November 2008
I guess many of you are participating in summer sports and some of you may be just kicking back relaxing looking forward to the summer months.
Just a few issues I wanted to make everyone clear on during the off season that may put to rest some rumors doing the rounds, before we come back next season in 2009.
Baulkham Hills will remain playing in Sydney North competition in 2009.
In 2009 we are playing in the same competition as we did this year and the year before that etc. We remain over all age groups playing the Sydney North Competition that has been renamed the Sydney Harbour competition for 2009.
The rumors we will playing in the Western Sydney competition are false, not true, wrong, however it is you want to put it. We remain playing in the same competition as we have for years now and intend to remain playing in for the future. It is true the AFL approached us about moving to the Western Sydney competition earlier this year, but after discussions with several parties it was decided mutually by all to not change the current arrangement.
Sydney City that play now from under 14’s up will join the Sydney North teams in 2009, that’s the reason for the new name Sydney Harbour, from our prospective we do not play the Sydney City sides until under 13.
Representative Football changes in 2009.
In 2009 a new talented player zone for under 13 through to under 18 will be added to the existing 2 zones the Pigeons & the Starz. The new zone is the Western Sydney zone and is to be called the Pioneers. It is time this took place as the code continues to grow in Sydney and the Pioneers will draw players from the West, North West and South West of Sydney. Clubs are now zoned to 1 of the 3 regions and their players automatically zoned to their relevant region. In Baulkham Hills case we will be a Pioneers club changing from the Starz and I think it is an exciting opportunity for the new region and allows many more boys the opportunity of playing at this level.
The Pioneers are an AFL initiative to grow the code across Sydney with a focus on Western Sydney to support the proposed AFL team of this region in 2012. The Western Sydney academy will support this team and after meeting with representatives of the AFL recently this provides great opportunity for boys in our region at this exciting time of build up to the new AFL Team forming. There are opportunities exclusive to Western Sydney representatives through the Western Sydney academy and our boys are prime target of interest due to the strength has produced over the years and talent it has within its playing groups.
Enjoy the Summer season, I wish you all a happy Christmas and hope the New Year brings you all back to Baulko for another season of footy with our regions premier junior football club.
Shane Jorgensen
President
Baulkham Hills Australian Football Club