Kiama AFL club will have their Family Day at Bonaira Oval on Saturday as all three teams take on Figtree in what is shaping up to be one of the strongest seasons the Power have had in years.

Round 1 of the AFL South Coast competition took place over the weekend with only the Kiama Power women’s premier division and men’s reserve grade teams taking to the field.

The women recorded a convincing 28-7 over Bomaderry but the reserve grade men narrowly went down 81-71 to Bay and Basin.

Action from Kiama Power's women's team last weekend. Source: Kiama Power

Family Day will coincide with the first game of the season for first grade and committee member Andrew Grady says the club is the strongest it has been in years.

“We've had a lot of new people turning up over the pre-season, so we're probably in the healthiest place we've been in for years in terms of numbers,” he said.

“At training we've had upwards of 60-plus, which hasn't been seen definitely in the last five, six seasons, especially since COVID, so that's a positive.”

Grady said a big part of attracting new players was to do with the club's environment and culture, which has caused many players to stay loyal despite the last few tough seasons.

“The last two, three seasons have been pretty hard in terms of results. We haven't really won many games, but the focus has just been on building that culture off the field that people feel like they want to be a part of,” he said.

“So we feel like we've done that really well, we've seen the majority of the men's side over the last few seasons remain at the club despite all the results that haven't gone our way on the field, so that's been very positive to see.”

Kiama Power's 2024 men's team in a huddle. Source: Kiama Power

Family Day is a testament to the culture that Kiama Power have been building at their club.

The day will join the seniors and the juniors as the junior teams present the seniors teams with their jerseys on Saturday and vice versa on Sunday.

There will also be face painting and inflatable slides for kids on the Saturday as well as a fundraiser for Heart Research Australia - a cause very close to the club.

“We lost our former president Darren Williams in 2019 - he had a heart attack at the game, so it’s a very important cause to us and we're raising money for that this weekend as well,” Grady said.

As for the upcoming match against Figtree, Grady is optimistic despite the Kangaroos being the benchmark team across all divisions.

The return of key players like Lachlan Kirk, Charlie Wood, and Callum O'Toole, along with the addition of new players like Hamish Robertson, Luke Fallance, and Matt Walker, brings a fresh energy to the men’s team.

On the women’s side, the club has added Imogen Fowles, an Australian indoor hockey representative, as well as a new coach Arthur Chilcott, the first Illawarra player to represent the Swans.

"Arthur’s expertise will be invaluable as he coaches the girls this season," Grady said.

Head down to Bonaira Oval for a weekend full of exciting footy, fun, and a celebration of Kiama Power's growing culture.