In my first year as President of Surrey Park Panthers, it’s been a privilege to help guide our club through a season of meaningful growth — both on and off the field.
We’ve seen fantastic on-field results in 2025, with over 263 players across 12 teams, four finalists, and one premiership. But even more importantly, we’ve continued to strengthen our club culture, our sense of community, and our commitment to what junior football should truly be about.
While discussing achievements, we won our first Youth boys division 1 flag ever as a club, and much cudos must go out to not only the full youth cohort, but also Papa who was given life membership of the Junior Club this year. The efforts made to support all the kids involved (playing with a bench of some 12 players should not be underestimated).
On a personal level, coaching the Under 13s while chasing around my youngest in the Under 11s made for a full calendar. Watching the U11’s get to a point where they could compete and then win a few games towards the end of the season was a credit to the kids and coaching group. Our Under 13 group showed what’s possible when kids support each other, stay connected, and focus on the bigger picture beyond the scoreboard. The growth we witnessed — not just in football ability, but in teamwork and character — was incredibly rewarding.
Our girls footy program should be a source of great pride. This year for the first time we engaged a Women, Girls & Inclusion manager on the committee and we’ve felt the benefits through our appointment to the AFL Womens Charter, but more generally through our girls program from the quality of the coaching, to the results and outputs and numbers on the field.
One of the most important steps we’ve taken in recent times as a committee has been the work to consolidate and clearly articulate who we are as a club — and what we stand for. Junior football should never just be about chasing talent or trophies. It should be about creating a safe, enjoyable environment where every child can thrive.
With that in mind, we’ve developed a Proposed Purpose Statement that we believe captures the heart of Surrey Park Junior Football Club:
“To provide a fun, inclusive and supportive football environment where every child can grow, belong, and develop a lifelong love for the game.”
This purpose keeps our focus where it belongs:
- On fun – because that’s what keeps kids coming back
- On inclusion – because every child should feel welcome
- On support – for development, on and off the field
- And on retention – keeping kids in the game for life
We’ve also proposed a set of Core Values to guide our decisions, shape our culture, and hold ourselves accountable:
- Community – We create a safe, welcoming environment where every player, coach and family feels they belong.
- Growth – We value effort and improvement, both as players and as people.
- Fun – We celebrate enjoyment, friendship and the love of the game.
- Team First – We grow stronger together, always putting the team ahead of individual goals.
These values are more than words on a page — they reflect the way we want to operate, the behaviours we want to model, and the kind of legacy we want to build as a club.
Another highlight this season has been the ongoing success of the Surrey Sharks partnership with Camberwell. By joining forces, we’ve provided more playing opportunities, deeper development pathways, and a greater sense of community across both clubs. It’s a model that speaks to our values, and while not perfect it’s been presented as a high watermark for other clubs to follow in their path to greater participation.
To our coaches, team managers, committee, sponsors, and volunteers — thank you. You are the engine room of this club, and your work is deeply appreciated.
For our players and volunteers. The respect, camaraderie and growth we’ve seen this year, especially among our older age groups, has been exceptional. Success isn’t just about results, we can hold our head high knowing that with no suspensions, formal reports or incidents relating to players or volunteers this community has carried itself well – in my coaching words we’ve looked after our mates, but we’ve done it the right way.
As we look ahead to 2026, we’ll continue to invest in building an inclusive, positive and sustainable club culture — one that delivers not just great football, but great experiences!
Thank you for being part of it.
Luke Hueston