Gisborne will have a second junior football netball club from this year with the formation of the Gisborne Giants.
The Riddell District Football Netball League announced late last year the creation of the Giants to help cater for the growing Gisborne community.
AFL Goldfields Regional General Manager Rod Ward noted the increased growth of football in the Gisborne area made the formation of a new club a must, with the existing club, Gisborne Rookies, having limited capacity to recruit new players.
“The need for a second junior club in Gisborne was recognised as a priority by AFL Goldfields, the RDFNL and the Gisborne Rookies Junior Football Netball Club,” Ward said.
“We are thrilled with the level of cooperation and assistance being given by the Gisborne Rookies JFNC to assist us in creating this club.
“The Gisborne Giants will be based at Gardiner and Sankey Reserves, and will increase the need for AFL Goldfields to work with the Macedon Ranges Shire Council to establish a critically needed new recreation reserve in New Gisborne with Gardiner and Sankey Reserve already at capacity”.
The Gisborne Rookies will play a major part in the initial years of the Giants.
Rookies’ president Craig Shore said the new club isn’t seen as competition to the his club, but rather an opportunity for children in the town.
The Giants will operate as a sub-committee of the Rookies for at least the first two years.
“Our decision to assist the establishment of a new club is in the long term interests of junior football in Gisborne”, Shore said.
“The Gisborne community continues to grow and we expect junior participation (in AFL) to increase significantly in the coming years.
“There is a considerable amount of work to complete over the coming years and we look forward to the support from the RDFNL and AFL Goldfields in bringing the Gisborne Giants to life.”
