By JARROD POTTER
BEACONSFIELD Youth Girls coach Troy Robinson and captain Georgia Anderson had one last task left in this year’s Youth Girls campaign – and by extension their time in the South East Juniors together – to hold aloft the 2015 premiership cup.
Robinson and Anderson were there from the tentative first steps of the Eagles – helping generate interest and building numbers while trying to get ready for the first season in 2012.
Who would have thought a handful of years later the duo would leave the junior ranks with three consecutive premierships and a flourishing Youth Girls program at both senior and under-12 level.
Beaconsfield’s premiership onslaught continued on Sunday against its usual rivals Cranbourne in an 81-point whitewash.
All the usual Beaconsfield performers up forward got their hands on it early – Brooke Struylaart, (three goals) best on ground medallist, roamed the midfield before heading forward and piercing the Cranbourne defensive structures, while Jess Matin (three goals), Katie Angelis (three goals) and midfield tandem Georgia Gee and Tyla Hanks (two goals apiece) finished the job at Casey Fields.
Georgia Fisher and Lauren Hojnacki also excelled in the outing to lock down the back-line and midfield and keep pushing the ball forward.
Anderson – one of 10 Beaconsfield triple-premiership players – held the premiership cup aloft as her final action as a Youth Girls footballer and could not believe four years later the amount of success the club had created.
“I was at the first ever Beacy training session when we had four girls, so to finish off with three premiership medals around my neck, there’s nothing better,” Anderson said.
“The premierships are always massive and winning my first premiership with my sister (Chloe) – that was the best feeling I’ve ever had.
“Just want to say a massive thank you to the coaches and all the coaching staff and the families and to the footy club for being the best footy club I could’ve ever played for, and I’m so happy to finish up as a one-club player with all the positives that have come with it.”
In those four years, the club has become a powerhouse and with Youth Girls under-12s, the senior Youth Girls and a Beaconsfield VWFL team a possibility next season, Anderson thought it was an awesome place to play from start to finish in their footy journeys as Eagles.
“We’re in a pathway now – we’ve got complete support from the boys – we play practice matches against them and they train with us – to have that support with the junior girls as well is massive, all the way up to women’s as well, so I don’t think there will be any stopping us now at this rate,” Anderson said.
It was the third and final time Robinson would climb the dais and take a premiership.
He could not believe what the side has accomplished in four years looking back to those initial sessions and inaugural season.
“It’s nothing we would have ever expected,” Robinson said.
“When we first started up the club, we thought by year three or four we would want to be a good, competitive team, but the girls just want to learn and love playing football and it’s awesome for us.
“It’s exciting for us and puts us in a good place.”
It was a fitting time for Robinson to bow out of the South East Juniors Youth Girls coaching ranks as he leaves 2016 and beyond in the safe hands of incoming coach Matthew Gee.
“It’s just about creating opportunity – Matty is a great leader and a great opportunity for the girls to continue to learn from new people and different voices,” Robinson said.
“I’ll probably be their most parochial supporter next year.
“It’s a fantastic competition – really exciting the way it’s getting promoted and we’re supporting each other – just super excited and I love these kids to death – they’re great.”
