By JARROD POTTER
BEACONSFIELD has cast its recruiting net pretty far for its inaugural Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL) season with Melissa Pfeffer lacing up the boots 16,000 km away from home.
Pfeffer, 23, relocated from Stuttgart, Germany for south-eastern Victoria this year – coming to Australia on a teacher-exchange to join Pakenham Hills Primary School.
But she never thought it would also involve a stint with the newly formed Beaconsfield Women’s Football Club.
Her room-mate Rachael asked her to come along and join her football team earlier this year and from the first session she was hooked.
The Eagles’ number 28 has loved every second on the footy field at Holm Park Reserve, taking her place in the Beacy forward line and also making her presence felt around the ground in the ruck.
“I love it – I love it – normally I play soccer but I like AFL more than soccer now,” Pfeffer said.
“I’m working in a primary school doing a kind of internship and I’m living with Rachael, who is also in our team, and she invited me to the training and I tried it and I like it.
“I like this team, I like the girls and they’re really friendly to me and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Making the code-switch was a little daunting, but Pfeffer has taken to her adopted sport with gusto and loved every second on field.
“I knew about American football, but not Australian football, so it’s the first time I’ve seen the sport,” Pfeffer said.
“It’s really rough, it’s really good – I love it.
“Soccer is not that rough, but I like to be rough sometimes so it’s really nice.
“I kicked a goal last game, so that was my favourite thing, and I think I like to play in front, play forward.”
She heads home at the end of July, leaving six more games for Pfeffer and Beaconsfield to continue making a mark on the VWFL South East Division together.
“She’s our first international recruit – in the pre-season we were struggling for numbers and called out the SOS,” Beaconsfield coach Troy Robinson said.
“She’s an exchange teacher while she’s here working locally and decided to come down and have a look with one of the other teachers and she’s absolutely loving it.
“First game got a goal and back on the phone to dad in Germany and he doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.
“Great to have somebody that sort of height in the team and we’re putting a lot of work into her around rucking and hitting to a contest, blocking – a couple of jobs that if she can do over the next one or two games we’ve got with her that will be great for her and us.”
