MWFA

Tim Bannigan Memorial Cup

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On Thursday 28th March, a friendly match between Seaforth and ABH United was held at Seaforth Oval, in memory of Tim Bannigan.

 

To donate in Tim’s memory, please click on this link: https://pankind-in-memory.raisely.com/tim-bannigan

 

It was a great evening and a perfect display of mateship. Whilst the pace dropped off a little, the quality of goals was unbelievable!

Seaforth took home the trophy this year, winning 4-2. Thanks to the Bustos crew, who cooked delicious curry for friends, family & players to enjoy after the game.

PanKind had this message:

By being involved in the Tim Bannigan Memorial game each year, you are keeping an important and wonderful tradition alive. Importantly, this unites so many people in memory of a great person and helps to support an important cause, which gets little attention.

You will be supporting a Foundation that funds more pancreatic cancer research in Australia than any other, with a bold mission to triple survival rates by 2030. Thanks from the PanKind team, and on behalf of anyone affected by this disease.

FREE Parent ‘Game Leader’ Workshops Available Now

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MWFA is pleased to again offer a number of FREE Game Leader (unofficial referee) workshops for parents or even older siblings of MiniRoos who are willing to help out in this role on match day, or who might be willing to if armed with a bit of knowledge and guidance on what being a Game Leader involves. These courses run for approximately 60 minutes and will cover the rules, practical scenarios and provide Q&A opportunities.

A variety of dates and locations are available across the Northern Beaches leading up to and just after the beginning of the season. Please see details below.

DATETIMELOCATION
Tuesday April 27pm to 8pmDavid Thomas Reserve (Manly Vale FC)
Wednesday April 36pm to 7pmKitchener Park (Pittwater FC)
Tuesday April 96:30pm to 7:30pmCromer Park
Wednesday April 106pm to 7pmLM Graham Reserve (Brookvale FC)
Monday April 224pm to 5pmBalmoral Oval (Mosman FC)
Thursday May 26:30pm to 7:30pmCromer Park

Note that these courses are free of charge, however, we do ask that attendees register and be punctual to avoid delaying the start of the course, or to avoid missing out on key information at the beginning.

Register Here: https://manlyunited.wufoo.com/forms/mwfa-2024-game-leader-workshop-registration/

The course is practical as well, so attendees are encouraged to bring suitable clothing and footwear to play football in and for being outside.

For pre-course reading, or if any parents are unable to attend any of these courses but would like a basic understanding of the MiniRoos Playing Rules and Formats, CLICK HERE for the official guidelines.

AVALON AND MANLY VALE RAISE $1,800 FOR BEAR COTTAGE

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They may all be Over 45 players, but Careel Bay hosted two very competitive teams on a hot Sunday afternoon as Avalon and Manly Vale played their 14th annual pre-season charity game. The teams were once again raising money for Bear Cottage – the only children’s hospice in NSW.

 

Bear Cottage is a very special place dedicated to caring for children with life-limiting conditions – click here to donate!

 

Avalon would end up winning 5-2, however the most important result was the amount of $1,800 donated on the day. This sets a new record for the most money raised at a single game since this charity fundraiser was established – well done to both teams and everyone who supported this very worthwhile cause.

Whilst things were friendly off the field, the game was a typically competitive affair once the referee’s whistle blew for the kickoff. Talismanic striker Chris Allison drew first blood for Avalon in the fifth minute by Avalon with a fine goal. New Avalon signing Paul Wood then doubled Avalon’s lead after 15 minutes with what would be the first goal of his hat trick. At the other end, stand-in first half keeper Dave Hancock made a spectacular diving save to keep Manly Vale from scoring on 20 minutes.

Avalon continued to dominate proceedings with possession football, but Manly Vale would gain a foothold and fortunes started to change halfway through the game as Manly Vale pegged back a goal to halve the deficit. Avalon then made it 3-1 with another Wood goal, set up by captain Brad Nicol, followed by Manly Vale’s quick response to bring it back to 3-2.

However, from then on Avalon took control. With 15 minutes to go, a superb free kick from Hancock (now playing at right back) found Wood at the back post to make it 4-2. Midfield wizard Dan Morley capped off a brilliant Avalon display with a superb goal and the game ended 5-2.

At the end of the game, the teams combined donations and discovered that they totalled a whopping $1,800! Avalon’s O45B team, managed by Ed Lamb, had a whip round and contributed $150 to the cause. Thanks must go to Brian Haslam from the Avalon O45C team, who volunteered to referee the game and did a great job as always, demonstrating their great club spirit.

Congratulations to Avalon and Manly Vale for their efforts in organising this great occasion. Here’s to many more years of playing this great game and raising money for this wonderful cause.

Thanks to David Hancock for providing the above summary and photos.

UPCOMING COACH WORKSHOP: SPREADING OUT & TEAMWORK

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  • How can I get my players to spread out, understand positioning and work together as a team better?
  • What are some ideal training exercises for playing with width, switching play etc?
  • How can you teach good decision making?
  • What are some solutions for working in limited space and having numbers?

