Culture of friendship
Melville’s Peter Della Bona speaks to Chris Egan
“Culture is the most important thing.”
That one phrase could probably sum up every Perth Football League club and what makes a community football club so special to so many people.
When it has been spoken by a club stalwart like Peter Della Bona of the Melville Football Club and follows discussion points about the importance of friendship and what friendship does to make a club successful, it gives a great indication of what drives Melville.
Given that Melville has club origins that date back to 1906, they are one of the longest standing clubs in Perth community football and it is the simple premise of friendship that has allowed the club to survive and thrive.
“We do have success, but I think for us, it’s more about the culture,” Della Bona said.
“We built a culture that is more about friendship and a safe place for people to be in, people want to be a part of that, that’s what we work really hard at.”
Personally, Della Bona’s own involvement in football has always been based around friendships and he is proud that the club he has had over 25 years of involvement with, has these similar values.
As the club has continued to grow, Della Bona acknowledges that the club has had to continue to work hard to ensure that it is representing its own community. Melville has recently embraced a family environment on game days, but still recognise the mateship that comes after games and after 7pm on Saturday nights, long after the kids and families have gone.
Likewise, they like a number of clubs in the Perth Football League, have grown in recent seasons by adding additional men’s teams and their first female side. This has meant greater interaction at the club and allowed the club to continue to widen its own membership, and friendship base.
Now club events are an even mix of female and male representation, as opposed to those of bygone eras where the friendship was more about the blokes. Club events continue to be well supported, but have a different feeling, given this club has grown into a more inclusive club.
“It is very rare that someone walks out of our club where they have an issue with us,” Della Bona said.
“The friendships that are forged, it is a very honest club, everyone is a part of one club.”
It has been that way at Melville since 1906.