The excitement is palpable at the Bear Cave this week as we celebrate the triumphant return of Men’s Under 19s footy to Victoria Park for the first time since our very successful 2019 and 2020 teams. With an extremely talented group of boys rising up through the junior ranks at Kew Comets Football Club and Kew Rovers Football Club the next generation of Bears superstars are primed and ready to take on the VAFA HQ.
Most exciting of all, a man synonymous with junior footy in the area, the great Emanuele (“Mannie”) Di Parsia has signed on as head coach of the Unders for season 2024! Starting immediately, Mannie is establishing a team of people to “unleash” the Bears Men’s U19s. A key focus will be to secure players from the incredibly successful 2023 Kew Youth Boys team and recruiting new players to the Bear Cave. As we have seen from prior years this new batch of U19 players will become the future backbone of the footy club, becoming the leaders and stars of tomorrow.
Mannie’s involvement with junior football spans several decades. Most recently in 2023, he coached the Kew Youth Boys to a Div 1 YJFL Grand Final and this tremendous achievement was rewarded with Mannie being recognised as the YJFL Youth Boys Coach of the Year. His previous coaching roles include successful stints at the mighty Kew Comets, Xavier College, Hawthorn Citizens, the Yarra Magpies Academy over a 3-year period and the U16 YJFL Championship team. During these years Mannie was also an active coach with Dynamic Footy Skills specialising in School Holiday Football Programs – a truly incredible resume.
Mannie’s strength is transferring his professional skills of positive thinking, development, and motivation to his football coaching. Mannie’s passion is helping players and teams maximise their potentials and for grassroots football to grow and prosper.
Welcome to the Bears family, Mannie. The 2024 Kew U19s are “Unleashed!”
