RECORD FEATURE: TURVEY PARK BULLDOGS

The activity starts early on game day at Maher Oval as Turvey Park Bulldogs’ canteen manager, Jo Klimpsch, arrives at 7.30am to kick off a long day in one of the most important roles, and one that’s much appreciated.
“It’s hard work. But I do enjoy it. We’ve got a lot of helpers so that makes it easier,” she says. In a sentence, it sums up more than the canteen.
Because, alongside the construction site that is the Rules Club’s new hotel, the renovation of a proud old football club continues in earnest.
“We’ve taken good steps in the overall scheme of things,” says under 17s coach Stephen Carroll.
“We’ve just got to improve the on-field in first grade, because that’s what everybody sees, but we’re happy with the steps we’ve made. Other people who are outside the club mightn’t see that as much.”
Like a good football team, the club has people filling their roles and doing all the little things that lead to success.
One of Carroll’s under 17s, Jackson Hughes, is set to make his senior debut against Ganmain-Grong Grong Matong. All the same, his mother Jo is in her usual home-game role running the club’s merchandise tent. On one of the coldest days of the season, beanies will sell like hotcakes.
Jackson Hughes is following in the footsteps of teammate Mackenzie Harmer, who’s played three games in the seniors after continually featuring in the best for the 17s. Harmer’s mum, Simone, is club registrar and resident in-house photographer with an eye for a good shot.
Lean on the boundary fence populated with new sponsorship signs of the Bulldogs supporters and you’ll see what Simone can…
First grade players at the ground early, supporting the under 17s at their team huddle and surrounding the bench in a show of support.
The Ladies Day ‘pavilion’, enclosed – with heaters – for comfort on the coldest June weekend since long before some of those under 17 footballers were born.
The Bulldogs players over at the courts supporting their netballers – one of the proudest and most successful clubs in Riverina League history. All of the netball teams this year are on top of the ladder except A Grade who sit fourth.
“Generally each year there’s been at least two teams in grand finals and it’s a really young club so it’s good for the future,” A Grade coach Mel Sykes says.
Since 1999, Turvey Park has won some 24 netball premierships across all grades, including six A-Grade flags between 2002 and 2008.
“Netball’s been flying the flag for the club – that’s what we tell the boys so that’s all you need to say,” Sykes says with laugh.
The club even has the luxury of having to hold trials in the pre-season to cull numbers.
“I suppose when you’re strong you can pull players,” Sykes says. “It’s a really good culture and they’re all really young – most of them are under 18 and they’re all good friends.”
Sykes says the uncertainty around the club at the beginning of last season was a worry for the netballers who again had plenty of numbers but didn’t know what they would do if the footballers were forced into recess.
“The culture, the way it is, why would you go anywhere else?” Sykes says.
“And it’s all I’ve known, really! It was a little bit unsettling… but the fact that we had the numbers meant that we could push (to stay in the competition) which kept them going to push a little bit more. If we were struggling as well it probably would’ve been all too hard.”
In the face of enormous challenges, the Bulldogs took the bold decision to battle on last year. It was a season of survival and president Neale Fraser says there was only one word for it – “tough”.
In coach Brad Burkinshaw, they had the right man for a crisis.
“He’s been fantastic,” Fraser says.
“We were down on one knee and he put his hand up when we needed it and he’s really been a leader. As a bloke and a man, he’s put his hand up for this club and he won’t be forgotten.”
The wins haven’t come yet in first grade but there’s no doubt it’s a different club this season. That much was noticeable to the netballers early.
“The first home game we had, there were people everywhere, saying hello – faces you’d never seen before – it was just really good,” Sykes says.
As well as a bigger committee, (from a handful of people doing everything, to a committed group of 16 sharing responsibilities) the return of under 17s has made a huge difference.
“The first home game we had here against Narrandera, it was just a good feeling again to have them back,” says secretary Blair Campbell, a former Jim Quinn Medallist in his plyaing days with Turvey.
“It just brings families back to the club, and they’re a good bunch of kids so the next few years is about getting them ready for senior footy.”
That’s ‘Tek’ Carroll’s job.
“We’re absolutely stoked Tek’s on board,” president Fraser says. “It’s one of our best appointments for a long time. He’s got a really good understanding of junior and senior level coach.
“He was a champion player (but) we don’t talk about it too much because he nailed us a couple of times!”
Carroll has children playing netball and football with the Bulldogs. He and Guy Weidemann have coached through juniors the group that this season graduated to under 17s. The week after a big win over Leeton-Whitton, Carroll watches his side finish over the top of Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong for their sixth win of the year.
He says they’re young, enthusiastic and committed and they understand what their role is at the Bulldogs, where it’s hoped they’ll eventually form the backbone of the senior team.
“I keep telling them that’s their aim – to improve and develop and be able to play first grade for our club,” Carroll says.
“It’s not all about wins, it’s about developing as a player so when you become 21, 22, you’re a developed player.
“It’s about trying to teach them the right way to play footy and develop a good culture and hopefully that flows through.”
The senior players have supported the 17s all season, and they return the favour running the water in first grade, and selling raffle tickets at home games.
And Carroll says there are good numbers to come up from the juniors in coming years and – just as importantly – there are good junior coaches too.
As president, Fraser says the rebuilding of Turvey has to be done properly, with a long-term view. There were 150 people at the club’s ball recentlly and they hope to have 200 attend their next big function – their 250 Club in August.
Back on their feet and getting the basics right – with sponsors happy to get involved again as well as players and families – he says they’ll keep working on creating the right atmosphere.
“I’ve been at Turvey since 1986-87 and there’s that many Turvey people out there that you know and they’re all asking how the club’s going and we’re getting pats on the back for keeping it alive,” Fraser says.
“So we have got a lot of support out there, the main aim now is to bring them back in.”