The dawn of a new era in junior football has began with Ocean Grove Collendina Junior Football Club renamed Ocean Grove Cobras Junior Football Club after an historic club AGM today.
An overwhelming yes vote in favour of club name change also saw a decision favoured for a new playing strip consisting of red and white with a blue Cobra logo for 2019.
Members who voted either proxy or attended saw a 91 per cent yes vote to its club name change and a yes 93 per cent vote to a change of playing uniform.
Up to 50 people including current committee, parents, and club volunteers were in attendance for the club AGM at its Minerva Close base at Collendina Recreation Reserve.
Re-elected OGCJFC president Shaun Stow said he was delighted with the outcome after a long process for the club name change to Ocean Grove Cobras Junior Football Club and a new guernsey.
“We have been in discussions with Ocean Grove Football and Netball Club for two or three years,” Stow told the Voice.
“The committee up there we have a working group and we catch up regularly.
“I suppose there was an awareness with the junior club and senior club hasn’t been aligned as well as it could have been.
“We still have a good relationship, but it wasn’t great.
“This is an opportunity to align, we are in a really good space to align and in terms of having the same colours.”
Stow said the new re-alignment with the senior Ocean Grove Grubbers Football Netball Club was a positive step for the local football community.
“We deal with a lot of enquiries from the new members and people that are new into Ocean Grove and they go up to an Ocean Grove senior game and there’s our boys wearing blue, white and orange supporting a team that is red and white,” he said.
“There is that misalignment there that probably raises a lot of questions to the community.
“And that was our aim and over the period having these discussions is to be united and that would include the colours.”
He said the club’s blue Cobra logo would remain a feature of its new playing strip.
“The blue Cobra (logo) is something that has been part of our history, it is a centrepiece of our current jumper and a centrepiece of our new jumper,” Stow said.
“Our kids play for the Cobras and they are aligned to that blue Cobra – we wanted to continue that tradition and the jumper was never going to change without that Cobra logo being the centrepiece.”
IN other club developments long time club volunteers Matt Dean and Des Every became Ocean Grove Cobras Junior Football Club’s newest life members after a special presentation at the AGM.
THE new Ocean Grove Cobras Junior Football Club committee for 2018/19 has one change with Dennis Hateley replacing Craig Jeffrey as vice president.
OCEAN GROVE COBRAS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB 2018/19 COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT – Shaun Stow
VICE PRESIDENT – Dennis Hateley
SECRETARY – Steve Bishop
TREASURER – Jackie Walsh
FOOTBALL DIRECTOR – Cameron McGregor
