Myrtleford Savoy Soccer Club president Julian Carroll said the entire club can’t wait for the season to commence.

From booming junior numbers, strength in the emerging MiniRoos program and the talent available at the top level, Carroll and the entire soccer community have every right to feel jubilant.

“It looks like we’re in for a great year,” Carroll said.

“This year’s looking promising, we’ve got some new junior teams with the 12s and 13s for the first time in quite a while, it’s exciting to see.

“They’re real flush with numbers in the MiniRoos program, and it’s starting to have an impact on that next step on those kids’ journeys, from MiniRoos into junior football.

“More broadly, participation rates of soccer in Australia are booming, that’s happening right around the country.

“Myrtleford is a pretty special club in that it’s in a small country town as opposed to the rest which are in Albury-Wodonga, Wangaratta and Cobram, and our catchment extends right out to Beechworth and Bright.

“That makes it a pretty good little centre for all of the Alpine Shire and beyond to harness those kids and give them a pathway.”

MSSC MiniRoos coordinator Anthony Zanghellini said they had moved on from the Gala Days of previous years, and were entering sides against other AWFA MiniRoos teams on top of regular training and skill works.

“The momentum continues to flow again, and this year, as we’d hoped, we’ll take the MiniRoos – the eights, nines, 10s and 11s – for an eight-week program on Saturday mornings to play against the AWFA MiniRoos teams, which is the natural progression and step up for the kids,” he said.

“It’s putting the stepping stones in place for the Myrtleford MiniRoos to grow and take those steps forward.

“It’s super exciting, that will start in May.

“We’ve got 12s and 13s coming through this year for the club at a good level, and we’ll continue to empower the children and give them all of the training and support they need to ensure the juniors who come through the soccer club are best placed to be happy and able to play against the stiffer competition that comes when they do make the step up to AWFA level.”

No one does anything worth doing alone, and MSSC is backed by a group of tremendous sponsors and staffed by willing volunteers who all work together to make the club what it is.

“There’s a great connection, we really love the connection we’ve got with all of our sponsors – we’d invite anyone out there considering putting up a sign to reach out, there’s still a few spots we can fill,” Carroll said.

“They really do underpin the success of the club and help us to be sustainable.

“Beyond the sponsors, the other volunteers, the coaches, the committee members, it’s fantastic to have such a healthy, strong group of people that are contributing to the success of the club.

“The canteen is another great part of our sustainable approach to funding the club, it’s a bit of a drawcard for all of the teams further away who enjoy coming to Savoy Park home games and enjoy the day out to Myrtleford.”

Be sure to get around the club as they challenge for supremacy in the 2026 Albury Wodonga Football Association season.