How Anglesea Football Netball Club moved drinking out of the spotlight

Anglesea Football Netball Club sits in the shadow of its fast-growing neighbour Torquay, and knows it will never be the biggest club on the coast. So instead, it decided to be the closest.

“Being smaller means we get to know each other a lot better. We're not lost to the masses, it’s a lot closer to home and there are more connections,” says Vice President Steve Bews. 

Who are we building our club for?

For years, alcohol sat at the centre of almost everything the club did. Wins were celebrated with a slab of beer in the rooms. Social functions ran on unlimited drinks. 

It wasn’t questioned until the club decided it wanted to be more deliberate about who it was building its culture for.

“There comes a time when you need to change the culture of drinking and look to support your players, your members and your community,” Steve says. 

“We wanted to take the club away from the idea that alcohol has to drive every major function.” 

With many young players coming through the club, the committee turned to Good Sports for a framework to back up what they already knew needed to happen.

They worked their way through the program, proudly achieving Gold Good Sports Club status.

What actually changed

The shift showed up in small, visible ways first. The club's popular Reverse Raffle, which had always run on unlimited drinks, was changed to a two-drink limit. 

Steve says the decision “shook up the thought processes of everyone involved but it’s become part of the club culture and expectations.” 

The gameday victory slab is being phased out in favour of sports drinks, a change being driven by senior players rather than handed down by the committee. 

Bar staff now offer a glass of water before serving anyone alcohol. They’re quietly building responsible service into the rhythm of a normal night at the club.

Steve says the club also has a real commitment to inclusion and equality. 

They’ve prioritised mental health, running programs for both junior and senior players and extending these to the wider Anglesea community.

“And, we proudly celebrated Diversity Round, with all teams wearing rainbow game-day attire.”

It wasn’t a big change all at once. It happened as a series of small resets to what “normal” looked like at the club, led as much by players as by the committee.

The bigger shift: making room for everyone

The changes at the bar were only ever the starting point. Anglesea is now looking at how the physical space itself has shaped who feels welcome. 

For years, netball operated on the far side of the ground while the men's teams had full run of the bar and clubrooms. 

The club is working to redesign its social spaces to make matchday genuinely welcoming for families and for its netball community. This includes alcohol-free areas. This initiative is being led by younger players at the club.

These days, the club is closer than ever. Thursday meal nights run on a roster of footballers and netballers taking turns on kitchen duty. 

Steve credits these meal nights with building the camaraderie that carried the club to a Men's Senior Premiership and a runners-up finish in B Grade Netball last year. It was a result the whole town was excited to celebrate.

“Players visited many businesses and townsfolk, even making a few home visits to elderly residents with the cup,” says Steve.

Advice we’d share with other clubs

Steve says that when it comes to overcoming an old club culture, it’s down to how you navigate your way through it and who you get on board.

“Getting young ones involved and shifting mindsets and culture through positions of responsibility. It can be subtle changes and role modelling through older players.

“Our aim is for our young members to not only embrace change but also be involved in the processes to shift the culture,” says Steve.

And, to keep persisting through any pushback.

“Even if people say no to changes, having the support [within the club] to still keep trying.”