Kicking off their first foray into women’s football in the ANZ NFNL Women’s Division 3 competition, St Mary’s are off to a flying start both on and off the field.
After a tight loss to Bundoora in their inaugural match, the Burra have won their past two matches against Eltham and Mernda to push up to second spot on the ladder.
St Mary’s coach Rod Temple said he is pleased with how the new team has formed together.
“Putting a women’s team together has been a slow process but we’ve gradually got our side together and got organised,” Temple told NFNL.org.au.
St Mary’s proudly sports a rich football history dating back 45 years and Temple believes the induction of the women’s team has already changed the fabric of the club.
“The atmosphere has changed. The women have brought a new aspect to the club,” he said.
“I think there is a lot of excitement about the future for the girls and it has opened a new pathway for the younger kids to come through now at St Mary’s instead of having to look to go to a different club.
“I think our numbers for next year will be out of control.”
Despite losing their opening encounter to Bundoora in an historic Round 1 game at Whatmough Park, St Mary’s rebounded strongly to win their next two games.
Their first win came under lights when they defeated Eltham by 41 points, before backing that up with a 48-point win over Mernda in Round 3.
Temple said the wins over the past fortnight had been reward for effort for those who have worked hard to get the team on the park in season 2018.
“We’ve had a nice start. It’s nice to have some good results on the board,” Temple said.
“Our numbers haven’t been all that great and it makes it a bit difficult when you’re short on the park, but the team has played well to push through that.
“We’ve been training since November so it’s nice that we’ve got some reward for our efforts.”
With a positive start to the season, Temple is hopeful that his team will be able to carry on their momentum and continue to develop.
“We always want the women to enjoy their football and a win is always nice but it’s not the be all and end all,” he said.
“We want them to learn and develop as they go along, especially the younger ones who are just starting their football careers.”
St Mary’s will have a bye in Round 4 this weekend before travelling to Henry Turner Reserve on May 6 to face the ladder leading VU Western Spurs in an important clash.
