36 DAYS TO GO | Mitcham junior president Anthony Grace spoke to EFNL Media ahead of the 2020 season, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water & Choose Tap.
Overall, were you satisfied with what the club achieved, both on and off the field, in 2019?
Anthony Grace: 2019 was a huge year of change at Mitcham, with the redevelopment of the change-rooms and social rooms.
On-field we had two A-grade teams go down narrowly in grand finals, three other teams play finals, seven non-competitive aged teams, and one of the biggest and respected Auskick centres in the east.
We also had several boys and girls make their way through to interleague footy and various academies.
Our relationship with the senior arm of the club continues to be very healthy, with the introduction of the Big Tiger/Little Tiger program in 2019.
Approximately how many teams do you think you will field in 2020?
AG: We look like fielding 17 teams in 2020.
What has the feeling been like around the club over the pre-season?
AG: There is plenty of excitement around the opening of the new rooms, but mostly the excitement of kids wanting to play footy with their mates.
If you had to pick one, which team do you think is the club’s best chance of winning a premiership this season?
AG: Our under-14 boys are a highly-talented team who usually finish in the mix, and our under-11 boys are an unknown quantity in their first year of competitive footy. Our under-12 girls will do well on the back of significant improvement through last season.
Is there a particular age group of players that you need as soon as possible to fill a team ahead of Round 1?
AG: Our under-12, under-15, and under-17 boys, and under-16 girls will benefit greatly with the addition of more players, and they are all likely to play around the C-grade mark.
If any players are interested in playing for your club this season, what do they have to do?
AG: Our website has all the registration details – www.mitchamjfc.com – or email our junior registrar, Michael, at registrar.mitchamjfc@gmail.com