CATANI
Current Affiliation: Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) since 1976
Colours: Navy blue and white
Emblem: Blues
Senior Premierships: West Gippsland Football League (WGFL) - 1953-4 (2 total); EDFL - 1992, 2004-5 (3 total)
EDFL Club Championships: 1992, 2004, 2007 (3 total)
Senior EDFL Best and Fairest Player Awards: Phil Wilson 1979; Aaron Alger 2007 (2 total)
After transferring from the West Gippsland Football League to the Ellinbank and District Football League in 1976 the Blues of Catani performed solidly at first, contesting the finals twice in their first three seasons. However, there then followed a prolonged slump in fortunes which was not arrested for more than a decade.
In 1991 the Catani seniors contested their first EDFL grand final, but lost to Poowong. The following year they made amends by overcoming Ellinbank to claim their first flag since 1954. Since then, the Blues have been there or thereabouts virtually every season, and have added two more premierships to their haul from half a dozen grand finals.
Football Fundraiser
How did a rural farming town, with no pub, shop or school in sight, raise an incredible $15,000 for Cancer Council Victoria?
With a Footy Kicks Cancer fundraiser, of course!
Catani Football Club's footballers and netballers switched their traditional navy guernseys for pale-blue uniforms for a match in May to raise funds for prostate and ovarian cancer.
The club aims to hold the fundraiser annually, changing the guernsey colour to represent different types of cancer.
Event organiser Angela Stone says cancer had touched many club members, including Catani's 2004 and 2005 premiership captain.
"It was inspirational and a good way for us to get together and help a charity," says Angela.
"And it's so easy to change the colour of your jumpers."
Sponsors helped pay for the new jumpers, with players chipping in $35 each for Cancer Council Victoria.
They also held a raffle and a sports memorabilia auction, with St Kilda Football Club donating their ‘mascot experience' - the chance for a fan to be the Saints' mascot for an AFL game.
"We're a very small community, but we had lots of support from local newspapers, sponsors, and family and friends of club players," says Angela.
"I don't think there's many people who aren't touched by cancer in some way, and it doesn't matter who you are, people come together for a good cause."
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