General News
12 September, 2025
Kangaroos hop into history
CREATING the merged Harrow-Balmoral Football Netball Club in 1997 certainly looks like a genius move in the wake of the eight footy premierships they’ve won since, including only missing the finals twice.
However, for the club’s first president, Tom Houlihan, success at the time was always going to be measured more in ongoing survival than any major September triumphs.
“When we formed the club, we were looking at the fact, if we didn't do something at Harrow and Balmoral in the very immediate future, we were in with a fair chance of winding up having no winter sport in that area of Victoria,” he said.
Changing from the respective ‘Geelong’ Cats and ‘Essendon’ Bombers colours to a North Melbourne royal blue and white vertical stripes look, Houlihan reflected on the discussions on other structural and administration changes that were to ensure the resultant entity had a future.
With the merged club’s president able to better focus on getting “four football teams on the ground every week and seven netball teams” and “not have to worry about cleaning rooms and mowing ovals”, the results speak for themselves.
“There wouldn't be too many sporting clubs in Australia that could say ... the male team ... has been in 16 Grand Finals in 28 years,” Houlihan said.
“We’ve had a good record of volunteers right through the club … and I believe both recreation reserve committees of management have done an excellent job.
“I can say that now I’m not involved with either of them.”
Football director, Rob Close, said the club was a critical part of the community and loved watching the various ways locals connected and drew restoration from its existence.
“It’s not all about winning Grand Finals,” he said.
“That’s the least of it (although) it keeps people motivated to try and strive and carry on.”
He admitted that those who play in premierships obviously create a “lifelong respect for each other, that they’ve been in something special”, but he said it was important to recognise how much more went on when ultimate success was achieved.
“It's all the fringe people around, which is me and the trainers, medical people, the committee people ... we get a lot of thrill out of that as well,” Close said.
“It keeps me young.”
With the ‘ordinary’ weekly cycle of former players able to watch and guide the younger players – “it’s just so good” – he said he especially appreciated how people looked after each other “, working, talking, laughing together” and how new friendships formed.
“We've got weddings, families (that) all happen because of netball, football relationships,” Close said.
The break from ordinary life was also important to recognise: “getting out and mentally refreshed from the pressures of your farm work and family life, to be able to ... just enjoy a bit of relaxation time and switch off and have fun.”
Witnessing the club’s success and its impact on the community for the first time is Balmoral’s Western Hotel owner, Lisa Mangone; moving from Queensland and taking over late last year, she said she has loved getting to know several people from the club, including coach, Jai Thompson – “he’s pretty awesome” – and was thrilled to see them in the Grand Final.
“It’s pretty exciting,” she said.
“Everyone gets involved, we’ve made some little tassels in the pub and we promote them (and) I’ve got to get some more signage because their big game is this weekend.”
She said win or lose, they were keen to support the team, before and after.
“We've organised a barbecue this Sunday morning, so we're going to give them a big brekkie – bacon and eggs and burgers and stuff.”
