Ellenbrook Eels

Welcome

The Ellenbrook Eels Senior Football Club was established in 2002 on the back of initial interest from three local residents Vaughan Roberts, Ben Franks & Troy Newick. The Club competes in the West Australian Amateur Football League (WAAFL) with 3 senior teams and the colts team. The Masters (over 35's) play every second Sunday and are a vital part of our growing club.

With Ellenbrook being such a young suburb in the Swan Valley, the club prides itself on being a “family based club” with regular events including family gala day, Auskick half time matches and the Saturday night family dinners.

The Club is based at the Ellenbrook District Open Space, Maffina Parade, Ellenbrook.

2011 was the clubs 10 year anniversary and yielded the clubs first flag with the reserves taking out the C4 Reserves Grand Final. This was backed up in 2012,2014 & 2017 with the club claiming the C3 reserves flags. The colts became flag winners as well in the 2016 West Coast Eagles Colts division.

Eels Media Interviews 250 gamer Rob Schnaars

Tonight Eels media catches up with club legend & Milestone man Robert Schnaars.

Eels Media – So Rob, you are the clubs games record holder, the first person to hit 250 games – how does that make you feel?

Rob Schnaars – Very proud to reach the 250 and a little surprised. Definitely appreciate this milestone the most given the amount of injuries I’ve had since the last.

EM – It’s funny you mention the injuries, at Eels Media we think you’ve had more surgeries than Jesse Manning has kicked goals – can you list them?

RS – Well rupturing the Achilles was the big one, that really sucked. I fractured an eye socket and broke my hand four times I think – three of them needed surgery. And I also missed half of last year with a pretty severe hamstring injury. All that since my 200^th milestone.

EM – That’s a fair list. By our reckoning you’ve missed 70 odd games trough injury – did you ever think about giving it away?

RS – Yeah a couple of times, it was probably almost two years after I snapped the Achilles I still couldn’t run on it properly, still very painful. And at the end of last year, getting up for every game was a struggle, told myself that wat it haha.

EM – But like a bad penny you keep turning up haha. Speaking of turning up, for those that weren’t at the club Saturday night, can you please tell everyone how you came to play your first game for the Eels?

RS – I had absolutely no interest in playing footy at the time, hadn’t played in about 3 years. I drove my brother Cal to the Eels very first game to watch him play. They only had 17 players and Troy Newick asked me to fill in. So I played that game and ended up playing every game that year and here we are.

EM – Here we are indeed, Life Member, 2 x league leading goal scorer, back to back fairest & best including the inaugural Founders Medal – that’s quick a list of accomplishments. Obviously since you started a reserves side was added and then a masters, colts and thirds – what are some of the biggest changes and challenges the club has gone through in that time from your perspective?

RS- I think the biggest challenges were early on. In 2002 Ellenbrook only consisted of the Bridges, Woodlake and a little bit of Coolamon. There was no club rooms, no Coolamon Oval. We borrowed Baskerville Oval to train and play on the days it wasn’t being used. Every week after a game someone would put their hand up and we’d go to their house and do awards there and have drinks. There was no money for strapping tape, trainers, etc. As Ellenbrook slowly grew, the club grew.

EM –Let’s talk about the highlights – fellow life member David van Raalte reckons that your brother Buddha took the best grab the club has ever seen but the goal at Subi Oval by Devo himself was the best kicked in the blue jumper. What are your favourite?

RS – Gee hard to say, so may good times. Playing alongside my brother Cal and cousin Boogs for a number of years is something I’ll always cherish. Getting to play Swan Valley on Subiaco Oval was very cool and was very honoured to get life Membership. The inaugural season will always be a highlight. It was unique, when you think of how old some of the clubs are around Perth, not a lot of guys get to experience an inaugural season of a football club.

EM – Very true. You hold the record for club games but there are whispers that Red is already telling you he is aiming to overtake you – does this inspire you to keep going? Surely you can’t let a ruckman overtake a key forward?

RS – I think his body is holding up a little better than mine these days so it may happen. Having the record is nice but there’s only one thing that I want and that’s experiencing a premiership with the lads. I’ll keep going until I get that or until my body is completely cooked lol.

EM – So we’ll pencil you in for another 250 and hopefully a couple of flags along the way. Thanks for your time tonight Rob, good luck for the rest of the season and beyond.