The Ballarat Football League will become the first country football league to set up its own Youth Girls football competition in 2011 and needs new players now.
From The Courier
Football: Ballarat girls get in on the action
BY GAV MCGRATH
08 Mar, 2011 11:53 PM
LEX and Brittany are in the game. Now they want other girls to join the revolution.
Alex McLaren and Brittany Anderson, are among the first girls to sign on for the Ballarat Football League's first Youth Girls football season, which will start this year.
The BFL has given the go ahead for the Sunday competition, likely to kick off in May. What is needed now is a rush of girls aged 13-18 to form at least four teams, with the eight Ballarat-based junior football clubs accepting registrations.
McLaren, 18, wants to be part of football's latest frontier because, she says: "footy is amazing and it is Australian".
McLaren and Anderson, 15, are hardly the footballing stereotype. Both were ballet dancing last year before they decided to join East Ballarat together.
MECU BFL football operations manager Aaron Nunn said the league's junior football clubs had expressed interest in running a stand alone girls' league separate from the schools competition, although the size and structure of the competition would depend on the number of players interested in being involved.
He said the league did not want to take girls away from other sports, which was why the competition would likely run on Sundays.
A 15-a-side format, played over six home and away rounds plus finals, was one alternative under consideration. East Ballarat has been one of the first clubs to start actively registering players although junior co-coordinator Wendy Draayers said East would consider fielding a joint team with another club.
North Ballarat women's football captain Josie Smith said she fully supported the BFL's new competition, and was hopeful it would lead to more girls progressing into the Victorian Women's Football League.
Interested players or parents should contact Aaron Nunn at the BFL on 5333 1977 or AFL Victoria development officer Tim Shearer 5339 0916.
Last Modified on 09/03/2011 14:08