 

All of these questions will be answered in MWFA’s upcoming Coach Workshop on Monday March 25 at Cromer Park starting at 6pm.

 

MWFA runs a large number of Coach Workshops at various clubs during the winter season. These coach education opportunities compliment official FA coaching courses, with topics based on feedback received on what coaches would find valuable. For more information about official coaching courses available, please see here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/coaching-courses/ 

 

Coaches can attend any and all of these workshops if they wish to, even if they are not a member of the club hosting them. Please ensure you arrive at least 10 minutes early to sign in so the workshops can start and finish on time. It would be appreciate if all participants can bring football boots (ideally) or runners, and appropriate clothing to play football in, just in case they are needed as players on the night.

 

All MWFA Coach Workshops are completely FREE, but registration is required.

See here to register: https://manlyunited.wufoo.com/forms/mwfa-2024-coach-workshops-registration/

 

21 Local Coaches Complete the FA C-Diploma

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MWFA recently hosted another C-Diploma coaching course, with 21 local coaches in attendance across 5 full days.

The course was presented by MWFA Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz and FNSW Technical Director Warren Grieve, along with appearances by special guests Jake Stephenson (NSFA), Chris Adams (FNSW), and David Plowright (Sydney FC).

The course focused teaching the technical aspects of the game, principles of play, and various practice and coaching methodology.

“I hadn’t been on a formal coaching course for some time so I was quite apprehensive, but the environment created by the coach educators was one that encouraged us to improve and develop our coaching skills. The other participants also helped greatly to make the overall experience a very positive one with their support of each other. I have found that my depth of knowledge has increased significantly and I am really looking forward to putting what I learnt into practice this season and continuing with my development as a coach.”

– Paul Midgley (Narrabeen)

“Having coached for many years I was keen to further my knowledge. The course was a fantastic experience not only in terms of organisation but also the opportunity to learn from a wide range of fellow coaches responsible for an array of age groups. Eugene and the team promoted and encouraged thinking outside the square, inclusive learning and a non-judgemental environment. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and can’t wait to go to the next level.”

– Nick Vince (Manly Vale)

“It’s always great to support the development of coaches who are motivated to raise their bar and give their players the best possible football experience.” said Lawrenz. “In turn, my responsibility is to give the coaches the best experience possible when they come through these courses in terms of not only what they learn being as valuable and relevant as possible, but also the learning environment being positive, collaborative, and supportive. Our job across the country is to inspire these coaches, so they can inspire their players.” 

Eugene added: “I want to give all of the coaches who attended this most recent C-Diploma credit for their efforts, willingness to get out of their comfort zones, and desire to improve. I’m confident they will do a great job, and I wish them the best of luck with their coaching moving forward.”

 

MWFA has a large number of coaching courses and workshops still available during the pre-season and early season period. Please see here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/coach-development-calendar/ 

MWFA will likely host another C-Diploma after the upcoming winter season.

 

Karen Parsons – Pittwater President

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For International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting women who are achieving great things in the Manly Warringah FA community. We spoke to new Pittwater RSL FC President Karen Parsons about how she moved into the role and what she is looking forward to for this season.

Karen has only been with Pittwater for two years, but in that time she has been an Age Coordinator, a Registrar and a Grading Coordinator (two roles that she still holds), as well as an Acting Vice President. This combination of duties led to a situation where she felt ready for the Club President role, despite her relatively short time with the club.

“We knew that Ben Collock was going to be leaving the role (of President) towards the end of the year, because he had his second child on the way. There was a lot of conversation as to who was going to take over. As I was already speaking to most people across the club, it seemed like the right time for me to put my hand up.”

Karen is working hard to familiarise herself with how the club operates, which involves making contact with Pittwater members of all ages.

“Being a parent of young children, I understand the youth and the junior side of the club very well. I don’t play, so the challenge is getting a good understanding of the seniors and what their frustrations are.”

2024 is Pittwater’s 60th Anniversary season, and planning is already well underway as the club prepares to mark a massive milestone in their history.

“We are currently in discussions with Pittwater RSL as to what major events we will be running throughout the season. You’ll see lots of things down at Kitchener Park reflecting those 60 years. We’ve also put up a history page on our website for this year.”

As women’s football continues to grow, Karen is thrilled to see growth across the entirety of Pittwater’s girls & women’s programme. At the time of the interview, Pittwater have an additional 132 player registrations compared to the same time in 2023 – 117 of those additional players are female. Last year, Pittwater had a 64% male / 36% female split in their player base. This year, the split is 59% male / 41% female.

“What excites me about this season is the uptake that we’ve had in our female members. The new girls competition for U7s has been massive for us, we’ve got five teams in that division.

“We have an increase in teams throughout every single girls & women’s age group. You tend to lose female members as they hit 13 or 14 years old, but we’ve retained players in our W14 age groups and we’ve got an additional team in our W18s this year.

“One of our WAL teams is a group of mums all playing socially. I think every member of that team is over the age of 35, they’re mums who are coming together to embrace the sport that they love and they still have an opportunity to play at a competitive level as well, which is fantastic.”

