The Eastern Football League (EFL) is proud to announce a two-year partnership with the Hawthorn Football Club.
The EFL and the Hawthorn Football Club have been working together since 2015, strengthening grassroots and community football in the eastern suburbs, with the partnership aiming to create the strongest ‘grassroots to elite’ alignment in Australian sport.
EFL CEO Phil Murton is thrilled with the League’s partnership with the Hawks.
“The east of Melbourne is Hawthorn’s heartland so we are thrilled to expand on our existing relationship with Hawthorn and are delighted with the commitment Hawthorn have shown in delivering this,” Murton said.
“With the largest community football competition in Australia partnering with the best AFL team in the country, we are excited by what the possibilities hold and have a joint vision to set a benchmark in Australian sport for integrating an elite sporting club with their community.”
The partnership is committed to supporting the development of female football in the east, with the EFL’s under-15 girls representative side to be mentored by Hawthorn VWFL player Dana de Bondt, while the club’s newest VWFL recruit, Sarah Perkins, will work with Hawthorn’s Next Generation Academy.
Meanwhile, the EFL’s under-14 and under-15 representative sides will be mentored and coached by Hawthorn vice-captain Liam Shiels and teammate James Sicily, with the pair to help promote the EFL’s talent programs as ambassadors.
Shiels is a former EFL junior, having played for The Basin Football Club.
“The EFL is a really strong breeding ground for impressive footy talent and it’s exciting that Hawthorn will be partnering with the league to further develop young players,” Shiels said.
“Sis and I are looking forward to working with the under-14 and 15s, to help the young players coming through to get the most out of themselves and hopefully pursue a career in AFL footy one day.
“I loved my time playing for The Basin as a junior, so for Hawthorn to give back to local clubs and provide these opportunities is fantastic.”
Hawthorn CEO Justin Reeves believes the partnership will be valuable and rewarding for both organisations.
“We’re really pleased to have a formalised community partnership with the EFL, they’re a strong league with an incredibly rich history,” Reeves said.
“One of our aims is to create a Next Generation Academy talent pathway program to identify and nurture the best football talent in the Eastern suburbs, so one day, they too may get to play at the elite level, hopefully in the brown and gold.
“Hawthorn is committed to growing participation across all levels of community football and our coaches will work closely with EFL coaches, to guide the development and implementation of an Eastern Region Coaching Philosophy.”
