Ballarat Bulldogs: How regional club reached 100 players

'Everyone deserves the chance': How Ballarat Bulldogs create community

In partnership with Toyota.. There's an ethos at the core of the Ballarat Bulldogs upon which the entire club is founded.. "Everyone deserves the chance to belong"..

Since secretary and team manager Lexie Hardman became involved five years ago - or barged her way in as she puts it - 'everyone' has grown from 20 to more than 100 all-abilities and intellectually challenged individuals.. That includes two football teams, All Abilities Auskick, juniors, netball, and extra-curricular sporting programs including basketball and soccer.. "Care and connection is one of the mottos for this year, inclusion and community, belonging, confidence," Hardman said..

"With the two football teams, you have those guys that are very highly skilled and A Grade is as close to AFL rules as possible.. The other end of the scale is tackle free, those who just love being out there and looking at the sunshine I suppose.. "And people that haven't felt welcome at other clubs, who have sat on the sidelines a little bit..

Even with our Auskick and our juniors, even though we call it all abilities we allow anyone to come and join." Hardman is part of a small but fiercely dedicated committee that runs the club, which celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this season.. Club president Brett Muller doubles as the C Grade coach, while Gary Sternberg coaches the A Grade team in the FIDA League, Victoria's oldest competitive competition for players with an intellectual disability.. Sternberg also acts as the club's liaison officer, which often means fielding late-night phone calls from his players..

"The two coaches work in the disability sector and they're just brilliant with all the participants, that's why it [the club] has grown so much," Hardman said.. "The players just love them and they just flock to them.. If you put them into any sport you would get a good turnout..

"Some of our players do suffer badly with their mental health, and just to have someone there that they can reach out to at all hours of the day, he [Sternberg] gets phone calls at midnight sometimes.. "That's down to them, the connection that they've built with the players, for them to be able to ring them and say they need help and reach out for help.. "That's what we always say, if you're struggling, reach out..

"The parents can't speak highly enough of some of us around the club for the help that we give the players.. Some of them are in court and we go to court with them, things like that.. Hardman has also helped establish a strong link between her club and the Western Bulldogs, which includes annual player visits, AFL tickets and merchandise..

Last year she was named the AFL Victoria Disability Inclusion Ambassador of the Year.. Sternberg was also rewarded for his efforts.. The Bulldogs were the only club in Ballarat selected as part of the AFL premiership cup tour, and Sternberg was chosen to hand over the match ball on the Melbourne Cricket Ground before last year's grand final..

"This little club that's gone from no one knows to everyone knows us now," Hardman said.. "We'd like a hell of a lot more volunteers and we'd like a lot more funding because being an all abilities club.. ..

.we try not to ask anything from our players.. "To bus them all over Victoria, you can imagine the costs of that.. We're forever working, writing grants, getting money to keep it going for all these guys and girls to get out there and play..

"Getting more volunteers would mean we can have more players, more participants, we want to run more programs.. "We want to be a drop-in centre more or less, if they need to come and talk to someone, if they need help with food or financial things." Discover more about Toyota and how it helps grassroots football clubs by visiting Toyota AFL/AFLW Good for Footy..