THE all-action sport of American Football, or gridiron, is returning to the south-east region after the game was last played locally 12 years ago.
A new team called the CCSports West Coast Fire is using Gosnells Oval as its training base for the upcoming 2009/10 season and is trying to recruit interested men aged 18 to 50 to take part.
An open day will be held at the oval on Sunday, July 26 from 3pm to 6pm.
Head coach Danny Bayliss, a 20-year veteran of the sport, said the Fire was the newest team in an expanded eight-team competition that will run from October to February.
Bayliss said it was the only football code played over the summer and is great for people who usually play Aussie rules, rugby or other winter sports to keep fit.
Bayliss will be suiting up once again at age 44 to play alongside his team-mates this season. So far, 16 have signed up, but another 17 are needed to make the three teams of 11 players (offense, defence and special teams) each side needs.
There are positions for people of all sizes and ages.
Bayliss said the sport required a lot of thinking and rehearsing set plays.
He added that people unfamiliar to the game would be brought up to speed and ready to play in two months.
Weekly training sessions will be held at the Gosnells Oval on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6.30pm to 9pm and will include classroom sessions to teach the set plays and each player’s role within the side.
The club’s major sponsor is Canning Vale-based CCSports Australia and the club is looking for additional sponsors to help defray the costs of purchasing all the protective equipment which players rent from the club.
For further details please call Danny Bayliss on 0438 927 613.