White letters spelling out 'K. Freeman' are stacked 10 rows high, stretching all the way up the board to 2012, with this year's inscription set to extend that even further.

Already described to me by more than one person as the backbone of the club, the diminutive figure of Karen Freeman is bedecked from head to toe in Bulldogs colours to brighten up this bleakest of winter afternoons.

Having served Jindera as secretary for more than a decade, there is not an ounce of hyperbole when Freeman puts into words her feelings for the club.

"If you asked my children, they'd say it means as much to me as they do," Freeman smiled.

"That's probably not quite true but it does mean a lot to me.

"I feel I'm needed here and I feel welcome.

"I know almost everybody because I've been here so long and it means I have somewhere to go on Saturday which is important these days as well.

"I did have a hole in my life in 2020, when you had to just stay at home. That was huge and it was very good to be back the following year.

"It keeps my brain active as well, which is big, because I gave up work a few years ago.

"I do it because I love it, there's no other way to put it.

"I love the players, I love the environment and I love the people I've met."

Freeman, who joined the club in 2004, also spent two years as treasurer and it seems I won't be the only person coming to her with questions today.

"There's a lot of liaising between myself and the players and the other clubs in the league," Freeman said.

"People come and ask me how many games players have to play to qualify for finals and all that sort of stuff.

"The real challenges come earlier on in the season when players haven't done their re-registration and the coach says on Saturday morning 'I want so-and-so to play.'

"They need to be registered correctly before they can take the field and that's all done via the internet, which the player needs to go on and do themselves, so generally I'm standing beside them, prompting them and helping them how to do it."

The way Freeman speaks about feeling valued is telling.

"We sat down a few years ago and tried to ensure we brought the right people into the club," president Simon Cossor explained.

"It's all about good culture and good values, that no-one stands above anyone else; the bloke on the bench in the seconds is the same as our best senior player.

"What does good culture look like? Smiles on people's faces, no negativity, people being open to change and valuing other people's opinions.

"I think that's been important, especially for the playing group. Andrew Wilson, our senior coach, has pushed for everyone to be open and to make sure everyone can have their say.

"That goes right through the club. I'm the president and the buck stops with me but everyone else on the committee is at the same level."

Cossor and Wilson were both juniors at the club, went away and have come back with a shared vision.

"I wanted to lead by example as a playing coach," Wilson said. "It's creating that environment where guys are comfortable talking to you, whether they're 18 or 35 years old.

"My style is that I'm one of the group, I'm not a dictator out the front.

"I'm always open to feedback and happy to chat because everyone's got to be on board when you're dealing with 21 players in a side.

"If you have an issue, let's talk it out, let's hear different opinions.

"At the end of the day, I've got to make the final decision but I always tell the guys it's transparent, open and I'm just guiding the ship."

Wilson's deep investment in his players is matched by a level of expectation when it comes to them representing the club.

"If we're out in a public place, whether it's training or just a social function, I always remind them that it's not going to be John Smith who's played up, it's going to be John Smith the Jindera football player," Wilson explained.

"That stuff can filter out, especially in a community like Jindera, so make sure you're acting in a manner your parents or your partner would happy to read about.

"Boys can be boys and you mess around but's more putting it back onto the individual to take ownership of their actions. It's a life skill, not just about being a footballer."

Seeing young boys come through the ranks and emerge as senior footballers has given Wilson huge satisfaction and the work being done at grassroots level suggests the future of the club could be even brighter.

"We had about 30 kids, five years ago, but it's gone through the roof since then," Jindera Auskick president Jono Kalina said.

"We're now up to 135 kids and we've set up a full committee. Last year, we got recognised as the fastest-growing club and the most female participants in NSW, which was a really good achievement to show the strength of the Jindera community, how popular footy's becoming and the work we've put in.

"You look through the list of kids and they're coming from a dozen different schools.

"The aim this year was to get a lot more kids in the Jindera colours so we did a beanie drive and bought hoodies. We supplied the kids with their own jersey for the whole season, we had to buy 150 so it was a big cost but we raised the funds.

