By Tyler Lewis
The Narre Warren Football Netball Club prides itself on having an electric culture, and it starts at the top, with president and club stalwart, Stuart Stephenson.
He is this week’s Volunteer of the Week.
Stephenson joined the club three decades ago this season and has been an integral cog in the premiership-winning machine that is the black and white army.
“I first came as a player back in 1991, a few years ago now,” he said.
“A group of us came from the Dandenong Football Club, following Peter Lindsay, who at the time was the coach of Narre Warren.
“I finished playing in 2000, coached the reserves the next year, went away for a few years and came back and did some assistant coaching and running of things in the mid-2000’s, then coached the reserves again.
“Then I took on the presidency the year after that,” Stephenson said.
The dynamite culture is something the club takes great pride in.
Since taking the reins as the president, Stephenson has taken an ownership in building a bond between the footy and netball players, which he believes eventuates in excellent social events and then on field success.
“It is a place where we are always striving for success, we try to appoint the best coaches, we always pride ourselves on being fair and working harder than others, but making it a fun place to be,” he said.
“We have a good social side of things, for us, having football and netball together has been the best thing that’s happened to the club.
“Having functions that are friendly for female and males, I think that helps for both sides.
“I have got two daughters myself and a son that plays at the club.
“It’s about making it a place where they and their friends want to be. I think by making it a safe place to be, that helps to sell it to other parents and people as well,” Stephenson said.
Having been at the club since the early 90’s, Stephenson has seen his fair share of silverware across both clubs.
But the most recent football premiership stacks up better than most in the mind of the Pies president, as it was a fitting send off for one of the club’s all-time greats.
“In think 2019, beating Berwick, was my favourite,” he said.
“They had been a great side over a number of years and we hadn’t really troubled them for a few years.
“It was really well planned by the coaching staff; we got to send off a champion of our club, Michael Collins, the right way.
“Yeah 2019 was my favourite,” Stephenson said.
The Pies seem to relish in the opportunity of being the underdog and it will head into this seasons finals campaign as one of the underdogs.
Never write them off though, this culture seems to find a way when it matters most.
