Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People from across Australia have caught World Cup fever, and, while we all cheer on the Socceroos halfway across the globe, I'm reminded that Australia's global success is built on the foundations of local soccer. Parramatta has a thriving local soccer scene. It's home to the Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association. Founded in 1900, Granville is the oldest football association not just in Australia but in the entire Southern Hemisphere. Today, over 6,000 girls and boys are registered players. It boasts a terrific array of clubs, including Rydalmere, Dundas, Merrylands, Holroyd and the Granville Waratahs. Parramatta is also home to the Parramatta Eagles, also known as Parramatta FC, the local representative pathway into elite football. Formed in 1956, it has helped make Parramatta the nursery of football talent it is today. In fact, Mitch Duke, who scored the winning goal against Tunisia on Friday night, started out his career with the club.

Much of the success of local football in Parramatta is thanks to the dedication of volunteers and club presidents. They've given their time and devoted decades of their lives to build these sporting clubs up and to foster the communities around them. I want to pay tribute to Noel Dona, president of the Granville Waratahs. Noel has dedicated decades to helping young girls and boys reach their potential in the sport—and, if Noel's football success isn't impressive enough, he also does a killer sausage sizzle.

I also want to pay tribute to the President of Rydalmere FC, Peter Basha. In July Peter invited me on a tour of their facility, and what really resonated with me was the sense of community that had grown up around the club and around the sport. The club has become a place where families have dinner, where locals have a drink and where friends come to celebrate their birthdays and other community milestones. This strong sense of community, fostered by people like Noel and Peter, is what helps make local football so special. And at 2 am on Thursday morning, as Australia faces off against Denmark in our must-win encounter, I'll be proudly cheering the Socceroos on alongside the thousands of people who play football at one of the many great clubs across Parramatta.