A local club that has spawned some of the AFL’s biggest names is turning 60 this month.
The Riverton Roos Junior Football Club is an icon of the local grass roots footy scene, first founded when the southeastern suburbs of Ferndale, Parkwood, Lynwood and Thornlie were still being developed.
On Saturday, August 10 the club will celebrate the milestone with a celebration of food, footy and fun at the Bill Cole function centre in Riverton.
Club President Luke McCorkell said there will be some AFL legends coming along to help the club celebrate.
“We have some big names coming down, including former Hawthorn, St Kilda and West Coast Eagles player Paul Harding who was an amazing player throughout his juniors,” he said.
“He played AFL at the top level and we also have former Eagle Adam Selwood, who is going to come down and be a guest speaker which is quite special for us, the way he talks about women’s football, being involved at West Coast and obviously as a 2006 Premiership player.
“It’s going to be a great night, so really excited about it.
“We invite the locals to come on down and have a good time, there will be plenty of food, plenty of drinks and plenty of laughs,” he said.
Grass roots footy is something Luke McCorkell and his current and former club members strongly believe in.
“I think it gives kids hope and it makes them think they can be like their AFL heroes and that’s something that’s pretty special to us,” he said.
“We’re pretty much a small club but we have the biggest heart when it comes to grass roots football and all of these young kids have a look at these players who have come through the club and we’re really excited about that and so are the kids.”
One such former player is the mayor of the City of Canning Patrick Hall who will be the MC on the night of the big celebration.
Mr Hall was one of the club’s inaugural premiership players, having been part of the club’s first big celebrations back in 1976.
“This club has been a big part of my life since I was six years old,” he said.
“I started playing down here when I was very young and I was very proud to have played in the club’s very first premiership back in 1976, when I was 13 and better still Vic Vareschetti was the coach and this pavilion is named after Vic.
“He was a stalwart of the club for decades and passed recently in his nineties.
“I look back fondly at my time at the club and played at that premiership alongside Paul Harding whose next premiership was playing for the West Coast Eagles, so he went from Riverton Junior footy club and his next premiership was probably at the West Coast Eagles, it’s been wonderful and I am just so pleased to be supporting it.”
Mr Hall said there’s also more to the club than just playing footy.
“Clubs like this bring the whole community together, they bring the fabric of the community together, it’s all about volunteering and giving back,” he said.
“These volunteers that give up their time to run clubs like ours make our community stronger, so come down and support them and give something back because it’s really important to people who have passed through the club many years ago. Sixty years of a community club is a really big milestone,” he said.
Riverton Junior Football Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Saturday, August 10 at Bill Cole function centre from 6pm.
Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite.
