St Kilda Football Club has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting community football in Melbourne’s south, with the AFL South East and the Frankston District Junior Football League (FDJFL) becoming major community partners of the club.

AFL South East comprises several leagues including South East Juniors, Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League, South East Women’s Football League and the FDJFL.

With more than 5,500 participants across boys and girls competitions, the FDJFL is one of the largest junior leagues in Victoria.

The collaboration between the Saints and the local football bodies demonstrates the club's commitment to supporting football in the wider Frankston region and the Mornington Peninsula with a focus on promoting health, wellness, inclusion, and nurturing player and coach pathways through the Saints’ Next Generation Academy.

CEO Matt Finnis said the club understood how important it was to support the local football community.

“The Saints are incredibly passionate about partnering with community football, growing the game and supporting local players and coaches,” he said.

“As the region’s only elite football club, we place great importance on supporting the local leagues and clubs. We want to ensure we are providing access to the role models to inspire the next generation, and are helping them to promote the physical and mental health benefits of playing footy.”

While discussions are continuing, it's anticipated the partnership will include access to the Saints’ southern hub at Linen House in Seaford.

Despite the frustrations of 2020 with the vast majority of leagues cancelling their respective seasons, we know that football in Melbourne’s south is incredibly strong.

“We feel for all the players, umpires and coaches in the region and know that football will bounce back in 2021.

“It must have been so tough for all the kids who love their footy to miss out on seeing their friends at games and training sessions this year but we hope they are keeping up their skills and looking forward to getting back into it when restrictions ease.”

St Kilda will collaborate on a number of projects with AFL South East and the FDJFL, including the Next Generation Academy, development programs and AFL Men’s and AFLW Player Ambassador programs.

AFL South East Chief Operating Officer Shaun Connell said that partnering with an St Kilda would deliver massive benefits to the region.

“St Kilda continue to demonstrate their genuine investment in the Community and junior football particularly within the BOQ FDJFL,” he said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Saints and their Community team to deliver great outcomes for the aspiring junior footballers in the region.

“Bring on 2021.”