A STRUGGLING Victorian club received a huge boost on Tuesday night with a visit from some key St Kilda officials.

Sebastopol Football Club in the Ballarat Football League has struggled both on and off the field in recent times and reached out to the Saints in an attempt to boost morale in what has been a difficult season.

Saints coach Scott Watters and Head of Football Chris Pelchen spoke to Sebastopol coaches and players on Tuesday night, stressing the importance of maintaining close ties with the local community.

“We’re trying to embrace the Ballarat community and show them that the Sebastopol Football Club is a nice organisation to be a part of,” Sebastopol Football Club president John Lyon said in an article in local Ballarat newspaper The Courier.

“We’re trying to give our football matches a carnival-like atmosphere where families can come and enjoy the day, and we hope to see significant gains from this in the near future.”

Watters oversaw the training session before he and Pelchen spoke to the playing group.

The Saints have had long-standing connections to the Ballarat area, with former club stars Tony Lockett, Danny Frawley, Geoff Cunningham and Greg Burns just some of the players to have been recruited from the club’s former country recruiting zone.

Pelchen told The Courier there were similarities with the two clubs in their respective leagues.

“There are definitely real parallels between where Sebastopol and St Kilda are at,” Pelchen said.

“Real character is built by getting through the tougher times — and hopefully people will start to see a different club two and three years down the track.”

Watters urged Sebastopol’s young players, who haven’t won a game this season, to remain loyal to the club and wait for the wheel to turn.

“It’s important for players to remember where they come from, because clubs like Sebastopol are as important as any in terms of the bigger picture of the AFL and where it is heading,” Watters said.