By RUSSELL BENNETT
THE brains behind Pakenham’s new gridiron club want to make one thing clear – this isn’t just a passing phase.
The Pakenham Silverbacks are set to become a fixture of the local sporting scene as early as the beginning of the new Gridiron Victoria Division 2 season – with the side set to join the Berwick Miners, which are in the top tier.
Great mates, 22-year-old Richie Howlett and 21-year-old Jarrod Collett are behind the push for Cardinia’s own gridiron side.
In just a few short weeks since the idea’s inception, they’ve already garnered a real groundswell of support – including more than 330 ‘likes’ on the Silverbacks’ Facebook page.
Howlett has played the past two seasons with the Endeavour Hills-based Miners. He, and a group of his friends, wanted to play but didn’t want to travel as far for training.
“We’ve had interest from people in Lang Lang, Kooweerup and Warragul,” he said.
“I think there is probably enough saturation in footy and cricket that some blokes are looking for something a bit different.
“Maybe the blokes who don’t suit footy, and who can’t bat or bowl, want to try something else.”
Despite starting a club from scratch, Howlett and Collett are adamant that they aren’t about to ‘steal’ established players from rival clubs – including the Gippsland Gladiators and the Miners.
“Warragul is probably the halfway point (between the Gladiators’ base and the Silverbacks’) and we won’t recruit any further away than there,” Collett said.
“Gippsland has been really welcoming towards us and this has shown us there is enough interest down here to have a completely separate club and not even worry about taking players from them.”
Howlett added that it was important for the new Pakenham side to respect the integrity of the league and its established clubs.
“We want to bring new people to the sport, not chuck a team together full of players from other clubs,” he said.
Though the Silverbacks don’t yet have a home venue, they’re in constant dialogue with Cardinia Shire Council on the options available – which may include Lakeside Oval.
The Silverbacks are on the lookout for corporate support, but they already have a group of locals ready to take up board positions.
When asked what he loved most about gridiron, Howlett’s response was simple.
“I think it’s the greatest sport in the world,” he said.
“It provides a different mindset than footy and cricket – there is a lot more strategy involved and it’s very team-based.
“It’s about finding everybody’s individual strengths and pulling them together. You might not have the strongest or fittest players, but if you can put them together in the right way, you can win games.”
The final cut off for registration for the Silverbacks is in February.
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/Pakenham.Silverbacks.
