By JARROD POTTER
LYNDHURST Football and Netball Club has taken the initial steps towards creating a senior men’s football team in 2016.
With the South East Juniors club expanding rapidly in recent years, since moving to Marriot Waters Reserve and taking the Lyndhurst moniker, the next step forward for the Lightning was to push into senior football.
Lyndhurst FNC president Andrew King said a group of interested footballers asked the club if joining the Lightning was a possibility and talks have grown from there with nearly 20 players already keen to become part of the Lightning’s first senior squad.
“We’ve had a couple of interested people over the last year or so – had some interest from different parties, but never able to co-ordinate it,” King said.
“Seems to be more of a co-ordinated attack and we have 19 at this stage in relation to one group.
“They’ve come down and have a bit of a training run.”
Lyndhurst has been in preliminary contact with all the regional football leagues surrounding the Cranbourne-area suburb with South East FNL, Eastern FL, VAFA, MPNFL and Southern Football League all consulted.
At this very early stage, King thought the club would pursue a bid to join the Southern Football League, but wanted to solidify their numbers as its first priority.
“We’ve had some brief, initial conversations with those leagues and where they think we’d be best placed to go from here,” King said.
“Without committing to anything, Southern is probably where we’d pursue our interest at this stage – it’s probably the one that’s the best fit for us.
“Once we get our numbers right and get a commitment from the seniors and the right amount to play we can take it further.”
Adding netball and Youth Girls football to its stable of teams in 2015, the Lyndhurst Football and Netball Club is going from strength to strength and King couldn’t be prouder to see the Lightning expand into senior ranks.
“We’re flying – Youth Girls this year, netballers this year in the first season – that runs six monthly – first season is about to come to a close and we’re going to add three more teams for that,” King said.
“Things are certainly moving forward – Lyndhurst is the place to be at the moment – and it’s all about the numbers for the senior male team.”
The club also confirmed senior women’s football was something it would consider and was open to creating a junior-senior pathway for its female footballers as well in conjunction with the Victorian Women’s Football League.
“We’d entertain that – at least one of our girls that will finish the Youth Girls this year and at the moment we don’t have an avenue for her, but with our flexibility and growth a ladies team is something we’d put it on in a heartbeat,” King said.
For more information on the Lyndhurst senior football group contact Andrew King on 0417 561 570, email at president@lfnc.com.au or visit the Lyndhurst Football and Netball Club Facebook page.
