RECORD FEATURE: BARELLAN TWO BLUES

Home games for Barellan don’t get much bigger than the Northern Jets and the Two Blues are using the derby to lend their support to something much bigger again.
They’ll don special jumpers and help raise funds and awareness for families affected by motor neurone disease (MND).
“Our number one focus is being a community club and that’s getting back to community and raising funds for special needs like this,” coach Will Overs says.
“Obviously MND is a very worthy cause and it’s in the front of everyone’s mind at the moment with Neale Daniher raising all this awareness, which is really good. So we’re just playing our role and helping the Jamieson family trying to raise some funds.”
Max Jamieson is a well known figure around Barellan and his children, Brent, Dean and Melanie have also played with the club. They lost wife and mother, Lorna, three-and-a-half years ago to motor neurone disease and have been campaigning since to help others in the same situation.
“The actual raising funds is a bit difficult when you’re out in the bush like this,” Max says.
“The awareness is the thing that’s important. We’ve got three in our own little township that have suffered from it and have passed away and that’s not good.”
The Daniher family has donated an Essendon jumper signed by the four brothers as a raffle prize. Max, who as a young lad played against their father, Jim, knows it’s a treasured item.
“It is a bit unique because I don’t think that’ll ever happen in Australian footy again, where four brothers play in the same side on the same day,” Jamieson says.
But he’s more amazed by what Neale’s achieved since being diagnosed with MND, and dedicating himself to the cause of finding a cure.
“Unbelievable! A tremendous amount of money and I mean pretty brave because it’s a bloody shocking thing and to keep going the way he’s kept going, it’s admirable,” Jamieson says.
The jumpers are being paid for by the Jamiesons and Stuart Smith, who lost his father to the disease. Rather than be auctioned off after this game, they’ll be shared with at least two other communities affected by MND – Lake Cargelligo and Narooma, on the NSW south coast, where Melanie lives – as more football clubs join the cause.
“I hope it starts something and there could be a new design next year,” Jamieson says.
Money raised will go to the Cure for MND Foundation and also to the Griffith and District Support Group.
“We were part of a support group that started in Griffith because there was noone to help anyone and you didn’t know where to turn,” Jamieson says.
“So we started a group off up there and some of the proceeds will go to them and we’ll be using their logo and some of the proceeds will go to Neale’s foundation (Cure for MND).”
Max said Brent will likely be umpiring but Dean might be tempted to have a run for the Two Blues on the day, although his focus these days is on coaching juniors at Barellan.
In just their second season back in the Farrer League, the club has managed – through a lot of hard work – to join the South West Juniors league this season.
Andrew Rainbird has done much of the leg work, along with Jodie Landy.
“We made a lot of phone calls and making sure we had some numbers and then we pleaded with the other delegates,” Rainbird says.
“Thankfully they’ve seen what we’re attempting to do and went with us. I think they’re all happy to see another club in there.”
What they’re attempting to do is shore up the future of football and netball in the town, even in the face of low numbers and tough games right now.
“We went from having just two junior netball teams to now having three netball teams and two football teams,” Rainbird adds.
“Those two netball teams were playing in Griffith every week whereas here we’ve got five teams playing in Barellan every second week in a home-and-away competition.
“That in itself, to me, is the big win – to have the Barellan kids playing at Barellan.”
Rainbird has confidence that the payoff will be in years to come – for the juniors and the seniors – and Overs agrees.
“It’s fantastic,” the senior coach says. “Andy’s done a marvellous job in making sure it gets off the ground.
“It’s huge for the footy club and as far as us remaining sustainable, we need those kids in a Barellan jumper.”
A massive boost for those juniors was the visit by former Sydney Swans and St Kilda star Adam Schneider in April. The Osborne-raised Schneider starred in a Two Blues jumper for the seniors but his appearance at an Auskick session on the Friday night was a massive hit.
“Oh tremendous, he was terrific,” Two Blues president Mark Kenny says.
“I couldn’t speak highly enough of him. He was really good with the juniors then mixed with the whole club that night. Everyone was very impressed with him.
“He was terrific and a good ambassador for country football – someone who’s gone from the bush, and he was great.”
Schneider’s six goals couldn’t get Barellan over the line against North Wagga but they’ve enjoyed one win so far, in the opening round against CSU.
They’ve just endured a tough fortnight against the league’s top two teams but Kenny has full faith that they’ll continue to improve under Overs.
“He’s a terrific coach. He’s a great leader on and off the field,” Kenny says.
“Up until the game against The Rock they’ve been very competitive, going really well. Against Temora, they nearly stole the game in one quarter.
“I believe it’s a confidence thing. They haven’t really woken up yet that they can do it. They’ve got to just believe in themselves a bit more.”
  To donate, or for more information, go to:
* Cure for MND (curemnd.org); or
* MND assocation of NSW (www.mndnsw.asn.au or free call: 1800 777 175)