Hi Valley Community

We are now under a month away until Round 1 kicks off the 2026 season and there is plenty happening to get our teams primed to start strong.

In this edition you’ll find some useful information leading into the season plus some opportunities to get involved with the club to help it continue to grow and support our community at the Valley.

WE NEED YOU

We have a number of roles at the club that we really need some support in. Here is a summary, with further details available on request (please send me an email @ mvfcjuniors@gmail.com).

Junior committee member
We're looking for people who have a passion for growing and developing the Moonee Valley Junior football environment to help our children develop their footy skills, grow as people and feel like they belong to our community. Attendance at monthly committee meetings and a willingness to help are the main requirements.

Under 8s coordinator
We are seeking an U8s Coordinator whose role is to support U8s coaches, assist with team allocations and parent communication, while promoting a fun and inclusive environment focused on developing fundamental football skills, teamwork and sportsmanship.

Under 10 Boys (third team) coach
Leading the third under 10s boys team, you’ll have a passion for footy, enjoy working with children and want to help young players grow in confidence and skills in a safe and respectful environment. No prior experience is required. The AFL requires completion of a coaches training course which certifies you as a Level 1 coach whilst Moonee Valley provides support from Matt Beattie, a coach at the Brisbane Lions Development Academy, to guide you with training drills and game day advice.

Junior merchandise coordinator
Oversees the club’s merchandise range, sales and stock management. This role helps promote club identity, engages supporters and contributes to the club’s revenue and profile through well-managed merchandise offerings.

Junior trainer coordinator
Supports the health, safety, and wellbeing of players within our junior football program, in particular coordinating and supporting our junior trainers in performing their roles for our junior teams

Junior wellbeing advisors (seeking 2 people)
A direct point of contact for players and their supporters providing informal and confidential support to club members who may be experiencing difficulties at the club or at home and who may need assistance navigating additional, more formal support pathways

MVFC website manager
If you have experience in managing website content and design or would like to learn, we'd love to have someone take the reigns on this important role that is one of the key channels connecting the club to our community. Knowledge of "webflow" would be helpful.

What We Offer
- A supportive and experienced Junior Committee
- Clear role expectations and shared responsibility
- Access to club and league resources
Opportunity to contribute meaningfully to player development, safety and enjoyment
- A positive, community-driven football environment.

2026 FEBRUARY OPEN DAY

Thanks to everyone who turned out for our Open Day last month. It was great to catch up with so many of you, see 70 players order their mouthguards which have now largely been distributed and our physios from Life Performance in demand with a range of questions, with one of the most common being around heel pain (also known as Sever’s). Off the back of those questions, the team at Life Performance have kindly provided us with the attached information sheet to help you and your child better manage this issue (swipe the MV Express image above in Stack TeamApp and then click to view details).

2026 JUNIOR CALENDAR

To help you all plan your busy schedules over the footy season, please see the below calendar. This will be updated on a regular basis to keep you on the know with all of the fantastic events planned at the Valley this year.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q9_yU1iogaXSIzEVmZrl_I9Bi0JJ4docViJ0C6OuK-Q/edit?usp=sharing

PRACTICE MATCHES – ALL TEAMS

Practice matches have been scheduled for all junior teams during the second half of this month. Please contact your coaches or team managers if you’re unsure of the specific details of upcoming matches.

TEAM SELECTION POLICY

Ahead of the practice matches we will look to split teams for age-groups with multiple teams entering competition. We have a detailed team selection policy that is outlined in the Junior Policy (refer link below). This policy aims to develop both teams and the skills of each individual player.

The allocation of players to teams is based on a number of inputs, including advice from coaches, previous seasons, and performance and attitude at preseason. We don’t always get it 100% right, and there will be opportunities for players to move teams if deemed to be beneficial to both teams and individuals.

If you have any concerns with this process or would like to know more, please contact our junior coordinators:
- Junior Girls: Andrew Butler – 0417 535 891
- Junior Boys: Rebecca Flanagan – 0433 271 807

Junior Policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJimP5uxyplx2eeyVrUMCn7XOGZ9UwNk/view?usp=sharing

WELCOME ROYAL STACKS

I’m excited to share that we have reached an agreement with Royal Stacks Moonee Ponds to support our junior club in 2026. This includes an exclusive Royal Stacks code that provides all MVFC members with 10% off their order upon presentation. Just use "MOONEEVALLEY2026" when you order to receive this discount.

Royal Stacks are also providing an MVP award for each team, each round entitling the recipient to a kid’s pack and Fro-Yo voucher.

We’re proud to be associated with Royal Stacks: an organisation that was born in Melbourne in 2016, survived through COVID lockdowns and is now looking to grow through offering premium, pasture-fed, GMO-free beef with fresh ingredients delivered or made in-house daily in a fast-casual, pop-culture-focused setting. They recently opened on Puckle St just before Christmas, so let’s get behind one of our newest, local members of the community and help them succeed, just like they are helping us succeed at the Valley!

For location and opening hours, click the link for more details:
https://www.royalstacks.com.au/location/moonee-ponds/


SEASON LAUNCH

As we move into the official football season, we’re looking to celebrate with a season launch on Wednesday 1 April. With most teams training this night, we’re planning to have:

- FREE BBQ
- Parent & player information sessions for our younger age groups (under 12s and below)
- Coaches, assistant coaches and runner information session

PRESEASON TRAINING TIMES

For details our preseason training days and times, please refer to the attachment or click on the following link:

Preseason training times:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTlmCLGk3vq/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTlmCLGk3vq/?img_index=2
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVmHquRE0VJ/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1742782163704517&set=pb.100039182504982.-2207520000&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1742782167037850&set=pb.100039182504982.-2207520000&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1788950742420992&set=pb.100039182504982.-2207520000

We will move to in-season training from 1 April. Please keep an eye out for these details as soon as they are confirmed.

JUNIOR REGISTRATIONS

Register now to secure your spot and FREE training top.
Register here: https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/8c8e4b

We are actively recruiting for all teams, but particularly for our Girls & Boys U10s, Boys U12s and Boys U14s teams. If you know of anyone looking for a great junior club to join with a focus on fun, development and supporting our community, please invite them along to one of the current training sessions for the relevant team.

ORDERING MATCH DAY & ISC APPAREL ONLINE

To place an order, please select ‘EDFL & Club Apparel’ on the home page in TeamApp. You can then choose and pay for the items you require. You will be notified via text/email when your order is ready for collection from the club.

Please note, some items may take up to 6 weeks to arrive if not currently in stock so place your orders early.
Please contact Mia on 0424 931 405 with any queries.
TeamApp store: https://mooneevalleyfootballclubau.teamapp.com/clubs/57258/store?_list=v1

FEEDBACK IS A GIFT

We have previously run an annual survey to gather feedback from our community. This year, we’re rolling out a feedback form available all year round. We really value the opinions of our community and anyone else who has experiences with our program and we are committed to continuous improvement as well as celebrating the little things that our club does well. If you have any issues or concerns, we really want to know about them and please include potential solutions / recommendations so we can address it in a timely and constructive manner. Whether you would like to provide anonymous feedback or feedback with your details so you can be contacted, please click this link:
https://forms.gle/5pX3c6wPJ13FggHC8

I look forward to catching up with everyone again down at Ormond Park soon.

Go Valley!
🖤🤍🖤 🏉
Justin Giuliano
Junior President
mvfcjuniors@gmail.com