Cerberus kicks in
Navy steams into West Gippsland league

President of the Cerberus Football Club and XO of HMAS Cerberus, CMDR Warren Bairstow is excited at the prospect of the Navy playing in the Western Division of the WGLFL. He is pictured showing off the club’s new jumper. Photo by Brad Kingsbury, South East Newspapers.

After an absence of some 30 years, the HMAS Cerberus Football Club (CFC) has reformed and has been accepted into the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (WGLFL).

The WGLFL acceptance came after two unsuccessful applications to join the Mornington Peninsular Nepean Football League in which the CFC had previously had a long, proud and successful history and was a founding club.

The CFC, known as the ‘Doggies’, will field two teams, seniors and reserves.

The rebirth of the CFC is a direct result of HMAS Cerberus’s (CAPT Clint Thomas) refocus on team activities associated with the Category School Review/Enhancement Program.

The command, fully supported by the Cerberus senior leadership team, is keen to progress and encourage participation by all uniform members in team activities and in particular team sport.

By entering a team into a local competition, Cerberus seeks to foster community relations, expose trainees to team sports at a competitive level, provide character development of trainees, develop team ethos and team spirit in sport that will be translated to the member’s career in the Navy.

The colour and design of the team uniform is similar to the Carlton (AFL) Football Club. The teal and navy blue jumper, the navy blue CFC monogram and the team song ‘The Navy Blues’ fit perfectly with the CFC.

An approach has also been made to form an alignment between the Carlton and Cerberus clubs.

“The WGLFL is a strong league and our first season will be a learning one. We know we have to build the club and it will take time,” said Cerberus XO and CFC president CMDR Warren Bairstow.

“Our first game of the 2003 season will be away against Kilcunda-Bass and will be supported by the Navy Band. Go the Doggies!”

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