The Fremantle Derby Club – "our club within a club” – has been a steadying support for the Fremantle Dockers since its inception in 1995, and the aspirations of the group continue to grow.
Last year, the club raised more than $237,000 and according to Derby Club president Larry Dwyer, there are big plans for the future.
“The Fremantle Football Club approached us and asked what we’d like to do, and we came up with the idea of raising money to name a facility at Freo’s future home base at Cockburn Central West,” Dwyer said.
“We think the lecture theatre would be a fantastic part for us to be involved in.
“Given the history of the Derby Club being made up of South and East Fremantle players, we like to help the players and anything to do with them when we can.
“They’ll be in the lecture theatre every day so to be a part of that would be special.”
The Derby Club and its 100 members aim to provide financial assistance to the Fremantle Dockers, through fundraising and business ventures of its members.
New Cockburn base has 'best of everything'
“It’s a club within a club, and whenever Fremantle need anything, we’re all (members) business people so we help out when we can,” Dwyer said.
“Basically, we can use our professional life to help contribute to the Fremantle Dockers.”
Dwyer said the camaraderie shared by members of the Derby Club has helped develop a great sense of community.
“The great thing about this club is that a lot of these members have been members for 12-14 years and we’re great friends,” he said.
“We have fundraisers as well as a couple of trips away each year.
“We travel together, and for the first game this year there was a group of 30 enjoying Melbourne together and of course, cheering on Freo.”
In preparation for the completion of the home base at Cockburn Central West, Dwyer said the Derby Club has set some lofty goals, but have a proven track record of contribution.
“The hope is to raise more than $100,000 for the club, and we’d like to get a fair chunk of that before March 2017,” he said.
“We’ll round up our members, get some special fundraising days together, and that’s the task ahead of us.”
