Magpies recover to rise from the ashes

By James Matthey

It would have been easy for those at the Wyong Lakes Football Club to feel sorry for themselves after their clubhouse was wiped out by a suspicious fire last week.

However, in a tremendous show of what the AFL community is capable of when people come together, the Magpies went ahead with an enormously successful fundraiser the next day.

On an occasion where Wyong Lakes could have been forgiven for thinking only of their own problems, Pink Day was held to raise money for breast cancer sufferers.

Despite the damage to the clubhouse, the day was filled with positive stories, including club legend Billy Denniss celebrating his 600th game for the Magpies in the Black Diamond Division 1 game against Cardiff.

Garry Burkinshaw presented the club with a signed Sydney Swans jersey to be raffled off, with all the proceeds going towards the rebuilding of a new clubhouse, while AFL NSW/ACT has also committed to contributing towards a new clubhouse.

Such was the support within the Wyong Lakes community that the club was also able to recruit six new junior players and five new senior players.