Jo Sloots – Saints President

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For International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting women who are achieving great things in the Manly Warringah FA community. In November, Jo Sloots was announced as the new President of St Augustine’s FC after six years performing various roles for the club, most recently as Registrar (a role she still holds). Jo stepped forward to fill a vacancy and is excited for the start of the season.

“Chris, our previous President, had decided that he would like to step down. We had a discussion about me doing it and it fit in with what I was doing at the moment, in terms of the Registrar role, on the junior and the senior side. I put my hand up and said I’d be happy to do it.

“I’m looking forward to the start of the season and getting all these kids and men out on the pitch. For me, that first weekend when everyone starts playing is amazing and we really look forward to that day.”

The biggest day in the Saints calendar is the club’s Ladies Day, which will be held on Saturday 8 June at Cromer Park. Jo spoke about how this fundraising event is a great chance to show appreciation for the women who are involved with St Augustine’s.

“It’s mainly organised by our Men’s Premier League team and Ryan McLean takes the lead in that role. It started out as a fundraiser for breast cancer in memory of Helen Anglicas, who was a member of our community, but it’s turned into a much bigger event where we recognise all women that have played a part in the Saints football community.

“I think what Ladies Day really shows is we have a lot of women who are part of our community, whether they be coaches, managers, on the committee, or supporters. It’s a fantastic event and it raises a lot of money for breast cancer. Last year, we raised just over $20,000, which is incredible.”

As Jo looks to the future, she sees her Presidency as an opportunity to encourage more women to participate, whether that be with Saints or another club.

“I hope that I can inspire other women in our Saints football community to come forward and volunteer in what they thought was a male-dominated club.

“The thing I’ve noticed after coming to the Council of Club meeting is that there are more women now. Since we had that (Saints Facebook) post on me becoming Club President, I’ve been approached by many women that have said, ‘Now you’re Club President, what can I do? I feel like I could be more involved now that there’s another woman in this particular role.’ I hope across all the clubs, not just ours, we see that more and more.”

Back To Manly Day 2024

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Manly United and the Manly Warringah Football Association are happy to announce that the 2024 Back to Manly Day will take place on Sunday 7 April, when the Manly United Men’s and Women’s 1st Grade teams both play at Cromer Park.

The annual “Back to Manly Day” is an important date on the football calendar as we reach out to all former players, coaches, administrators, parents and supporters that have played a part in the history of football on the Northern Beaches, whether it is with Manly Warringah, Warringah Freshwater, Warringah, Manly North Shore United or Manly United.

This year – on Sunday 7 April – the Manly United Men’s team will play Western Sydney Wanderers on Cromer 1 at 5pm, while the Manly United Women’s team will take on Football NSW Institute at 3pm, also on Cromer 1.

The two feature matches will take place amongst games spread out over 4 pitches at Cromer Park, starting at 8.25am, highlighting the depth of the football program and the facility we enjoy at Cromer Park.

A lot has changed at Cromer Park over the years.

 

BACK TO MANLY DAY DETAILS

12 noon – The Far Post (Clubhouse) opens with the bistro open for lunch / dinner and bar open until late

2pm – Back to Manly Day function starts

3pm – Manly United v Football NSW Institute (NPL Women’s NSW)

5pm – Manly United v Western Sydney Wanderers (NPL Men’s NSW)

5.45pm – half time of the men’s game – a Club Photo on the pitch featuring players from all Manly United teams

 

In action on the Cromer Park fields will be:

Girls SAP (U10 to U13): 8.30am-10.30am

Boys SAP (U9 to U12): 10.45-2.45pm

Girls Youth League (U14 to U18): 8.25am-3pm

Boys Youth League (U13 to U18): 8.30am-5pm

Association Youth League (U13 to U18): 8.30am-5pm

Mens U20 – 3pm – Cromer 2

Women’s Reserve grade – 5pm – Cromer 2

Women’s 1st Grade game v Football NSW Institute – 3pm – Cromer 1

Men’s 1st Grade v Western Sydney Wanderers – 5pm – Cromer 1

 

Attendees are requested to send an RSVP to Angela at reception@mwfa.com.au .

 

See you at Cromer Park!

Three MWFA Teams To Participate In Australia Cup

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This week marks the start of the 2024 Australia Cup and three teams from Manly Warringah Association will be participating!

On Thursday 7 March, Forest Killarney have a home game at Melwood Oval against Connells Point Rovers (Football St George). Narrabeen are also at home for Round 2 – they play Strathfield FC (Football Canterbury) at Narrabeen High on Saturday 9 March.

Manly Vale have been given a bye into Round 3, where they will travel to western Sydney for an away fixture against Blacktown Spartans from Football NSW League One Men’s.

Manly Warringah FA wishes the best of luck to all participating teams.

 

Round 2

Forest Killarney v Connells Point Rovers
Thursday 7 March, 7pm
Melwood Oval Field 1

Narrabeen v Strathfield FC
Saturday 9 March, 5:30pm
Narrabeen High Field 1

Round 3

Blacktown Spartans v Manly Vale
Venue, date and kickoff time TBC