The Manningham Juventus Old Boys started in 1964, when a group of former Juventus (nowadays Brunswick Juventus and Brunswick Zebras) players wanted to continue playing football socially.

The clubrooms are adorned with photos and newspaper clippings harking back to the glory days from which the club emerged.

Now, the Manningham Juventus Old Boys is a thriving local club, full of character and its own history of success. Anyone having a coffee in the clubrooms can’t possibly miss the cabinets chockfull of trophies won by the Old Boys.

Behind the canteen counter located inside the modern clubrooms, you’ll find two stalwarts, Tony Ceraso and Antonio Capponi.

Capponi, who was awarded a life membership in 2018 and was the club’s president and vice president for six and four years respectively, has been a part of the Old Boy’s since it started. For him, it’s a very special place. “Especially now that my wife passed away, this is the only place that I can spend a bit of time and enjoy, apart from family,” he shares.

Ceraso, who used to be the president of Kew Eagles, has been an Old Boy for 25 years. He still beams with pride when talking about the time he, with the Juventus Old Boys, played against the Adelaide City Old Boys in front of a massive crowd.

Tony Ceraso (left) and Antonio Capponi hard at work

“That, of course, was the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of,” he says. “I was a goalkeeper, even if I was short, and I saved a penalty from [John] Perin. He used to play for the Australian national team. That was the highlight of my career.”

Ceraso and Capponi are not the only ones the club has provided with special memories.

Bogdan Bonk is a Manningham Juventus legend who has been involved with the club for 30 years, both as a player and now as the coach of the over 55s.

“I was invited by Peter Balassone in 1995,” he explains, “I can’t play anymore, because my body says, ‘No,’” he laughed, “One day, you have to stop.”

“We have great players who have played for this club,” he explains. “One of the most recognised players was Malcolm Dunford, he has [41] caps for New Zealand.

“If you have players of that sort of calibre, it makes your life easier.”

Bogdan Bonk running a training session with the over 55s

For Bonk, the chemistry of the Old Boys off the pitch was just as important as the quality on it.

“We had a beautiful, nice group of players and people, so it was much easier for us to celebrate the end of the season winning trophies.”

Cavaliere Peter Balassone has been present for the club’s entire journey. He’s currently the chairman and treasurer, and in the past has served as president and secretary. For him and the other veterans, it’s time to pass on the baton.

“In the next couple of years, I want to get someone to take over from me,” says Balassone, “I can’t be around forever.

“We’ve gotten to a stage now where we just have to grow. We’ve got a few youngsters involved in the committee, and it’s looking pretty good.”

One of those youngsters is Anthony Milicia, who took over the role of club president three years ago.

“I came in 2014 to play over 35s with some mates that were already here,” Milicia recalled.

“I still play in the over 45s when I can,” he says, “The body’s a bit broken, but I try to get out there and exercise and keep that bond with the boys.

“I was just here socially … playing football and having a plate of pasta and a drink after the training session or game, but it’s become more than that with [my] kids being involved.

“[It’s been] fantastic, the club’s been very welcoming; it’s a good environment to be around.

Like Capponi, Milicia believes the club provides more than just the chance to play football. “I think it’s a great community club,” he says, “Everyone that has been here, and either left or came back, they’ve always spoken highly of the community environment.”

One of the other youngsters helping the club reach the next level is Christine Carbone, the club’s first ever woman secretary. “What don’t I do?” she joked when asked about her duties.

“The guys are great,” she says. “They’ve been really accommodating; they appreciate new ideas [and] different opinions coming from a female perspective.”

“We have a lot of parents tell us just how great the community is, [it’s] very friendly and very different to other clubs.”

Both Milicia and Carbone have big ambitions for the future of the club. “I’d like to see the junior program blossom even further,” says Milicia, “[I’d also like to see] the senior men move up the ranks to, hopefully, State 1 in the next few years.

“We’ve got to get to 3 first,” he smiled.

“Senior women’s football is our next big push,” he reveals. “We’d really like to get a senior program for the pathway for the girls to have as well as the boys.”

For this, the club needs more space, which it’s working on.

“Ideally, it’d be amazing if we could get our hands on another ground and keep building our amazing community,” says Carbone.

What really makes the club unique is the wide age range of its players. “To have such a wide range of ages here, coming together for the same thing … it’s just brilliant,” Carbone says.

“It’s a bit of a niche club, a bit ‘boutique-y’ I say.”

This demographic change occurred three years ago, when the club starting thinking more seriously about the future.

“It’s always been an Old Boys club - Masters predominantly,” explains Milicia, “[But] with the great facilities that we have, we thought we’d expand the juniors’ program [and] get boys and girls involved as well … and it’s been blossoming ever since.”

The influx of youth has meant there’s now more to do for everyone.

“We come early now because of them (the kids) and put the deep frier on for the chips,” says Capponi.

“It’s wonderful,” beams Ceraso, “We’ve been planning this for a long, long time. Finally, it’s happened. We’ve got a lot of kids, it’s beautiful.”

If you’d like more information on how you or your kids can join the club, click here.