For Mitchell Lewis, Roleystone Football Club has become far more than just a place to play football. 

Currently serving as president, Mitch has spent more than 15 years volunteering across almost every role imaginable at the club, helping guide Roleystone through a period of enormous growth and change.  

“Other than secretary and treasurer, I’ve probably held most roles at the club over the last 15 years,” Mitch said.  

What began as helping out around the club through family involvement quickly evolved into a long-term commitment. 

At one stage, Mitch, his brother and his mother were all heavily involved simultaneously, with the family helping steer the club through some formative years.  

From marking lines and stocking bar fridges, to managing sponsorships and leadership responsibilities, Mitch gradually took on more responsibility each season before eventually stepping into the president role.  

Today, alongside leading the club off the field, he is still pulling on the boots and playing senior football himself. 

“We consider ourselves the little Aussie battlers up there in Roleystone,” he said.  

Despite being a smaller community club, Mitch says people continue travelling significant distances to be involved, something he believes reflects the culture built within the club. 

“When people are travelling 30 or 40 minutes twice a week with fuel prices these days, they’ve got to be liking something about the club,” he said.  

Over Mitch’s time at the club, Roleystone has grown from a one-team club into one with multiple senior teams, a women’s program and a returning Colts side.  

One of his proudest moments came through helping the club secure stability on field, eventually paving the way for that broader growth. 

“Winning the C4 premiership was probably the moment that gave us stability as a club,” he said. 

“That gave us the drive to get the women’s program up and running, and then the Colts after that.”  

Mitch reflected proudly on seeing both programs flourish in recent years, particularly given the club had not fielded a Colts side since 2007.  

While football success has been important, Mitch says volunteering has also provided him with a personal outlet away from the pressures of everyday life. 

“I’m involved in a pretty stressful business outside of footy,” he said. 

“Coming to the club a couple nights a week is almost like a reset mentally.”  

As a fully volunteer-run club, Mitch says the importance of volunteers cannot be overstated. 

“You can’t even put a number on how valuable volunteers are,” he said.  

He believes one of the biggest keys to a successful community club is retaining volunteers long term, allowing people to fully understand and grow into their roles over time. 

“A volunteer probably really starts becoming beneficial in year two or three once they fully understand the role,” he said. 

“It’s those people that stay around, take ownership and commit to the journey that become so important.”  

For Mitch, the journey at Roleystone has become deeply personal. 

“I clearly love the club and just want to see it succeed,” he said.  

This National Volunteer Week, the Perth Football League proudly celebrates volunteers like Mitch, whose dedication continues helping community clubs grow, evolve and remain places where people genuinely want to belong.