Bligh Park Wolves FC gearing up for 2025
with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
On a sunny Saturday morning, as I made my way to the Berger Road football fields— home of Bligh Park Wolves FC— I had In My Youth by Noiseworks playing and found myself reminiscing about the good old days. I remembered driving my old-school XE Falcon down Mileham Street, turning onto Ham Street by the netball courts, and heading down to Berger Road for the game. Things have changed since then. There are more kids now, more matches, and the grounds were absolutely packed. The hair and so-called potential of my youth may be long gone, but one thing has stayed the same over the past 30 years since I first played for the club: the volunteers are passionate locals
Bligh Park kids at the come and try day with the Wanderers who truly care. Jess, the club’ s new Registrar, is a shining example of that commitment. When I spoke to her, she’ d only been with the club for four weeks, but she was already making a big impact. The Registrar plays one of the most vital roles in any club— making sure all players are properly registered, fees are paid, and children are placed in teams. It’ s easy to take this work for granted, but in reality, the Registrar is often the first point of contact for many families joining a club.
Jess shared that the club has three Under-5s teams this year— an incredible achievement. Even better, local Hawkesbury clubs are working together to ensure the youngest players can play their first games close to home. She mentioned that Bligh Park Wolves have junior teams in nearly every age group and are still looking for players across most divisions, particularly in the juniors— except for the Under-12s, who are at full capacity. The club is expecting to field between 28 and 30 teams this season, representing a 20 % increase from last year. While managing registrations via Dribl and MyFootballClub can still be challenging, Jess noted it’ s a far cry from the‘ 90s when we were handwriting orange cards and sticking on passport photos— thankfully, those days( like my hair) are behind us.
I also had the pleasure of speaking with Lee Hughes, the newly appointed and very busy President of Bligh Park Wolves FC. She stepped into the role this season following the previous President’ s retirement. Lee first got involved when her son started playing and was soon convinced to join the committee to help out. She was thrilled with the turnout at the club’ s recent Open Day, which saw several hundred people attend. She was equally excited about the success of the recent Come and Try day, where players from the Western Sydney Wanderers women’ s team came along to assist with training sessions for the young participants.
Lee said the club is still looking to fill several teams for the upcoming season, including the Under-10s( Saturdays), All Age Women( Sundays), Over-30s Women( Monday nights), All Age Men( Sundays), and Over-35s Men( Friday nights). With 25 teams last year, the club’ s growth is clear
Bligh Park girls getting tready for action. Credit Bligh Park FC to see. Lee even hinted she may lace up her boots in 2025 to help ensure the Over- 30s Women have a full team. With her background in swimming, water polo, and netball, she’ s excited about the challenge of taking to the football pitch for Bligh Park.
The club is also promoting a Junior Referee Development Programme for 2025, and the storage container at the grounds has been given a colourful makeover by a local artist.
The 2025 season is shaping up to be a big one for Bligh Park Wolves FC.
Kurrajong – Bilpin Little Athletics Club:
Bringing out your best! with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Athletics is a vast and dynamic sport. Many people will have tried their hand at athletics, or one of its many disciplines, at some point in their lives. It offers incredible heights to aspire to, from Olympic Games and World Championships to state and national competitions – showcasing the best of the best across the globe. Yet, at its core, athletics is also about personal achievement and development.
This is exactly what the Kurrajong – Bilpin Little Athletics Club represents. While they may not be the largest Little Athletics club in New South Wales, President Felicity embraces the unique, community-driven spirit that sets the club apart. The club caters for children from as young as 3 – 4 years old in the Tiny Tots category, right through to Under 17s and even up to the Open age group( Under 19s).
For the 2024 / 25
season, which is now drawing to a close, the club has 295 registered members. They compete at MacMahon’ s Park in Kurrajong, a facility shared during the winter months with Colo FC. Events are held every Friday night from September through to March, following a three-week rotation to ensure all age
Kurrajong-Bilpin Little Athletics older kids going for their last run.
groups and events are covered.
Felicity explained that members come from across the Hawkesbury region, primarily from the western side of the river, with some travelling from as far as Penrith and Mt Tomah. On event nights, the club hosts sprint races, long-distance runs, jumps and throws. While certain disciplines such as race walking, 400m hurdles, pole vault and hammer throw are not offered, all other core athletic events are included.
Felicity first became involved through her children. She chose Kurrajong because of its family-oriented atmosphere and proximity to home. Starting out by helping with set-up and clean-up, she progressed to timekeeping and eventually became a starter. Now in her final year as President – as her son will soon age out of competition – she reflects fondly on her journey with the club.
The club currently has a gender split of 54 % girls and 46 % boys. In partnership with Little Athletics NSW, they’ ve seen strong retention among athletes under 12. For those aged 13 to 18, there is a greater focus on mentoring, coaching and personal skill development. Notably, some of the older athletes have returned this season to coach the Tiny Tots and younger juniors.
Club coach Marilyn is one of the founding members. She holds full coaching qualifications and has international coaching experience. Marilyn ensures that all club coaches are properly trained and capable of delivering quality guidance to the athletes. The club also supports junior coaches in obtaining their qualifications, offering older athletes the chance to develop their skills – and earn a bit of money on the side. Around half of the club’ s athletes attend regularly, regardless of the weather, and many are active in other sports during the offseason.
Kurrajong – Bilpin also excels on the representative stage. In February, 75 athletes competed at Regionals in Dubbo, and 22 are set to compete at the State and Senior State titles this week – a precursor to the Nationals in Perth this April. Additionally, 95 athletes participated in the Zone competition( from the Under 7 age group upwards), with those in the Under 9 category and above eligible for state qualification.
Despite a season heavily impacted by weather challenges, the club has remained focused on its mission: to provide a space where children can attend regularly, track their individual progress, and achieve their personal goals. Above all, it’ s about fun and participation.
Felicity, herself a former athletics competitor, knows first-hand the experiences and demands that come with
Kurrajong-Bilpin Little Athletics kids celebrate Santa’ s Arrival. Credit KBLA.
the sport – a perspective that has helped shape her leadership.
The club will hold its presentation evening on 11th April to celebrate the achievements of all its athletes.
SOLUTIONS FROM P 36
38 ISSUE 179 // APRIL 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT