Goodwood Saints win 2021 National Pharmacies SANFL Juniors Club of the Year

By ZAC MILBANK

Goodwood Saints have been named as the inaugural winner of the National Pharmacies SANFL Juniors Club of the Year Award.

Introduced this year, the award recognises excellence in club governance, development and behaviour, with the overall winner exceeding expectations in all three categories.

Receiving a perpetual trophy, plaque and a $500 voucher from National Pharmacies, the Saints finished with a total of 560 points to edge out Plympton on 540 points and Fitzroy on 530.

Boasting a strong retention rate from last year of 82 per cent, Goodwood had a total of 452 junior players registered this season.

This represented a 37 per cent increase on 2018, 26 per cent on 2019 and 16 per cent on 2020, illustrating sustained growth across the past three seasons.

”We congratulate Goodwood Saints Football Club on being a fitting, first winner of the SANFL Juniors Club of the Year Award,”  SANFL Juniors Manager Geoff Riddle said.

”Their performance highlights a very strong club governance and culture which is testament to the tireless efforts of the club’s committee and volunteers.

”The team at SANFL Juniors would like to not only congratulate Goodwood, but also express its sincerest appreciation to all clubs for their dedication and hard work this season.

”We had to overcome significant challenges throughout the year, however, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the completion of this season without every club’s support.”

Goodwood Saints President Craig Scott said the club was thrilled to be acknowledged with the Club of the Year Award.

“To be recognised by SANFL Juniors as the best junior club of the year is truly an amazing achievement and one we are very thrilled to have won,” he said.

“This award is just recognition for the enormous amount of time and effort put into our junior development program from our management and junior committees, coaching development officers, coaches, support staff, our player welfare group, volunteers and parents.”

The SANFL Juniors Club of the Year Award will return in 2022 with an expanded criteria, which will be detailed in the near future.