The Fitzroy Stars will be out to make history in an unparalleled year of success for their club in Melbourne's Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) on Saturday afternoon.
All three senior teams - the men's seniors, reserves and women's, have qualified for grand finals in 2025.
Former premiership winning player and life member, Uncle Alan Brown, told National Indigenous Times a healthy crowd was expected at training on Thursday ahead of a double-header against Laurimar for the Division 2 premierships in Thomastown on Saturday.
After falling short in last year's grand final, the seniors are chasing their first triumph since entering the NFNL in 2008, and first taste of ultimate success since 1990.
The reserves clinched the cup in 2019.
So far, they're the only NFNL club to have all senior footy sides progress to the final game of the year.
Two of their netball teams are also playing their NFNL grand finals on Friday evening.
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"That's an indication of the strength of the club. That it is rare. It doesn't happen often, that type of success," Uncle Alan said.
"It's all positive - participation in sport and getting together and playing in that team environment.
"But of course, it's bigger than that. It's also about the colours that we wear and who we represent and where we come from."
The Stars were born out of the local Aboriginal community in 1973.
It's a foundation still stitched into the fabric of the club, while also open to the broader community.
Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval in Thornbury, next to the Aboriginal Advance League, is where the club calls home.
The Stars women's team fell just short of a first flag in their inaugural grand final appearance a fortnight ago.
A third quarter surge wasn't enough to reverse the early advantage against Lower Plenty on August 24.
The Seniors, coached by and fielding former 150-game AFL player Neville Jetta, registered two wins over their opponents on Saturday across a faultless 16-0 home and away season while featuring a healthy contingent of top level talent - Carlton and Adelaide great Eddie Betts amongst them.
Laurimar responded to get one back with a 31 point win in the semis before the Stars lodged an 86 points over Ivanhoe last weekend's prelim.
Reigning best-and-fairest Allan Norris is set to notch up 200 games in the grand final - becoming the third Star to do so after Lionel 'Jacko' Proctor and Johnny Hayes Jnr.
The reserves, coached by Uncle Alan, had to go the long route after finishing fourth on the ladder.
They just snuck past Mernda in the first week of finals before comprehensive showings against Kilmore and Ivanhoe's reserves to book a spot in Saturday's grand final.
Uncle Alan's outfit are all square with Laurimar, who delivered them a 79 point loss in round one before the Stars produced a two goal win in response during round 13.
Both Uncle Alan and his son Kaelun, who coaches the women's team, knows the club's impact extends past a couple of hours a week.
"Football and netball is what we do, but not why we do it," Kaelun Brown said.
"The reason why we do it is to have healthy people, not just physically, but mentally spiritually and culturally.
"... we support families in the background. We support people with employment, with health initiatives and health messages. We do family violence support, we do correction support, we do youth justice support. And that's just a tip of the iceberg."
The club felt the impact of Sunday's attack on Camp Sovereignty.
A founder of Camp Sovereignty, Uncle Robbie Thorpe, is a premiership player at the Stars, Uncle Alan said.
"There is a connection between our struggle and our ongoing struggle and the things that we need to face and how we approach that on a football ground or netball court," he said.
In reference to the weekend's event, Kaelun Brown said the club is where laughter, sport, community, unity and healing is happening.
The future of women's football at the Stars is strong, he added.
The bulk of players in the side are mums, many single mums.
"To get a bunch of mums in the park for three or four hours a week of football, the change that has on their community and their families is massive," Kaelun Brown said.
"So the impact off-field really outshines what happens on the field, and we really celebrate that."
Earlier in the season, the men's seniors, reserves and women's team all played at home on the same day for the first time to celebrate NAIDOC Week.
A pair of wins on Saturday would be massive for the club.
"I think it stamps the club as one of the leading clubs in the NFNL. I think it sort of shows that the Fitzroy Stars, when organised, in sync and working together, are a force to be reckoned with," Uncle Alan said.
"You know what the bigger thing is? When the kids and young teenagers come up and say, 'I can't wait till I play for this club'...they just want to be part of it.
"They just want to wear the jumper. They want to share the experience. They see that we do, they get a sense of that unity, that sense of family, that sense of community."
