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About Us
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Murrabit Football Club |
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Introduction / Club profile Murrabit has an urban population of less than 100 people, yet the club fields four football teams and four grades of netball. The club's excellent facilities are a result of community action and are a major resource for community use. The regular Thursday night training sees a crowd of around seventy people enjoying a meal. A notable feature is the diversity in age, gender and background of those present, which testifies to the club's commitment to inclusiveness. History Murrabit Football Netball Club registered with the Good Sports program in 2001 to formalise its pre-existing attitude to alcohol management and the role of the club in its community. The club had independently taken a responsible approach to managing alcohol and knew they were basically doing it right. At the same time they were aware of a stereotyped public image of football clubs as sponsors of underage drinking. The club joined Good Sports to promote its credibility within its community, saying, "We will take a responsible approach to drinking here". The club promotes participation in the program very strongly, using the Good Sports logo on letterhead, members' tickets, players' drink bottles and in advertising in the football league record in which it promotes itself as "proud to be a Level 3 Good Sports Club." Key things the club did to create change? Behaviour change at the club, with respect to alcohol use and management, has been due to long-term actions of the club, including participation in the Good Sports program. Club Secretary, Janine Millard, noted that many members traced the club's strong family orientation to the beginning of Darryl Bray’s presidency, 11 years ago. In 2005 the club asked Northern District Community Health Service to assist with a program focusing on healthy nutrition and its relationship to sport. Integral to this presentation was discussion of alcohol and sporting performance – an immediate result of which was to provide players with after-match bottled water and sports drinks rather than the customary beers. All required strategies of the Good Sports program have been implemented by the club. Murrabit Football Netball Club has astrong commitment to training its members in Responsible Service of Alcohol and currently has forty-five RSA-trained members, including seventeen current committee members. In 2004 the club hosted the 'Positive Choices’ program that focussed on mental health issues, including depression and its relationship with alcohol use. The program was attended by players and supporters from many Central Murray Football League and Golden Rivers Football League clubs. In the 2005 season the club hosted the 'Looking After Our Mates’ program and, as mentioned, worked with NDCHS to inform its players and members about nutrition, alcohol and sports performance. Challenges & difficulties
"We really didn’t have any challenges or
difficulties in implementing the program within the club. The program
has allowed us to formalise our approach, such as adapting the alcohol
and smoking policies, sending additional members to RSA training and
altering alcohol prices. We didn’t even have a problem with alcohol
straight after the Grand Final (in 2005) – the boys have just accepted
it".
Murrabit Football Netball Club
has diverse revenue sources. Three major fund raisers are the Goods
and Services Auction, a player Calcutta and the Annual Netball Club
Dinner Dance or Masquerade Ball. A fun and innovative club fund
raiser/social activity in 2005 is a Short Film Festival, comprising
films produced by club members. Alcohol revenue has remained unchanged
since the club joined the Good Sports program. |
