It’s been many years since I attended a football training, but I’m at Willunga Football Club to interview its dynamic new president, Julie Clifton. Julie’s election was pathbreaking for the club, and written about previously on Fleurieu App (here). I’m here to find out more about the person.

Julie is obviously a multi-tasker, and after attending to strapping some wonky knees in the changeroom, we set off with older daughter, Lindsay, to walk her dogs around the perimeter of the football oval. Julie was brought up “down there” in Adelaide. We’re in Willunga and Adelaide is down the hill after all! Julie excelled at netball and softball, and represented the State in the latter. She also aspired to be a police officer, and duly joined the force out of high school.

Fifteen years and postings from Coober Pedy to Yankalilla and numerous points between led to life lessons learned and what might be termed an enduring philosophy. Working in many different and diverse communities instilled in Julie what would become a lifelong interest in community policing. It’s an involvement that’s she has maintained, even after leaving the police force. Developing relationships with members of the community is common to much of what Julie does and has pursued in her life. It’s a guiding principle, even at the Football Club. Instilling community spirit, being welcoming and safe is part of the club’s culture that she wants to preserve and grow.

After the police, Julie operated an Indoor Play Café at Christies Beach. Yes folks, that’s babyccinos for kids. But its purpose dovetailed into her involvement with local schools wanting someone like Julie to convey messages about real life and how to keep safe. Julie enjoyed being involved in this arena and became one of the first people in SA to educate young people about cyber safety. She completed a training course with the US Department of Justice that provided a platform for her advocacy. Her approach is about harm minimisation, rather than setting out never-to-be-trespassed laws. Young people experiment and push the boundaries. That’s part of growing up, of course. But Julie believes that a young person will tend to make better life choices if they are well-informed.

Apart from what must seem like a full-time job as a sporting club President, Julie’s “day job” these days is as a social inclusion counsellor at a Hallett Cove school. Her focus and involvement are with troubled children. The approach she takes is to provide a toolkit for dealing with stressful environments. Mindfulness can be helpful she adds. Sadly, Julie notes that parents separating and divorcing is often very stressful for kids. And, more recently, some school children have struggled with the pandemic. The loss of that regular routine, the learning and missing friends from school. There’s a lot on Julie’s plate. But she copes with it all admirably. More importantly, she’s making a positive difference.

As I start lagging behind the ladies and the dogs, to conclude the interview, I asked Julie for her top tips to help newcomers to Willunga and the southern Fleurieu.

Best place to ...

●     Grab a quick bite … she likes the pizza at Sabella’s at McLaren Vale

●     Have a more serious or celebratory feed … it’s a toss-up! The Currant Shed at McLaren Flat or the Salopian Inn at McLaren Vale

●     Get a cuppa … the Willunga Football Club

●     Have a beer (or cold drink) … see above!

●     Something to do on a Wednesday night … everyone’s welcome at schnitzel night at the Willunga Football Club

●     Taste some wine (or just enjoy the winery atmosphere) ... Bondar Wines or Lino Ramble both at McLaren Vale

●     Go for a dip … Port Willunga

●     Explore nature or just going for a walk … Myponga Reservoir.

When Julie’s in Willunga, she …

• feels … she’s at home. Julie adores Willunga. It’s the community spirit that she most loves. Unbeknownst to me is that Willunga was voted the second most family-friendly town in Australia. Julie and Lindsay are actually a bit miffed, as they said it must surely be number one! They want a recount!

Most fun thing that’s happened to her here:

·     The barrel rolls in a biplane at Aldinga.

Best memory of being here:

·     Too many to recount!!! But Julie and her daughters compiled a fun list of 50 things to do when Julie turned 50. That was an incredible experience for this devoted mum. It even overshadowed her recently being named as an AFL ambassador.

Her best piece of advice for anyone heading to the region:

·     Book for a long enough period to enjoy as many things as possible. A few days are simply not enough!

The final word …

What’s an interesting life Julie’s led! She’s a dynamo and makes a difference to people’s lives and the community she loves. On taking my leave, I joke that she should be our next South Australian of the Year. Hmmm … no joke.