Weston Molonglo Football Club is celebrating 50 years of the club’s running this season after the event was postponed last year due to a difficult year with COVID-19.
Life-long member Donna O’Brien took some time to reflect upon her contribution and success with the club even before the name changed from Weston Creek to Weston Molonglo to generate more interest in the surrounding areas.
“I grew up in Holder so I’m a Weston Creek girl all the way through. I’m now doing exercise classes for older people. So, when I first started playing soccer for the club in 1980, I was 14,” Donna said.
“Through my perspective, women’s football started in 1970 with two teams at our club and for me personally in 1980. There were no juniors at that point so it’s great to see how far we’ve come.”
And from this, Donna’s history with the club grew. She became the youngest ACT representative female player along with winning many other awards.
“In 1982 we ended up being in the first division team for Weston Creek which became the start of 11 years of first division premierships in a row, making us equal record holders with St George Football Club in Australia,” Donna said.
“In 1992 we got the ACT Sports Team of the Year so our women’s soccer for the club was quite successful.”
This team went into the Guinness Book of Records for their 12th premiership win.
After retiring as president for the club a few years ago, Donna can see the growth of the club and how successful it has been in uniting the community and developing youth.
Donna was nominated for Australian of the Year and was the winner of the Post Football Order of Australia medal.
“David Hakaraia and Kath Temple have kept Weston Creek going in today’s world. They’ve stayed on and really looked after Weston Creek as a community and as a club,” she said.
“If you’re not looking after your juniors, you’re not looking after your club. The reason why Weston Creek turned into WMFC is to try and grab more people in the surrounding areas. Before I left as president, I could see we needed to encompass that in our future.”
Donna would love to see some development for the club regarding a stadium and synthetic fields and hopes the government can bring that to fruition in the future.
“We’ve had the most amazing volunteers. Such great families, committee members, equipment officers and all sorts of things like that. Absolutely amazing people that have come together all thanks to the club,” Donna said.
Those are the people she gives special thanks to for the legacy of the club to live on today.
“The club is a big family, and it’s a playground to learn how to play fair, to be honest, how to be responsible, to win, to lose, learn how to experience life’s pleasures and hardships all in one,” she said.
She is taken aback when reflecting upon the club’s 50 years and the quality players that have played for Weston to then go onto represent Australia including Julia Murray, Sacha Wainwright, and Sarah King.
Words: Sonia Emanuel
