By JARROD POTTER
MAKING the step up to the big league, Beaconsfield Women’s Football Club needs a boost in personnel to keep a team on the park throughout 2016.
After the resounding success its Youth Girls team has gone through in the South East Juniors – winning three consecutive flags – the side has transitioned to the senior ranks in the Victorian Women’s Football League.
Playing in the reformed VWFL South East Division, the Eagles are set to battle plenty of familiar faces when it goes up against the likes of Hallam, Endeavour Hills, Warragul and Knox.
Beaconsfield’s three-peat junior premiership coach Troy Robinson has taken the reins of the club, after replacing Mark Haughton part-way through the pre-season, and encourages any women of all skill levels to come along to Holm Park Reserve and give footy a try.
“We’re in need of more players, but really excited with what we’ve got,” Robinson said. “We know for a fact we won’t go out there and win flags this year, but if we can get girls out there running around and having a great time in the South East competition, then that’s what it’s about.”
While the numbers are low at the moment, the pleasing thing for Robinson is getting the commitment out of former Beacy juniors to stay at the club and even coax a few to return to the game as senior players.
“We’ve retained a couple of our experienced Youth Girls from last year which is great,” Robinson said. “Plus we’ve picked up a couple of exciting first timers for footy – played basketball or tennis before.
“The thing I’m really excited about are the girls we’ve pulled out of retirement – a number of girls who have played footy before that will have a run around – their commitment and endeavour is bloody brilliant.”
Beaconsfield wants to build its female pathway as quickly as possible and although there might be a few tough years for the fledgling side at first, the thought of seeing Eagles’ juniors rise through the ranks has motivated the junior and senior club to work together for senior women’s football.
“We’ve had a really good junior program, but then we were losing them into other clubs without a women’s team,” Robinson said. “Now we can create a pathway – particularly for our girls – to give them the opportunity to experience what the VWFL is about when they’re stepping out of the Youth Girls ranks.
“That’s really exciting and more so for our junior girls at the Under 13s, they can see a pathway of opportunity coming into the Youth team, then the Under 18s and then the VWFL – it will be great to one day see an Under 10 go through the ranks and make it into the VWFL team.”
The Eagles women will face Warragul Colts on Sunday morning at Holm Park Reserve in a practice match for anyone interested in getting along and having a look at Beaconsfield women’s football.
The club trains on Mondays and Wednesdays 6.30pm to 8pm in the pre-season and will swap to Tuesdays and Thursdays once the season kicks off and players must be 16 years of age as of 1st January 2016 to register.
For more information on Beaconsfield Women’s Football Club, contact Troy Robinson on 0423 072 666 or email secretary@beaconsfieldfc.com.
