Question - Who is eligible to play for the Uni Blues?
Answer - Anyone. You do not need to be a Melbourne Uni student, or for that matter, a student at all, to play for the Uni Blues U19's or Seniors. So even if you study at RMIT or just live in the area, anyone can play for the Uni Blues.
To be eligible to play VAFA U19's in 2010 you must be born on or after 1/7/1990
To let us know you’re interested and to find out more about Uni Blues, please contact our U19 Coach, Matt Embling on:
Mobile: 0401 149 155
Email: Matt Embling
If you are too old to play U19’s, please contact our Senior Coach John Kanis on 0415 297 761.
RECENT HISTORY
Since 1995 Uni Blues U19's have played in 9 finals series including 5 Grand Finals. Uni Blues U19's play in Premier Section of the VAFA, the largest U19 competition in Australia. There are 5 divisions containing 50 teams in all. Premier Section is a 10 team competition with a final 4 and games are played 2pm every Saturday.
Our goal for the U19’s in the 2010 Season is to achieve a Final berth as a minimum and ultimately to win the Premiership. We were last Grand Finalists in 2003.
WHO PLAYS FOR US?
Uni Blues usually attracts players of a reasonable skill and fitness level who aspire to play top U19 or A-Section football. There is significant potential and encouragement each year for U19 players to attain senior selection with Uni Blues during that season. 2007 captain of Hawthorn, Richard Vandenberg, played for the Uni Blues U19’s before being selected in our Seniors. Richard was then drafted from Uni Blues to Hawthorn. More recently, another product of our U19's team Ross Young was drafted by Carlton in the December 2006 Rookie Draft.
Our U19 team combines mainly 1st and 2nd year uni students from metropolitan and country areas. Approximately 75% of Blues players come from country Victoria so you'll have plenty of mates in similar circumstances to yourself if you don't know anybody at Uni or in the club to start with. The Uni Blues Football Club is a great way to make new friends and helps country players relocating to Melbourne settle into their new surrounds.
Uni Blues are serious about footy but we also understand that we need to bond people together quickly as a group socially to be successful, so we train and socialise together yet still set aside enough time to be successful academically.
Uni Blues have regular barbeques after training and sit down meals in the pavilion on Thursdays prior to teams being announced. There is also a comprehensive social calendar of unique Saturday night events for players, partners, supporters and friends.
PRE SEASON TRAINING TIMES & DATES
Players living in Melbourne train over the summer with our seniors. U19 training formally starts at the end of February when university resumes. We meet and change in the pavilion on the main oval inside the university.
Uni Blues U19's train Monday/Wednesdays/Thursdays at 5:00pm preseason, reverting to Tues/Thurs just before Round 1. Always check our website for confirmation of training times and venues.
MEDICAL SUPPORT
A major sponsor of Uni Blues is the Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre (headed by Dr Peter Brukner) so players can avail themselves of the facilities of the centre for injury assessment and recovery throughout the season. Uni Blues medical team is headed by an appointed club doctor who is in turn supported by qualified and trainee physiotherapists, on hand at all training sessions and games.
ABOUT UNI BLUES
Uni Blues is the highest ranked club of the Melbourne University Football Club (MUFC), the other club being University Blacks. MUFC facilities are the envy of other sporting clubs. As well as the picturesque and historic University Oval and its legendary pavilion the club has access to gymnasium, swimming pool, athletics track and all weather hockey pitch within the University. So you use first rate facilities and don't waste time having to travel to training. Blues and Blacks share training facilities on the University Oval and Princes Park with the home team using the main oval on the Thursday prior to a home game.
Membership of the MUFC also provides the opportunity to participate in Australian University Games carnivals against other Universities across Australia. Melbourne University has dominated the Intervarsity football competition over recent years. This year the Regional Qualifying Championships will be held in Victoria in July. The National Championships in a different city each September. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of an Intervarsity Carnival with athletes from around 30 sports from more than 50 Universities coming together for National championships and a week of celebrating.
SUMMARY
If you are coming to Melbourne in 2010 and want to play football you’ll be most welcome at Uni Blues. So give Matt Embling or John Kanis a call and they’ll be happy to talk with you.
