By Tara Murray
Ashfield Cricket Club and the Sunbury Kangaroos Football Netball Club are joining forces.
The two clubs, which are both based at Boardman Reserve in Sunbury, will come under the newly formed Sunbury Kangaroos Sporting Group banner.
The cricket club voted on Sunday to join the group and change its name to the Sunbury Kangaroos Cricket Club.
Newly elected cricket president Shane Woolley said he had been keen on the idea for a number of years.
Woolley had been a long-term president of the cricket club, before stepping away the past couple of years.
“The club overwhelmingly agreed to change the name to the Sunbury Kangaroos Cricket Club,” he said.
“We’re only operating in what is in the best interest of the club and they wanted the name change.
“It’s a massive step. Myself and [football president] Al [Walters] have been talking about it for nine or 10 years, to get some movement now is a positive, we’re all on the same page.”
Woolley said the move made sense in a number of ways.
He said many people didn’t know where Ashfield was located and they had gone by a number of different names during their history.
Many of the sponsors are the same, while several people are involved in both clubs.
“We play at the same ground and many people have never heard of us,” he said.
“Ultimately we could have the same merchandise and you can wear the same jumper all year round.
“It could be possible down the track you have one membership for both football and cricket.
“This the first baby step in becoming a really strong sporting club.”
Woolley said they would wear their existing Ashfield uniforms this season, with the name change coming so close to the start of the season.
Football president Allan Walters said it was a massive step forward for the clubs.
They have already registered the Sunbury Kangaroos Sporting Club and they had designed a new logo including all the sports within the club. “I think it gives everyone more clout moving forward,” Walters said.
“We have a lot of the same sponsors and we can move forward with one uniform.”
The sporting club also includes the darts sides based out of Boardman Reserve. Walters said long term they would like to see the Sunbury Kangaroos Junior Football Netball Club become part of the sporting group.
The cricket club starts its season this weekend. Its top side, in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association Johnstone Shield, faces crosstown rival, Rupertswood.
Jas King is taking on the coaching role, having previously been captain-coach of the side for a number of years.
Tara Murray