"If you can have local footballers coming through, the club won't have to pay big money for big-name stars and it's only going to benefit you for years to come."

The sort of success Jindera are chasing on the football field is already par for the course on the netball courts, where seven of the club's eight sides could still play finals this season.

"That's a fantastic effort and testament to the kind of network, coaching and skills we have around the club," netball secretary Aimee Riley said.

"You often see the seniors rocking up early to help train the juniors or give clinics and it's really important to us that our juniors are well looked-after, to help strengthen our senior grades going into the future."

Riley, who's also been heavily involved in securing grants to upgrade the club's facilities, has blue, white and red running through the branches of her family tree.

"I'm a fourth-generation player at the netball club," she explained.

"It started with my great-grandmother being a founding member and my Nan and my Mum have both played more than 300 games here.

"That history is extremely special to me and I think it's a fantastic example of what club loyalty gets you.

"To be able to have a considerable understanding of a club, from where it started to where it is now and to play a part in that is not something everyone gets.

"I'm very lucky I've had good role models and I intend to continue on and put my best foot forward for bettering the club.

"The club rooms we currently have were moved from the tennis courts just after my Nan was married and she's been married over 50 years.

"It's really important for us to keep these facilities updated and to be able to attract younger players to continue having strong netball but also good people at the club who stick around."

One of the final pieces in the puzzle when it comes to fostering genuine unity at Jindera is the proposed merger of the football and netball clubs.

"That's been my biggest drive, to get that merge going," netball president Jess Guy said.

"The last few years, with the two playing groups, it hasn't seemed like we're two separate clubs because we've gelled so well. But getting the two committees together and getting this merge happening to make it one club will hopefully make us a more successful club.

"A lot of times, the footballers didn't actually realise we were two different clubs; they were like 'how?'

"We're in the process of getting it done, getting the constitution organised, so it works for both clubs."

And those teams, of course, extend far beyond the seven netballers or 18 footballers who might be playing at any one time.

"This club belongs to the community," trainer Kerrie Lynch said.

"Being on the bench and getting to know the players is terrific. You feel part of it and you get to celebrate the wins with them.

"To see Kris Holman play last week and get through after being injured for so long was terrific. I feel for them because I know how disappointing it is to be out and then I get excited and happy for them to be back doing what they love.

"It doesn't matter what school you go to, it doesn't matter what economic background you have, it's a community here and everybody's welcome.

"It doesn't matter if you're old, young, male, female or have a disability, it's very inclusive.

"You're all the same on the day, you're all together, part of one community and one team."

Over at the canteen, the theme continues, with a flock of volunteers dressed in blue helping Sheree Harding feed the hungry hordes.

"What's really good is that we get the footballers and netballers in here to be a part of it," Harding said.

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"We're raising money for the players, so it's great to have them behind the scenes and realising what's involved.

"People haven't been out for a few years so to get a good feed at the footy and to know they're spending their money supporting our club, if we can give them really good food, that gives us a lot of pride.

"Everyone's missed being around and socialising, even just standing next to each other and having something to eat, so it's lovely to see that again."

Experience has taught me that if you want to know what to buy from the canteen, go straight to the boss, and Harding's recommendation of a chicken schnitzel burger box deal doesn't disappoint.

Chips smothered in gravy form part of a huge serve which is, quite simply, the best footy tucker I've had all season.

It's hard to imagine spending $10 better anywhere.

Back to the sporting action and Jindera's A-grade have edged out Howlong to win by five goals, while the senior footballers have gone down by just six points after a contest every bit as absorbing as the muddy playing surface.

"It's important the senior group's doing well," Cossor said.

"We don't want to drop too far down the ladder because it's hard to come back up from there but in saying that, and I've really pushed this, to say the whole club's had a successful day doesn't necessarily mean the seniors have won.

"There's another 11 sides in the club that could have won so the seniors may have lost but we've still had a great day."

And, with a genuine sense they are 'all in this together', it's not hard to see why the men, women and families who go out to Jindera tend to stick around.

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