Both know it will take a significant amount of hard work and sacrifice to make that dream a reality, given the level of commitment they need to show as Sunraysia-based squad members in the Bendigo Pioneers’ Under 18 Boys program.
Despite the obvious challenges of living multiple hours away from the Bendigo Pioneers’ main training base, Copeman and Fangaloka’s ambitions of making the elite level have received a boost thanks to the Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary.
The Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary is an annual, one-off scholarship that is funded by La Trobe’s Mildura Campus to support Sunraysia-based footballers like Copeman and Fangaloka with their Pioneers commitments.
In addition to his commitments as a senior footballer for Wentworth, Copeman has been required to make regular round trips to far flung corners of Victoria for him to be part of the Pioneers’ squad.
“Being part of the (Pioneers) squad, it’s a lot of hours in the car,” Copeman said.
“The Super Sunday training commitments we’ve had with the Pios have been in Swan Hill, which is two and a half hours away and there have been a fair few trips there.
“Then obviously for games Bendigo is four hours (away), so that’s even more time in the car which can make the body pretty sore after a game. It’s a big commitment for my Mum to take me to games and a lot of dedication for me as well, but it is a commitment that I enjoy.”
For South Mildura product Fangaloka, the Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary helps ease the financial and travel burden faced by Pioneers players based outside of Bendigo.
“I come from a family of 12, and most of my younger siblings also play sport, and this comes with similar expenses like shoes, uniforms and registrations,” Fangaloka explained.
“These costs can quickly add up for my parents, so receiving the scholarship helps take some of that financial pressure off them. I am also a boarding student at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat, which is around five hours away from my home in Mildura. Because of this distance, the transport between both can add up to be expensive, and the scholarship greatly helps with those transport costs as well.
“Being part of the Bendigo Pioneers program is something I am very grateful for, and it plays a big role in helping me work toward my goal of playing AFL football, so I thank La Trobe for this scholarship.”
As recipients of the Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary, Copeman and Fangaloka have been awarded $1000 bursaries to provide financial support in covering the cost of being part of the Pioneers program.
“The scholarship is going to help a lot, especially with fuel which is definitely not cheap and other things I’ll need for footy this year to help me succeed,” Copeman said.
“I’m grateful to La Trobe for the opportunity with this scholarship.”
La Trobe University Head of Mildura Campus, Dr Sandra Connor, said the Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary was an important initiative to support Sunraysia locals in their elite junior football pathway journey, and was the Mildura Campus’ contribution to the university’s wider support of the Pioneers.
“The Mildura Campus (Bendigo Pioneers) bursary has grown out of the existing partnership that La Trobe’s Bendigo Campus has with the Bendigo Pioneers, and we were aware that there were athletes training up here and also travelling to Bendigo and other areas to be part of Pioneers squads,” Connor said.
“We looked for a way that we could support that locally, knowing that relocation down to Bendigo is quite difficult and costly, and that travelling to get to games and training sessions that aren’t based in Mildura is quite difficult for many families.
“The bursaries are a way we can be part of supporting the Pioneers and the Pioneers athletes who are based here as well.”
Connor said both of this year’s bursary awardees in Copeman and Fangaloka stood out for their commitment to family, community, leadership and overall dedication to football.
“Corbin and Sioeli both had really strong applications and they successfully demonstrated the core values that we value here at La Trobe’s Mildura Campus,” Connor said.
“Their aspiration to be athletes of the highest calibre and the work they put in towards that was important, but just as importantly for us is the way they participate in a team environment, the way they are taking on leadership roles within their teams and also how both value the sacrifice their families have already made to get them to this point of their athletic careers.
“As a result of the values both Corbin and Sioeli displayed in their applications, we were really happy to award these bursaries to both of them.”
For more information on La Trobe’s naming rights partnership of the Bendigo Pioneers, visit the La Trobe Sport website.
Main Image: Bendigo Pioneers Men's Under 18's squad member and Wentworth footballer Corbin Copeman has received the backing of La Trobe University to pursue his football ambitions via the Mildura Campus Bendigo Pioneers Bursary.
