Tuggeranong Valley to join juniors ahead of Season 2020
Originally Published by The Canberra Times – Caden Helmers
A new chapter is being written into the Tuggeranong Valley’s storied football history with four clubs joining forces to strengthen the region’s pathways.
Tuggeranong president Leo Lahey says four options for names have been put to members while also welcoming suggestions, and he is confident the club can capture the region in its uniform.
The details will be settled upon in the coming weeks before senior competitions start in April, before juniors get underway in early May.
Discussions for the clubs to come together as one have been ongoing for a number of years but the changing nature of sport sparked more formal discussions last year.
The final vote saw 95 per cent in favour of the merger after officials sought feedback from club members and stakeholders via meetings, surveys and open discussions.
There were 119 votes lodged across the three incorporated clubs, being the Hawks, Lions and Bulldogs, with 113 in favour. The Swans were a part of Eastlake, who have agreed to let Calwell merge with the three Tuggeranong clubs.
“There was overwhelming support for the proposal and the amalgamation,” Lahey said.
“We just closed the survey consulting with the broader community about the identity. It’s obviously very difficult to find something that is going to resonate with 100 per cent of the community.
“We were committed in all of our discussions to making sure we properly recognised all four clubs in our new identity. We’re settling on a final look for the club.”
It is hoped more than 600 Tuggeranong juniors with now see a clear pathway to the top level. The unified club will continue to have training bases spread around the Tuggeranong region, as was the case pre-merger.
“That was a really important consideration for all of the clubs, to create a single pathway for all of the players to enjoy playing from Auskick all the way through to the senior level,” Lahey said.
“Last year, every single on of our [Hawks senior] players was identified as a club junior. We really wanted to be able to show there is a pathway and all of our seniors have been through the junior infrastructure.
