Our Story
In 2008 the Albion Park Crows ran out onto the field for the first time ever, with Declan Brazulaitis from Callum Faulkner kicking the clubs first goal!
That year, after a very slow start with registrations (the first rego day was under a gazebo in pouring rain outside the local newsagent) the club collected just 3 players. However, in the following weeks, the club had a total of 96 players.
It was an outstanding achievement starting off with that many registrations which was noted as the ‘most ever’ for a new junior club across the whole of Australia and led to the club being awarded the ‘Graeme Wells’ Development trophy.
Our club’s motto was developed and still stands today ’The Junior Club for the Family & Community’ and our clubs values statement is an acronym of APCROWS which stands for Achievement, Positive, Commitment, Respect, Opportunity, Welcoming and Sportsmanship.
Craig Pusser, the founding member and driving force behind the success of the club served as President from 2008 – 2013 then again in 2017-2019 and in 2010. Craig was awarded the i98FM and AHM Health Insurance ‘Local Hero’ recognising his outstanding contribution to the community and inspiring others.
Alan Cooper became President in 2014-2016 and helped develop the club to greater achievements with the Club once again being awarded the ‘Graeme Wells’ Development Shield
In 2020 our players ran out onto a brand new field at Croome Rd (one of the best AFL fields in the Illawarra) under president, George Taylor who has become our 3rd Junior President. George works alongside Nick Treanor who was given the first ever presidency of the clubs senior teams. Nick Treanor and Craig Pusser had a vision to encompass senior teams within our junior club and as a testament to all the hard work achieved by them, and so many, in 2020 the club changed from Albion Park Junior AFL to Albion Park AFL allowing for the juniors and seniors to be all a part of the one club. The new structure for Albion Park Crows AFL now has its first ever Chairperson, Katrina Sunderland.
Many volunteers have been given Life Memberships, Citizenship and Club Person awards and they are joined by the many children who have gone on to earn local representative honours, play in Sydney AFL competitions, Sydney Swans Academies and others who have taken their first ‘speccy’, kicked a goal, laid a great tackle and learnt to ‘bounce the ball’ on the run.