Anakie to kick start girls’ team
ANAKIE has started a youth girls football team that will play in AFL Barwon’s under-19s competition next year.
The Roos say there is strong interest from netballers within the club and from local girls keen to try their luck with football.
Club secretary Helen Tucker said with the continued rise in women’s football this season, Anakie was eager to be a part of AFL Barwon’s inaugural under-19s league in 2017.
“We’ve already got several interested girls from our netball area who are really keen to get a team going,” Tucker said. “We went to the initial meeting with AFL Barwon to put our interest in to start up a team for next year.
“I think women’s football is obviously going to be huge and we want a piece of it.”
Anakie’s senior side won five matches in the GDFL this year, but has not won a premiership since 1994.
However, the club has a strong connection to the community.
Tucker acknowledged it was vital to ensure this latest team was representative of Anakie and the surrounding suburbs, and said she was hopeful people would be supportive of the side.
“We need to get some more interested girls and we will be 100 per cent behind it,” she said.
“We’re hoping to get it started soon, but we need to get that interest out there and let people know we are going to have a team.
“We have already got several who are super keen to start up and a lot of those play netball with us.
“We’re hoping to get a campaign going to get some more girls. We know we compete with a lot of other clubs that are also getting youth girls teams.”
Interested girls who will be 19 or under in 2017 can phone team co-ordinator Rebecca Durran on 0408 435 380 for more information.