VAFA club North-Old Boys St Patrick’s asks members to consider including Brunswick in its name from 2016

A VAFA club with more than 50 years of history is considering changing its name as it looks to connect with the suburb it plays in.

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THE Victorian Amateur Football Association could become home to another Brunswick club with North Old Boys-St Patrick’s considering a name change.

The Division 1 club, which is based at Brunswick’s A.G Gillon Oval, has asked its members for feedback on including the suburb in its name.

President Tim Purdey told Local Footy any vote on a name change for the club, which was formed in 1963, would not take place until next year.

The changes would then be adopted for the 2016 VAFA season, if approved by the club’s members.

“It’s not to go to the members this year, but looking to go to the members at our general meeting next year,” Purdey said.

“It really is something that’s built up over time.

“We’ve been playing at Gillon Oval since 1991.”

Purdey said several options for a new name for the club had been workshopped, but declined to reveal what was being considered.

“I don’t want to pre-empt anything,” he said.

“We’ve tossed around a lot, there’s been discussions as you can imagine.”

He said initial feedback from North Old Boys-St Patrick’s members had been positive.

“The fact is Ballarat is Ballarat,” he said.

“We’ve still got a few players from there, but not big numbers at all.

“In the meantime what was St Joseph’s North Melbourne has shut down, the old boys can’t actually produce any old collegians to play for the club anymore.

“It’s really been a long-term evolution of the club from being very much an old collegians club to one that’s probably more of a district club.”

Purdey said including Brunswick in the club’s name would help link it with its junior arm.

“Five years ago ... we started up the Brunswick Junior Football Club with the specific intent that that club would capitalise on the fact that there’s a change in demographics in Brunswick,” he said.

“(And) that we would hopefully create a club that would be a feeder to our seniors.”

North Brunswick (Division 4) and West Brunswick (Division 3) are the existing VAFA clubs carrying the Brunswick name.

Meanwhile, the club has reappointed Ron Rooney as its senior coach for 2015.