Granville Football Grows Stronger
?We?ve been looking for an association where we can help to develop talent from the grass-roots level,? Rage Operations Manager Vic Zappia said.
?With PCYC Juniors coming under our banner, we?ll be in a position to give back to the district, and have a district feeder club where we can introduce a skills-based style that will fit with our State League program.?
The new-look club will be called Granville Rage Junior Football Cub, and will continue to play out of Ray Marshall Reserve at South Granville.
Granville Rage Juniors have a proud history dating back to their earliest days as Melita football club, and are looking to expand numbers this year to encompass all ages and levels of the local game.
?The affiliation will see us continue to cater for those wanting to learn and develop new skills but also provide our elite a direct pathway to State League. It is an exciting time for us here at the Club,? said Mark Rivett, Secretary of the new entity.
Granville is acknowledged as the birthplace of organised football in Australia, and through the early years of the 20th Century the Granville club produced a host of exceptional players and played against a number of visiting international sides.
After some lean years and a break from top competition, State League football returned to the traditional home of F.S. Garside Park in 2003. Granville Rage competes in the Super Youth League from Under 13 through to Under 18, and in Super League Under 20s and First Grade.
?Our Youth League teams are select teams, and we try to attract the most talented kids but at the same time develop them into exceptional team players,? Mr Zappia said.
?The same principles apply to all standards of team ? if you can get the teamwork aspect right you can bring out the best in the players, and we hope we can help the district teams with that.?
Mr Zappia believes having a path from district teams to the State League program will encourage local juniors to join the Granville Rage outfit.
?Where there are kids with talent who want to come through the ranks, we will have an easier road, because they?ll be part of the whole program and they?ll learn the style of football we play,? Mr Zappia said.
?For those kids who don?t want to go down that path, they?ll still be able to identify with Rage and feel engaged with the club.? Mr Zappia said.
