AS Western Pride Football Club officials, players and supporters prepare to merge with the Ipswich City Bulls, another important ‘nursery’ has provided valuable talent.
The Football Excellence Program at West Moreton Anglican College (WestMac) has run for nine years, delivering a major boost for the Flinders View-based club.
This year’s Firsts girls’ team were unbeaten on their way to winning the TAS (The Associated Schools) premiership.
The WestMac girls also won the 2020 premiership – a year after football was introduced into the TAS sporting program.
WestMac boys’ teams enjoyed major success last year – achieving a prestigious Firsts XI and Seconds XI premiership double.
Western Pride general manager Pat Boyle was delighted with what has been achieved in such a short time in an important catchment area.
“Over the years, we’ve seen massive changes in that,” Boyle said.
“When we first took it on both in the boys and the girls, it was probably a sprinkling of players.
“Now the girls have such good numbers and it’s not just good numbers, its quality players.
“It’s the same with the boys.
“Last year, the senior boys won everything that year and the whole season, they only had one goal scored against them.’’
Pride and the Bulls are merging on January 1, looking to share resources and provide a stronger pathway from junior to higher level football.
“It’s just given us access to help kids learning,” Boyle said. “Ultimately the goal is to get to help the children.”
Boyle has been one of the regular coaches involved in WestMac’s success.
He has been joined by an array of experienced mentors including former A-League head coach Mike Mulvey.
WestMac players Layla Fulton and Bond brothers Cardiff and Baydn have been selected in national futsal and football teams.
Boyle said the longest running school program at WestMac would resume in term 1 next year.
“We’ve got a good foundation now,” the general manager said. “It’s just making sure that the kids achieve not only our [Pride] goals but their own goals.”
The Pride club recently celebrated its 10th anniversary at an awards function.
On the same night, it was announced that Pride would form a historic merger with the Bulls, becoming Ipswich Football Club.
All that came after this year’s junior Pride successes were last month acknowledged at another special event the Briggs Road Sporting Complex.
Boyle was encouraged to see the club’s under 14, under 15 and under 16 boys teams qualify for Football Queensland Academy League 2 semi-finals.
Pride’s under 15 boys team won the prized premiership-grand final double.
Boyle, appointed the first general manager when Pride was established in 2012, knew the importance of fostering football in the region.
“There has definitely been a few little hurdles both on and off the pitch,” Boyle said.
“But that’s the nature of society these days.
“We are not far away from what our club ethos was and that is to provide for the kids of this region.
“We can provide them the pathway, the access to our quality coaching and all that sort of thing.
“We’ve also got players going onto higher levels, which for us, is what we are all about, so nothing waivers from that.”