How Portarlington rebuilt its future from the ground up

A decade after facing major challenges, Portarlington now finds itself with a thriving junior program.

By Ben Andonoudis

The picturesque surrounds of Portarlington have been the backdrop for an inspiring story.

The town’s football netball club, the Portarlington Demons has experienced a remarkable transformation in the past decade.

Once facing an uncertain future, the club has rebuilt itself into a thriving community sporting organisation.

That junior program now fields 10 junior teams every weekend in a remarkable achievement for a club in town of less than 5,000 people.

For Portarlington Senior Football Director David Burke, the club has prioritised creating a place where youngsters and families feel a part of the club.

“There has been a strong focus on rebuilding, growing participation and creating a positive environment where young players and families feel connected to the club,” Burke said.

That environment has been built by people who dedicate countless hours to ensure the junior program can thrive.

“The success of our junior program is really built on the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, coaches, team managers and parents who give countless hours behind the scenes,” Burke said.

As the club continues to grow, it is clear to them that the health of the junior program is a big indicator of where the club is overall.

“Clearly the more kids you've got, the better off the club is going forward,” Burke said.

However, while Portarlington has found itself in a stable position, that has not come without some hurdles.

The town’s demographics can make the process of finding a steady stream of juniors a hard task.

As a well-known retirement town on the Bellarine Peninsula, the average age of the residents of Portarlington is 62.

That means often the people moving to Portarlington are not those with young families.

“Portarlington’s demographic does present some challenges, particularly in maintaining a consistent pool of junior-aged participants,” Burke said.

Portarlington have managed to continue to grow their junior teams despite this obstacle.

The club has found that to keep the long-term viability of the junior program, they must look beyond just attracting new players.

“Retention is just as important as recruitment,” Burke said.

This retention of players means ensuring that youngsters who come to the club want to stay at Portarlington for many years.

That includes off-field parts of their time at the club.

“If children enjoy coming to the club, feel supported by their coaches and make friendships that last, they will stay involved,” Burke said.

For many clubs the aim is to keep players involved from the time they are juniors until they are adults playing in the higher levels of the club.

At Portarlington, this is a mindset that is integral to the club.

“We want every junior player to aspire to wear the senior jumper one day and feel they are already an important part of the wider club community,” Burke said.

While Portarlington does take pride in their successes, they have an important piece of advice for other clubs looking to increase their junior programs.

“Put people before results,” Burke said.

Portarlington’s journey is a reminder that successful clubs are not built overnight.

They are built through volunteers, families and communities willing to invest in each other.