry’s F grade side are on track to push deep into the finals series.
The team finished the home and away season on top of the ladder undefeated, and will play off on Saturday for a path straight through to the EDNA decider.
The D grade team also played finals, squaring off in the elimination final at Catani on Sunday.
The netball club also saw some significant personal milestones over the course of the season. A grade player Rachael Serong recently brought up her 250th match, while F grade player Holly Stephens recently played her 150th match.
The club continued its successful initiative of taking part in an indigenous round clash.
The senior players and officials took part in a smoking ceremony before a match where the Crows wore specially designed guernseys. The match was also played with a commemorative football.
In a boost for the club, Longwarry will host the Ellinbank and District football and netball preliminary finals on Saturday, September 9.