Life Blood of the Club - Ron Melbourne
Ron Melbourne - SMJFC Life Member
Ron Melbourne’s contribution to the South Mandurah Junior Football Club is one that extends far beyond the years he spent as its inaugural President. As the driving force behind the club’s formation, Ron helped transform a vision into reality, laying the foundations for a junior football club that continues to serve generations of young footballers and their families. Awarded Life Membership in 2017, Ron’s legacy is one of leadership, dedication and an unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for children to enjoy Australian rules football.
When asked how Ron first became involved in junior football, his wife Norma and son Jamie reflected on his lifelong passion for football administration. Before moving to Mandurah, Ron had already built an impressive background in the game, serving as Secretary of the Swan Districts Football Club while developing extensive experience in football administration. Professionally, he later became the General Manager of Mandurah Toyota, but football remained one of his greatest passions.
Ron’s involvement with junior football in the local area began when his sons, Craig and Jamie, started playing in the metropolitan competition. However, after the family relocated to Halls Head in the early 1982, Ron quickly recognised there was a gap in the community. While the South Mandurah Sports Association existed, there was no dedicated junior football club for local children. Norma fondly recalled that after attending the first end-of-season wind-up, which consisted of little more than a warm drink and a sausage sizzle, Ron decided the growing South Mandurah community deserved something far greater. Determined to create a genuine junior football club that families could be proud of, he began putting the plans into motion. In 1984, that vision became a reality with the establishment of the South Mandurah Junior Football Club.
Reflecting on the roles Ron undertook, Norma described him as someone who immersed himself in every aspect of the club. As the club’s inaugural President, he held the position for the first seven years, guiding the organisation through its formative period. Drawing upon his accounting background and previous football administration experience, Ron helped establish strong financial foundations while ensuring the club was well organised and built for long-term success. His leadership extended well beyond the title of President, with Norma recalling that he was involved in virtually every part of the club’s administration.
Looking back on those early years, Norma remembered several families whose commitment helped turn Ron’s vision into a thriving football community. The Melbourne, Burns, Faithfull and many other families who moved to the South Manduarh area around the same time and became the backbone of the fledgling club. Together, they worked tirelessly to build a well-organised environment where local children could develop both as footballers and as people. Ron also shared a particularly close working relationship with Kevin Burns, who coached at the club for 6 years. Together, the pair helped establish values that would become synonymous with the South Mandurah Junior Football Club, such as participation, friendship and teamwork at every level of the organisation.
When asked about Ron’s fondest memories, Jamie described his father as someone who had a genuine passion for the game. More than anything, Ron took enormous pride in watching the club grow from an idea into a successful community organisation. Seeing increasing numbers of local children given the opportunity to play football and enjoy the friendships that came with it brought him tremendous satisfaction. The growth of the club was not simply measured by teams or numbers, but by the strong community spirit that developed alongside it.
Like many volunteers, Ron also experienced challenges throughout his years at the club. Jamie recalled that during those days junior football was played on Saturday mornings, the same time Ron was required to work. As a result, he often missed watching his sons play during their younger years, only getting the opportunity to see them regularly once they reached the older age groups that played in the afternoons. Although football was a major part of his life, balancing work commitments with family and club responsibilities was one of the sacrifices he willingly made to help establish the club.
One of the proudest moments of Ron’s involvement came in 2017 when he was awarded Life Membership of the South Mandurah Junior Football Club. Norma and Jamie both recalled how honoured and humbled he felt to receive the recognition. For Ron, the award represented acknowledgement of the countless hours he had devoted to creating a strong junior football club and seeing his dream flourish within the South Mandurah community.
Although Ron Melbourne passed away on 27 June 2023 at the age of 85, his legacy remains firmly woven into the fabric of the South Mandurah Junior Football Club. His vision, leadership and tireless work transformed an idea into a lasting institution that has provided opportunities for countless young footballers. Through his dedication to building a club founded on participation, friendship and teamwork, Ron leaves behind a legacy that continues to shape the South Mandurah Junior Football Club today, making him a truly deserving Life Member and one of the club’s founding legends.
Interview and Article by
Kevan Waters (SMJFC Life Member) & Jack Christon-Waters (SMJFC Junior)
