THE footy season is right around the corner and local clubs Gawler Central and South Gawler are calling on girls of all ages to come down and give the game a go.
South Gawler senior women’s coach Colin Wardrop said the enthusiasm amongst his young squad is infectious, and the game is perfect for any experience level.
“What we’re building is so exciting,” he said.
“Right now we’re just concentrating on developing our juniors and seniors and getting them to buy into the club mentality – we’re all in this together, men, women and juniors.
“A lot of these women are brand new to the game, so there’s no pressure to come in with elite skills or anything like that, we are just looking for positive attitudes and good people.
“I’m hopeful that eventually we get to a point where we’ve got a bunch of girls who play netball on a Saturday and then footy on a Sunday, because things we’re working on like strength, fitness and teamwork are very complementary to other sports.”
Gawler Central senior women’s coach Matt Knight guided his brand new side through a winless season in 2020, but said the growth of his group is staggering, both on and off the field.
“When we started last year, most girls had never played footy, and a few had never played any kind of sport at all, so we really didn’t know what to expect,” he said.
“I thought I had a pretty quiet and reserved group of women at the start, but after some team bonding and spending a lot of time together it turned out the be the exact opposite.
“Winning games is obviously high on our to-do list, but seeing the women come out of their shells and feel like they’re in an environment where they can let their true personalities shine is a really special thing to see.
“I hope when more girls of all ages come out they know they’re not going to embarrass themselves – they’re going to have a great time and meet a bunch of new friends while all growing together.”
So far Tanunda, Willaston, Barossa District, Angaston, Kapunda and Freeling are also expected to try and field teams in 2021, so for more information about how you can get involved, visit your local club’s Facebook page.