By Mark Heenan
Three Ocean Grove-raised Geelong VFLW players said it was a dream come true to play on home soil at Ray Menzies Memorial Oval on 13 May.
Locals Hannah Burchell, Anna Teague and Lara Williams all took part in the Geelong Cats VFLW Ocean Grove-based inaugural fixture.
The representative women’s clash was well attended by local AFL followers and Grubber fans.
“I was very pleased with the turnout,” Ocean Grove Football Netball Club president Tony Potter said.
The Geelong VFLW team 11.7 (73) won the round-two clash over the Melbourne suburban-based Seaford Tigerettes 4.2 (26) by 47 points.
A memorable start saw Burchell kick the opening goal at the three-minute mark, while Teague stormed from half-back and booted a running goal mid-way through first term.
Burchell finished with two goals and was named in best players, alongside Teague.
The 22-year-old Burchell said it was great to see some of her former junior coaches at the ground watching on.
“I was walking off the field and I actually saw my first (AFL) Auskick coach,” Burchell recalled.
“The first time I came and played footy was on (Shell Road) … .and Darren (Moroney) was my AFL Auskick coach and he was there as we came off – that was pretty cool.
“Back then (in my juniors) I thought there would be no pathway for women’s footy.”
For Williams, 24, she relished an opportunity to play on the bigger confines at Shell Road.
“We did train on here once (before the game), so I had a run on here (at Shell Road),” said Williams, sister of Ocean Grove Football Club senior captain Kelly Williams.
“You realise how wide and how big (Shell Road) was,” said Teague, 29.
Teague said it was important that “community hubs” like Ocean Grove had the opportunity to grow the AFL women’s concept at a junior level.
No other major local football was played on the Bellarine as the BFL had a general bye on 13 May.
Nearby Torquay played host to a Geelong VFLW exhibition twilight game at Spring Creek Reserve across the Easter weekend in April.
“I think there is such a push for young girls to come up through the juniors now,” Teague said.
“They have got so many (junior girls) teams in these community hubs the more we can get it out to them and support those junior clubs and get the word out there the better.”
Two Ocean Grove junior female teams played in curtain-raiser games prior to the Geelong VFLW clash.
The Grubber under-15 girls side celebrated its first win over the Geelong West Giants.
FINAL SCORES
GEELONG 11.7 (73) d SEAFORD 4.2 (26)
GEELONG
Goals: H. Burchell 2, A. Teague, A. Habib, H. Trevean, E. Allen, K. Darby, M. Boyd, C. Blakeway, M. Janssen, L. Mithen
Best: C. Blakeway, H. Burchell, A. Teague, L. Mithen, J. Woollett, H. Trevean.
