Ferntree Gully Junior Football Club president Andrew Gottliebsen spoke to EFL Media ahead of season 2018, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water and Choose Tap.
Overall, were you satisfied with what the club achieved, both on and off the field, in 2017?
Andrew Gottliebsen: I believe our cub had a very successful year in 2017, if anything more than expected. After our most successful year on the field ever in 2016, many of our teams were promoted and thus were unlikely to back up with another finals appearance – but even with this we had four teams in the EFL juniors make the grand final, and we were successful in two of them. We also have a team in the FIDA league, and won the premiership there also.
Off field we finished the year in the black, and turned over more money than ever before… and for a non-for profit sporting club… who could ask for anything more?
Approximately how many teams do you think you will field in 2018?
AG: Five girls, 12 boys and one FIDA .
What has the feeling been like around the club over the pre-season?
AG: Overall fairly good, as with most clubs we have had issues getting coaches for a couple of teams, and have one team that we are struggling a little bit for numbers with (under-18 Girls), but we are in a good space.
If you had to pick one, which team do you think is the club’s best chance of winning a premiership this season?
AG: Under-16 girls should be successful, but before seeing grading that is a hard questions to answer.
Is there a particular age group of players that you need as soon as possible to fill a team ahead of Round 1?
AG: Under-18 girls – we are lower than expected with many girls going up to play at Monbulk, and we could do with a few more in the under-10 girls as we expand and look to field a team in that age group for the first time ever.
If any players are interested in playing for your club this season, what do they have to do?
