‘Up for the challenge’: Eastern league club Nunawading sets sights on centenary survival

Without a senior men’s team for the first time in almost 100 years, Nunawading has launched its bid to return in time for its centenary in 2027. The president opens up on his club’s fight.

Nunawading has launched its bid to return its senior men’s team to action in time for its centenary year. Picture: Davis Harrigan

NUNAWADING declares it’s up for the fight.

The near-century-old Eastern league club has launched a campaign to return its senior men’s arm to the field in time for its centenary year in 2027, after its demise last month.

The club – formed in its current incarnation in 1927 – will be without senior men’s footy this season for the first time in almost a century and has appealed to the community for help via a GoFundMe page.

The campaign, titled ‘Hear Us Roar’ is aiming to “raise funds to ensure the longevity of this proud club as it nears its 100-year milestone in 2027,” club president Adrian Salanitri wrote on the page.

“We are looking for support from the community to assist us to stay alive as it looks like the club could fold if we don’t raise some much-needed funds.”

The club will survive this season through its senior women’s, under-19s and netball programs.

Speaking to this masthead, Salanitri said it was imperative the men returned to action.

“We’ve got 100 years coming up and we want to be around for that,” he said.

“It’s very important with the history, and the past players have been unreal in supporting us.

“There’s no more exciting time than to try and push for that.

“You need to have a senior club – the women’s (team) do stand alone so the club won’t go away, it’s just a matter of trying to get a senior (men’s) club up and going.

“Having the senior women’s side there definitely brings the club forward … it’ll be just nice to have a senior (men’s), reserves, under-19s for the 100 years.”

Salanitri admitted his club – which finished at the foot of the table in Division 4 last year with two wins – looked to be in trouble pre-Christmas following a player exodus.

Senior coach Frank Salanitri – brother of Adrian – also departed.

By early February, it became apparent the Lions’ senior men’s and reserves would be shelved in 2025.

“It’s been pretty tough, I’ve got to admit. The last four months have been pretty trying,” Salanitri said.

“We judged it with the first block of pre-season, numbers looked a bit short, there were people there ‘umming’ and ‘ahing’ because they couldn’t see the numbers, then it just sort of fell away from there, really.

“We had to make the call and had to be fair to the league as well.”

“No hard feelings,” Nunawading president Adrian Salanitri says of brother and outgoing club coach Frank Salanitri following his resignation amid a player exodus.

The ‘19s will field a combined team in Division 4 with neighbouring club Forest Hill and will wear the Nunawading strip.

Salanitri said the emerging crop could form the nucleus of a senior men’s team from 2026.

“(They) are looking really promising and hopefully they’ll lead us back into a senior men’s side for next year,” he said.

“They’ll be following the Forest Hill fixture (and) they had a practice match on the weekend and came out on top, so it’s put a bit of pep in their step.

“Currently with the ‘19s we have 16 (Nunawading players), and obviously we’d like a couple more.”

The club remains on the hunt for an under-19s coach – and has also advertised for a senior coach.

“It’s been difficult that we haven’t been able to land a coach yet … there are a few people (in the pipeline), but nothing set in concrete,” Salanitri said.

“Ideally what we would like is someone to come along and have this first year with the ‘19s as they are going to go up (to senior footy), and seeing what these guys can do because they are a pretty talented bunch.

“Hopefully (the coach) will bring them forward to the seniors and add other bits and pieces to the jigsaw puzzle to make it all work.”

Through the Eastern league, the club has engaged the services of long-time sports consultant Travis Switzer, along with former AFL Saint and Docker Heath Black, who now serves as the league’s club and community manager.

Nunawading held a community meeting on February 26, revealing its plans for the future with the goal in mind of toasting its centenary with a full complement of teams.

Former AFL player and Eastern league coach Heath Black is among a panel of names working to get Nunawading up and going again. Picture: Davis Harrigan

“Travis came down with Heath and we had a little workshop going, working on a strategic plan which was very informative and I think it opened the eyes of a lot of people,” Salanitri said.

“Everyone seemed to leave that meeting excited about going forward.

“The league has been unbelievable and I couldn’t speak highly enough of them – the resources they’ve pooled to help us along the way have been unbelievable.”

The Lions had won just four matches combined across the past three seasons and battled for more than a decade in the league’s lowest tier.

Salanitri, in his second year as Nunawading president, admitted he took on the role with the club in a precarious position.

“I did, but I’m up for the challenge and I don’t back down easily,” he said.

And he’s confident the club’s rusted-on supporters will join the fight.

“Everybody knows that the more hands you’ve got on deck, the easier life becomes,” Salanitri said.

“It has been a struggle in the past, but we’re hoping the community can get behind us and put their hand up to help us out.

“The people we have at the moment are 100 per cent behind it and all we can do is move forward.

“We’d love to get back next year.”

CLICK HERE to donate to Nunawading’s ‘Hear Us Roar’ campaign.