The Moruya Australian Football Club, the Black Swans, played in the South Coast Australian Football League (SCAFL) but went into hiatus.  

Players from the area have either played for Narooma or Batemans Bay but a new group of enthusiasts have banded together to establish a Broulee-Moruya club.

The club plans to field under 11s and 13s teams in the SCAFL in addition to an Auskick program intra-club under 9s which will play at Gundary Oval.  

An under 16s team will be considered if there is enough interest.

Interim president Doug Williams believes it is the right time to reintroduce the sport to the area.

“Aussie rules is growing in popularity and the NSW AFL is supportive through its Auskick programs and development assistance for new club,” Williams said.

“It seems a shame that there may be kids who miss out on the opportunity to play Australian Football because they don’t have the means or their parents don’t have the time to get to nearest clubs.

“Hopefully our new club will be useful in filling a geographic gap and attracting more kids to try Aussie rules.”

The club has yet to decide its new emblem and colours.

Williams recognised the connection of Black Swans to Moruya and the identity of the prior club, but it shared similar colours to Batemans Bay and he believed it was time to write a “new story”.

“There are other Moruya teams called the Swans now and we’re being inclusive of the Broulee area as part of our identity so it may be that we make a whole new start,” he said.

The decision on the playing strip will be decided soon but interim secretary Marty Jones said the group’s vision for the nature of the club was “rock solid”.

“We want the Broulee-Moruya AFC to be a welcoming, supportive, family friendly community club,” Jones said. 

“There is a place for anyone at an Aussie rules club no matter their age, gender or ability, and we particularly want to encourage any girls out there who’d like to try to come down and give it a go.”

Jones said the club would need a “strong group of parents to and supporters” to help ensure the club is successful.

“Many hands make light work, so if there are people out there who would like their kids to play we’d love to have their help and ideas,” he said.

Williams said the last president of Moruya AFC, Laurie Buckle, had also “chipped in”.

“He kept quite a bit of equipment from the old club, and has donated it to the BMAFC,” Williams said.

Buckle’s contributions include jerseys, scoreboards and useful training and playing equipment. 

The club has been backed by the SCAFL which supplied it with full-size permanent goal posts, assisted with the purchase of padding, and the Eurobodalla Shire Council agreed to erect them at no cost to the new club.

Williams said the AFL had also assisted by providing portable goals for under 9s and under 11s games and administrative support.

Adrian Pavese of the NSW AFL welcomed the opportunity to grow the game and said the club would be supported.

“This area can once again be a perfect launching pad for boys and girls to play this great game, and we all look forward to seeing this club grow,” Pavese said.

SCAFL football operations coordinator Jarrod Moore said it was committed to supporting a club which had drive, junior development and family inclusion.

“It’s a great opportunity for the townships of Broulee and Moruya to have a team back in the SCAFL after such an absence,” Moore said. 

“We’re sure it will be very successful in years to come and the club’s inclusion in the 2015 competition has definitely created a buzz within the Sapphire Coast AFL community.”

All people interested in participating in the new club are encouraged to attend a public meeting next Wednesday, July 30, at the Moruya Bowling Club.

For information email the organisers at bmaussierules@gmail.com or phone Marty Jones on 0478 605 645.