Starting a new football club takes more than putting a team on the field. You need players, volunteers, sponsors, supporters and, most importantly, a community that believes in what you’re building.
For the Wedge-Tailed Eagles Football Club, affectionately known as the Wedgies, establishing a strong online presence was an important part of bringing all of those pieces together.
Formed in 2024 as an independent, player-led community football club, the Wedgies were created to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for women and gender-diverse people to play football and feel a genuine sense of belonging.
With the club growing and preparing for its first season in the Central Victorian Football League in 2026, it needed a website that could become the central online home for everything happening around the club.
About the Wedge-Tailed Eagles Football Club
- Name: Wedge-Tailed Eagles Football Club (The Wedgies)
- Type: Community Australian rules football club
- Location: Central Victoria
- Established: 2024
- Competition: Central Victorian Football League (CVFL)
- Purpose: Creating an inclusive, player-led football environment for women and gender-diverse people
The Challenge
As a newly established community football club, the Wedgies needed to build their digital presence at the same time as they were building the club itself.
There was a lot that needed to be communicated.
Prospective players needed somewhere to learn about the club and register their interest. Supporters needed access to fixtures and membership information. Sponsors needed meaningful visibility. The committee needed somewhere to publish important club information, while fundraising, merchandise, community partnerships and club policies all needed to be easy to find.
Rather than relying on social media alone, the club needed a central online destination that could bring all of these elements together.
It also needed to be something that could continue evolving alongside the club without requiring a complicated website management process.
The Solution: Building the Wedgies’ Online Home with VIPsites
VIPsites provided the flexibility needed to create a website that reflected the Wedgies’ personality while giving the club a practical platform for communicating with its growing community.
The website brings together the club’s most important information in one place, with clear pathways for players, members, supporters, sponsors and the wider community.
Rather than functioning as a simple online brochure, the site has become a hub for the club.
Visitors can access the current CVFL fixture, purchase memberships, visit the club’s online store, donate to the club, learn about its community initiatives and find information about joining future seasons.
The Implementation
The website was designed around the information a community football club needs to make readily available.
Key features include
- Player recruitment: Clear buttons make it easy for prospective players to register their interest in joining the club.
- Fixtures: The club links directly to its current CVFL fixture on PlayHQ.
- Memberships: Supporters can learn about available social memberships and purchase them online.
- Merchandise: The website connects directly with The Nest, the Wedgies’ online merchandise store.
- Donations: Supporters can make tax-deductible donations through the Australian Sports Foundation.
- Sponsor recognition: Dedicated areas prominently showcase major sponsors and other businesses supporting the club.
- Community initiatives: The club can highlight fundraising activities, charities and initiatives.
- Founding member recognition: The club’s Founding Member Honour Board gives permanent recognition to the people and organisations that helped get the Wedgies off the ground.
The Results
The Wedgies now have an online presence that does much more than simply tell people who they are. It gives the club a central platform from which it can grow its community.
One place for supporters: Fixtures, memberships, merchandise, donations and club information are brought together in a single location.
Greater sponsor visibility: Major sponsors and club partners receive prominent exposure, helping the Wedgies demonstrate the value of supporting the club.
Easier player recruitment: Prospective players can quickly understand what the club stands for and register their interest in playing.
Community fundraising: Donations and fundraising initiatives can be promoted directly through the website rather than relying solely on social media.
A stronger club identity: The website gives the Wedgies somewhere to communicate their values, recognise their community and establish an identity that goes beyond matchday.
Room to grow: As the club adds new seasons, sponsors, members, programs and initiatives, its website can evolve with it.
Why VIPsites Works for Community Sporting Clubs
Community sporting clubs rarely have dedicated web teams. Their websites are often managed by committee members and volunteers who already have plenty on their plate. That makes simplicity and flexibility particularly important.
VIPsites gives clubs the ability to create and manage a professional website without needing to build everything from scratch or depend on a developer whenever something needs changing.
For a growing organisation like the Wedge-Tailed Eagles, that means the website can continue changing as the club does.
New sponsors can be recognised. New membership options can be promoted. Fixtures can be updated. Recruitment campaigns can be added. Community initiatives can be highlighted.
And it can all live under one recognisable digital home.
Build Your Club’s Online Home with VIPsites
Whether you’re starting a new sporting club, refreshing an established organisation’s website, or simply need an easier way to manage your online presence, VIPsites gives you the tools to create a professional website without the complexity.
