Bloods News

A ‘SUPER Club’ known as Mill Park Bloods will compete in the Northern Football League from next year if Lalor president Ben Charles has his way.

Charles has proposed Lalor Football Club and Mill Park Junior Football Club join forces from 2018, a move he believes would benefit both clubs.

The Bloods president revealed his vision at the club’s AGM and won “unanimous” support from life members, sponsors and his committee.

“We are trying to push a few things together and make it work and trying to make the place thrive rather than survive,” Charles said.

Meetings have taken place between Mill Park and Lalor officials, with the Northern Football League aware of Lalor’s proposal.
A jumper design has been developed which features blue and white stripes, a red chest and red and white back, while a new logo was released last week which incorporated navy blue.

The club would change its name but continue to play out of Lalor’s Sydney Crescent base.

Charles said the “dramatic” plans would include the introduction of a women’s side to provide a pathway for Mill Park’s youth girls footballers to progress to.

The plans have been met with caution by Mill Park, which has an existing memorandum of understanding in place with Watsonia.

“We have got no plans in the short term to be a senior club,” president Paul Annetta said.

“It is not on any of the current committee’s radar at all.

“That’s probably where this Lalor proposal, (there is) one of the sticking points.”

Charles remains optimistic he can successfully sell his vision to Mill Park despite its reservations.

“We talked about sharing sponsorship opportunities, funding opportunities, costs that are associated with running a club (and) functions,” he said.

“A whole heap of stuff that would support their club on so many levels.”
Mill Park boasts a membership base of about 300 junior players and Annetta said any plans to amalgamate with a senior club were unlikely “in the foreseeable future”.

“Like any of the senior clubs, they need juniors to draw on so they see it as an opportunity to be able to hand over their club without removing a lot of their history which I understand fully,” he said.
“But at the end of the day Mill Park is a junior football club and a junior football club for a particular reason.”

Charles said the partnership would have significant off-field benefits, helping Lalor attract coaches and committee members.
“It’s been a battle over the last three years,” he said.

“That’s not a case of people not trying hard enough.”

Dean Grainger has taken over from Jarrod King as senior coach at Lalor after the club finished seventh with three wins in Division 2 this year.

Tim Michell – Leeder Local Footy