Yoogali FC ready to paint Football Wagga yellow after acceptance into competitions

The announcement was made late last week and is a culmination of three years of hard work for the Griffith-based club in pursuit of an opportunity to test the club's players at a high level.

"It's a really exciting moment for the club," Yoogali FC vice president Ross Marando said.

"We think that we are good enough to test ourselves in Football Wagga and credit to them for working with us over the last three or four months to get us in there.

"It's really exciting for the future."

Yoogali FC have made a couple of enquiries about joining the competition since 2020 but has been unsuccessful.

However, they are set to have three grades take part in the season, with a first-grade women's side joining two men's teams.

Football Wagga president Paul Galloway believes they will be a good addition to the competition.

"I think they will bring a higher level of competition, and having another team from Griffith is a positive for that region," Galloway said.

"I think it shows the sport in western Riverina is a popular one, and the teams that are playing in the competition with them, I think it will give them a higher standard to play against.

"That is always a positive."

Yoogali FC have dominated the GDFA men's competition in recent years with back-to-back minor premierships and titles as well as an undefeated season in 2023, and Marando feels the squad assembled will be more than competitive.

"The boys have been screaming out for this opportunity, and I'm glad that we, as the committee, were able to get it done for them," he said.

"It was a shame where it (the GDCA men's competition) was heading, and we still want to put a local team in as well because we want to keep it going in Griffith as well.

"We just feel that with the players and squad that we have, we can put in a good performance and test ourselves against new opposition."

One of the more critical factors for Marando was being able to secure a place for the women's side.

"We had a social nines side, which is what the GDFA had been doing for the last couple of years, but our girls always wanted to go back to 11 a side and test themselves," Marando said.

"Last year, they had just one training run and played 11 on 11 against the Hanwood side, and they drew four all. We have a great bunch of girls, and we want to be a family-oriented club."

As for the coaching line-up for 2024, the men's reserve grade and women's first grade leaders are still to be decided by Marando will take the reins of the Pascoe Cup side.

" I made the boys a promise that if we did get to this stage after I had to step away and do some committee stuff last year, I said that I would be happy to come back if they wanted me to", Marando said.

The club trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 6pm at Yellow Tail Park.