Narre Warren FNC – 2021 Season in Review

Narre Warren Football Netball Club had a great year in 2022, as they once again embarked on being one of the powerhouses of the competition across football and netball.

The Magpies senior and reserves football sides each finished in the top three on their respective ladders, while the senior netball teams had an outstanding year with three of its teams winning the minor premiership.

Club president Stuart Stephenson was pleased with his club’s performance across the year in what was a difficult season to navigate.

“We are very proud of our players efforts across football and netball, it was a difficult season but our coaches and playing group all stuck together,” Stephenson said.

“We were really building to have a strong finish to the season, so we’re proud of what they’ve done.”

As one of the top three teams in premier division football, the Magpies were a strong chance to give the premiership a good shake, had they been able to contest a finals series.

Narrow losses to Cranbourne and Beaconsfield in rounds nine and ten at Kalora Park instilled the belief in the Magpies that they were always within arm’s reach of the leading two teams, which provided great confidence as they moved into the back half of the year.

The short, interrupted season still produced a great direction for the future and standout talent, with Stephenson pointing out that the young guys in the wider playing group provide a clear pathway for the future.

“We had a lot of young up and comers this year including the likes of Tom Miller, Jake Richardson and Lachie Benson, all of which are going to be the future of the footy club,” he explained.

“Our league best & fairest winners, Trent Cody and Mitchell Cowan, set the standard with the way they prepared from day one of the pre-season as they were both very fit and worked hard on their footy skills.

“Their awarding winning seasons are a credit to them for the way they went about it.”

The netball department at Narre Warren encompasses a very stable coaching group who have developed some talented young players over the years.

Their dominant season across all junior and senior competitions is the result of appointing the right coaches to ensure the girls fit well into the club to play the best netball possible.

2021 saw the Magpies finally unfurl their 2019 premiership winning flags in round one against Olinda Ferny Creek in front of all their members, past players and coaches who have stuck by the club for several years.

Narre Warren also played its first night game in Round Two against Doveton, which brought great joy to everyone to see the entire precinct lit up, as well as finally being able to make use of the brand-new social rooms that have undergone renovation works in the last five years.

“It was great to have a past players day and show the rooms off to a lot of people who haven’t been there for a while as it just shows what a modern and progressive club we are,” Stephenson said.

“It’s a great space and covers a lot of different events and it was a lot of hard work to get finished, but we are very proud of them and it was certainly worthwhile.”

Stephenson thanked everyone at Narre Warren for all their efforts, particularly the volunteers, but also to everyone at AFL Outer East for doing their best to keep the competition moving throughout the year.

“I would like to thank Aaron, Cameron and the team for their efforts to facilitate a competition in trying circumstances,” Stephenson acknowledged.

“AFL Outer East is a very well-run competition and the time and effort those guys put in to make the league run smoothly is really appreciated.

“They do a fantastic job, and they are always prepared to listen to their clubs.”

FOOTBALL	LADDER POSITION	WINS	LOSSES
Totally WorkWear Berwick & Knoxfield Premier Division	3rd	6	3
Coates Premier Division Reserves	2nd	8	1
Box Hill Institute U19 Premier Division	3rd	4	2
Box Hill Institute U19 1st Division	9th	0	8
Bendigo Bank Veterans	3rd	4	2
NETBALL	LADDER POSITION	WINS	LOSSES
Kärcher Premier A Grade	2nd	7	2
Kärcher Premier B Grade	1st	9	0
Kärcher Premier C Grade	1st	8	1
Kärcher Premier D Grade	1st	9	0
Kärcher 17 & Under Blue	2nd	8	1
Kärcher 17 & Under White	1st	7	0
Kärcher 15 & Under Blue	1st	7	0
Kärcher 15 & Under White	1st	9	0
Kärcher 13 & Under Blue	1st	7	0
Kärcher 13 & Under White	1st	8	0