By JARROD POTTER
INCOMING Beaconsfield women’s coach Mark Haughton knows better than most there are plenty of challenges in starting up a new club.
He not only takes the task in his stride, but has embraced it completely.
After guiding Endeavour Hills through its inaugural Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL) season this year – culminating in the Division 3 team finishing third and the seconds making the finals – an offer of coaching a club closer to home was too great for Haughton to overlook.
“I’ve moved on with the club’s blessing – Endeavour Hills were really good about it,” Haughton said.
“I had an opportunity to go to and the club was very happy for me to take the opportunity – I love Endeavour Hills and the set up down there and I’ve simply moved on as it’s a lot closer to home.”
With many of Beaconsfield’s triple premiership winning Youth Girls team reaching the cut-off age in junior football, Haughton has plenty of home-grown talent to work with as the Eagles’ seniors take flight in 2016.
Learning from his experience with Endeavour Hills, Haughton knows what it will take to get the Beaconsfield women’s team up and going and believes the network and facilities at Holm Park Reserve will innately drive success.
“I’m stoked to be at Beacy – Gary and Troy have been brilliant, the facilities are great but it’s more so how hard the members have worked to get those facilities,” Haughton said. “I’ve got everything I need at Beaconsfield to do the best job possible and drive the club to be one of the best places in Australia for women to play footy and I believe we can do that.”
The VWFL side will complete the female football pathway at Beaconsfield – from juniors all the way through to the end of a senior career – a fact Haughton is particularly proud to see.
“We want to become one big family and to let the girls coming through and especially the 12 and 13 year old girls who can actually see what happens when you get to the seniors and that it can actually be done – it’s not a big mountain to climb and they can do it within the club,” Haughton said.
“I’ve got Troy (Robinson) ringing me up about potential recruits and the president (Gary Valentine) telling me there are girls who want to cross from netball as well and it’s great; last year it was just me doing the networking and this year it’s a collaborative effort.
“I think the club can make a solid impression – we don’t know what the competition will look like but I’m sure the girls will want to win some games and we’ve had some training runs already and I’m very impressed with the level of ability.”
Haughton will be assisted by former Endeavour Hills utility Ashleigh Seymour, who has recently retired from football.
Haughton encouraged players of all skill levels to come along and get involved. For more information on Beaconsfield Senior Women’s Football Club, contact the club at secretary@beaconsfieldfc.com
