EWK team up with the RAAF

By James Matthey

Sport, and football in particular, is often likened to going into battle. With this analogy in mind, East Wagga – Kooringal should have an advantage over their competition after establishing a partnership with the RAAF base in Wagga Wagga.

This new association was founded prior to the start of the 2013 season, and provides East Wagga with access to facilities at the air force base, as well as access to a number of quality players.

On the field, the club has benefited greatly, with several of the RAAF brigade cracking the first grade squad, including Tim Davison, who is arguably, according to club President Rob Richards, one of the top three players in the league.

Richards said the new agreement is just as valuable for the defence force personnel as it is for the football club, because it is instrumental in getting them involved in the life of the local community.

“The boys have really enjoyed the club and we’ve really enjoyed bringing those guys into the club, they’re really nice guys and they’ve fitted in really well,” said Richards.

“From a cultural perspective, we’ve given those guys a social link to civilian life in the town.

“Most guys that go to the RAAF, it’s probably harder for them to mix into the local community, so we’ve given them a link to the local community.

“It’s allowed them to meet people and get involved in the community and make friends and links in the community, and that’s where I think they’ve benefited.”

Brett MacDonald, who has been with East Wagga for a handful of years while working at the RAAF, sees first hand just how important football is in providing military personnel with new social experiences.

“Being in the air force for as long as they have it’s very easy to get stuck in the same rut, you’re just used to doing what the air force does, so it gives guys the opportunity to experience different personalities, different people and gets them involved in the community,” said MacDonald.

“It gets them off base and gets them involved with people that they may not normally socialise with because of their involvement with the base.”

MacDonald also said the partnership is revitalising the club and ensuring they stay competitive on the field.

“I think one of the main benefits from a club perspective is that it brings a new identity to the club, a fresh-faced approach.

“It certainly supplements East Wagga’s player base as well, so although there’s enough players down there, what it does is it brings a new boost of talent into the club and makes it more competitive for a senior spot and also for a reserve grade spot.”

The agreement was originally the brain child of Richards and MacDonald, and came about because East Wagga was unable to use their home ground at Gumly for pre-season training.

Fortunately, the club was given permission to conduct their pre-season training at the RAAF base, where new recruit Craig Pullen was a fitness instructor, and under his guidance, the club had one of their best pre-seasons in recent memory.

Perhaps the most important result of East Wagga’s new affiliation is their decision to raise money and awareness for DefenceCare, a charity that aims to provide assistance to members of the defence force and their families in times of need.

Rob Richards said it was vital for football clubs to recognise that it was their duty to help those in the community around them.

“I’m a believer that football clubs, apart from raising money for themselves, should be community-minded and raise money for charities,” said Richards.

“We’ve aligned ourselves with DefenceCare, who are a charity of the RSL and it’s involved in helping soldiers that come back from war or widows of service personnel.

“DefenceCare were really keen to get on board with us more from the perspective that we provide community links for the defence personnel, they saw that as equally important in value as us raising money.

“One of the directors saw that as being more important than us raising money for them, the fact that we’re providing a link in the community for those guys.”

If this newfound relationship continues to prosper, as Brett MacDonald believes it will, it is easy to see East Wagga – Kooringal becoming a powerhouse of Riverina football in the years to come.

“I’m here for another couple of years so while I’m here I’ll certainly be pushing to keep the involvement, but I would think that even when I leave the area it would still continue to push on,” said MacDonald.