Teaming up to teach the rules

By Glen Atwell and Brad Kingsbury
MOST students would only dream of playing football as a VCE subject.
But for a number of students at the Eumemmerring Secondary College, Hallam Campus, playing football has become an exciting form of study.
The new Vocational Education and Training (VET) program, called Australian Rules, kicked into action last year at the Frawley Road school and is run in conjunction with TAC Cup side Dandenong Stingrays.
VET Australian Rules teaches the year-11 and year-12 participants both the physical and practical components they need to succeed in the ultra-competitive sport.
Centred on 22 key competencies, the program is as theoretical as it is physical.
Director of coaching Ben McGee said the program prepared students for work in the sport and recreation field.
“With competencies including occupational health and safety and communication in the workplace, the students finish with a wealth of knowledge to secure a job in the industry,” he said.
McGee said there were 24 full-time students participating in the course, which offers a five-day timetable.
“Wednesday is the practical day where students have the chance to get on the football field and put the theory into practice,” he said.
Management of the Dandenong Stingrays will oversee the practical component of the course.
Stingrays’ general manager Darren Flanigan said the concept was born at Box Hill Secondary College almost 10 years ago.
“It took a little while but it worked and Jess Sinclair (Kangaroos) was the first AFL player to be drafted through the system and there’s been a number of players to follow.”
The program was successfully implemented by Essendon-Keilor Secondary College soon after and has now gained a presence in the east of Melbourne with Mornington Secondary College joining Hallam in starting the program last year.
“Football Victoria was keen for it to get going and we looked at Berwick (Secondary College) but Ben said he was keen so we went with Hallam,” Flanigan said.
“It’s a really good concept and it’s already proved beneficial for a lot of kids.
“It exposes them to elite sport and gives them a good grounding in both the practical and physical side of it.
“It gives kids an opportunity to stay at school,” Flanigan said.
But the program is also aiming to help the Stingrays scout talented footballers at Eumemmerring Secondary College.
McGee said year 10 students from the Eumemmerring Secondary College junior campuses (Endeavour Hills, Gleneagles and Fountain Gate) had also been invited to participate in the program on Wednesdays.
“We’ve got over 50 kids playing football on Wednesdays, all with the chance to make it to a Stingrays squad,” he said.
“Not only is it helping with diet and nutrition, but will help year 10 students make the transition from junior to senior campus.
“The benefits of the Australian Rules program will be far-reaching.”
The students in the VET Australian Rules program will have the chance to play in the Stingrays Cup football tournament in term two.