Quakers Hill Bombers
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The Quakers Hill Bombers are an Australian rules football club located in western Sydney, Australia. For many years, this club has been a part of the 'Northside' competition, but moved to the 'Great Western' competition at the end of the 2005 season. As there are not enough players, there are no 'divisions' within age groups.there are ausick to u/9s to u/16s
[edit] History
The club had it beginnings in 1982 when several people banded together because of their enthusiasm towards Australian Football (which is not the mainstream form of football in Sydney) and to give young people of the Blacktown area the opportunity to play Australian rules football.
In the first season the club managed to bring together enough players to field two teams that played as part of the United Football Club. Training took place in those early days on the rugby fields of Grantham High School (now Hills Sports High School). Throughout the years, the Bombers maintained a close relationship with the Holroyd-Blacktown Club (The Goannas) with many of their senior officials being foundation members and former players with the club.
The club was officially incorporated in 1987 and changed its name to the "Bombers". It is proud to have represented the Blacktown City districts in junior AFL over the past nineteen years.
Since junior football ends at age 16, and seeing the necessity to provide footballing opportunities beyond this age, in 1997 the Western Jets (now Norwest Jets) were born. The Jets were an Under 18 joint venture between the Bombers and the Hawkesbury Australian Football Club and provides a pathway for these clubs' maturing junior players into senior Aussie Rules. This team made a very competitive start and in 1999 won the SFL Under 18 Division 2 premiership.
In 2001, the Bombers changed their name from the 'Blacktown Bombers' to the 'Quakers Hill Bombers'.
In 2006, the Bombers moved to the Great Western Australian Football Assosciation (or the GWAFA as it is more commonly known). Originally, the club was to move to the GWAFA with the other nearby clubs of Kellyville, Parramatta/Holroyd and Baulkham Hills. The other clubs opposed this and are still a part of the Sydney North Juniors competition (originally called the Nortside Junior Australian Football Association). This move has been met with mixed opinions with members of the club.
2006 was also the year where the teams within the club began to amalgamate. What used to be (since 1997) the Under 9s, Under 10s, Under 11s, etc. (except for the Under 15s which did not have a team due to lack of numbers in 2005) has now become the Under 10s 'Red', Under 10s 'Black', under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s.
Over the years, over 1600 players have experienced Aussie Rules with the Bombers. Many members have continued with their football after leaving the Bombers including Matthew Wheeler who went on to play with the Sydney Swans.
[edit] Infamous events
In 2002, coach Mark Johnston appeared on the Seven Network's Today Tonight to comment on a Baulkam Hills parent's threatening behaviour at a match that forced the under 12's team to forfeit that round.
In 2005, the club's storeroom was set alight by vandals, destroying most of the club's equipment. This event caught the attention of local newspapers and the Network Ten five o'clock news. Many local businesses and residents have contributed to the replacement of this equipment which has helped the club greatly.
[edit] Links
http://qhbombers.aflnswact.com.au/
References and sources may be found on the club's website.
