The Ascot Vale Panthers Football Club is a modern, community-minded, and family-first sports club located in Melbourne. With a rich history dating back to 1898, the club is one of the oldest in the area and has achieved great success over the years, with the second most senior A Grade leadingships in league history.
The club's primary focus is on providing a dedicated junior AFL football programme, making it an ideal choice for children and teenagers starting out in the sport. The club caters to both boys and girls teams in each age group, ensuring that all young players have the opportunity to participate and develop their skills.
The Panthers play their home games and hold training sessions at Walter St Reserve in Ascot Vale and Merv Huges Oval in Edgewater. They have teams in multiple age groups, including Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 14s, and Under 16s for boys/mixed teams. Each age group has an elite top division team for more advanced players, as well as lower division teams that are perfect for beginners.
The club's training sessions for junior players typically take place on Wednesday and Friday evenings between 5:30-7:30pm, depending on the age group. They also offer a preseason training programme from November to December and resume regular training in February once school starts. Games are held on Sunday mornings, starting from 8:30am for the Under 8s and progressing through the age groups throughout the day. The playing season runs from April to July, with 14 home and away games followed by finals for qualifying teams.
The final dates and fixture are released in March once all teams are registered with the league.
The Ascot Vale Panthers pride themselves on the quality of their coaching staff. All experienced coaches are certified with AFL Level 1 coaching, hold a Working With Children's Check (WWCC), and have played football themselves. Each team typically has 2–3 coaches to provide ample support and guidance to the players. The club also employs professional paid skills coaches, including kicking, ruck and clearance, and tackling coaches, to ensure that children learn the correct and safe techniques of the game.
The coaching team is led by Simon Wiggins, a former player for Carlton AFL.
For new players in the Under 8 age group, there is an early bird offer available. Those who register before January 2024 will receive a $30 discount and additional benefits that are listed on the club's website.
The Ascot Vale Panthers Football Club is proud to be located on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. They acknowledge and pay respects to the Elders, both past and present, and to the Aboriginal Elders of other communities who call Ascot Vale home.
For more information, contact the club through their website or visit their merchandise store to show your support for the Panthers.