Sport - Girls Football

One of the most talented and courageous Girls Football teams we have fielded in some time, today (June 19th) finished 2nd at the Upper Hume Junior Girls AFL carnival at the Barr Reserve, and will progress to the ​Hume Region stage on Tuesday 23d July, the 1st W.H.S Football team to do so since 2017.

The team of nine Year 8s and a whopping twelve Year 7s (a disadvantage regarding size and strength), finished with a 2-2 record across their 4 matches of 30 minutes, but could have easily went 3-1, if not 4-0. Had we been at full strength (at least half a dozen of our strong Year 8s chose not to play), we could have been Upper Hume Champions.

With the temperature outside almost freezing at 9:00am, the girls warmed up in the heated and luckily-vacant C.L.C Building which allowed us to delay our departure into the cold until absolutely necessary. A YouTube highlight reel of former student and current Carlton AFLW player Darcy Vescio, a look at the team photos of our two State Championship Girls Footy teams of 1996 and 1998, discussion about the significance of School Football to the W.H.S culture over the last 100+ years, the Rocky theme song "Eye Of The Tiger" blasting on speakers during a handball warm-up, and then the announcement of the prestigious leadership group — all this on the back of a Lunchtime Practise Match the day before — had the team primed by 9:30.

It was still only 2 degrees by the time their 10:00am opener against local foe Cathedral College began, and although we dominated possession, we couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard other than Full Forward Bella White kicking a sneaky one on the goal line, going down by 7 points (1.1.7 to 2.2.14) in a game they could have won.

The 2nd match was where we got on a roll. Up by 2 points at half time against Victory Lutheran College Wodonga, our girls then came out and blitzkrieged them with 4 goals in the 15 minute half to win by 17 points (4.1.25 def 1.2.8), thanks to two Year 7 dynamos Mia Simpson and Isabella Boulton kicking two goals each.

After a well-earned bye and rest, Game 3 was against the much-hyped Catholic College Wodonga, who had apparently been smashing everyone to that point. Our girls were gallant and matched them for most of the match, but Captain Inanay Gilson was the only one who managed to goal, and we were eventually outclassed by 14 points (1.1.7 to 3.2.21).

A dominant victory against local rivals Galen College was a superb way to finish the day. The girls kept Galen completely scoreless in the match, winning by 15 points (2.3.15 to 0), with Simpson and Gilson goaling. The girls became our 2nd Footy team to beat Galen this term, along with the Year 7 Boys - something not achieved for a number of years if not a decade or more. It’s a significant feat considering they have twice our enrolments. It signifies the quality of young people enrolling at W.H.S in our junior year levels.

Final standings were tight, but this result pushed us into 2nd place thanks to our percentage being stronger than Cathedral and Victory, who also finished on 2 wins.

There were numerous outstanding individual performances worthy of describing. All six players mentioned below would comfortably slot into either of those State Champion teams from 26 and 28 years ago.

Captain Kaity Ford of Year 8 was the cornerstone of the team today. Dominating at Centre Half Back, the Murray Felines player and Victorian Junior Basketball League Baketballer continually stopped the opposition entering their forward 50. She was able to read the play and cut off the ball all day, taking intercept marks, charging forward and gathering loose balls. She barnstormed through packs, breaking numerous tackles, before kicking forward into attack. When she didn't have the ball, she laid massive hits and tackles. An inspirational leader and pure gun.

Wareena House Captain Isabella Boulton was exceptional in the midfield as a Year 7. The ​Wangaratta Rovers player roved brilliantly at ruck contests, and then was able to use her explosive pace to burst out of the contest and complete multiple clearances. When the ball hit the ground, she was always the first to it, anticipating it before others and moving like lightening with her first few steps. She would then either burn opponents off with speed, or dodge around them with cat-like lateral movement, and often take a running bounce as she left them in the dust, moving with balance and kicking with skill. Despite her light frame, she was also also extremely courageous, laying tackle after tackle, often being rewarded with free kicks. She ran all day on the ball, and even got forward to kick 2 goals in the space of a few minutes. Absolute gun.

Mia Simpson was our most brilliant X-factor - creative, exciting, and virtually every play leaving Football Enthusiasts grunting and sometimes laughing. Playing Centre Half Forward, the ​Year 7 Wangaratta Rovers and ​Junior Tigers (Boys League) player marked pretty much anything that went in her area, and if she didn't mark it, was usually the first to hit the ground and gather it, moving like a cat with agility and balance. Reminding me of a young Stevie Johnson (3x Geelong Premiership player and Norm Smith Medalist) when he played for W.H.S and, like Mia the Tigers, you could see she was always a step ahead mentally, knowing what she was going to do before the ball arrived, continually turning her opponents inside out with spins and turns, and creating scoring opportunities out of nothing. She kicked 3 for the day to be our leading goal kicker, and could have easily had more. The Rolls Royce of the side, her kicking skills were exquisite - I can't recall ever seeing a more fluent and balanced kick of the ball in Girls Football.

Paige-Lee Dummet was another standout Year 7, the 3rd of a Tremendous Trio. Like Mia, Paige-Lee plays in the Wangaratta Rovers Girls team on Sundays, and the Tigers Boys team on Saturdays, and it shows. She racked up a mountain of possessions in the midfield, and could be relied upon to win the ball whenever it went near her. The ​King House Captain took many a mark on the lead, and won the ball on the ground as well, often being the link player between defence and attack. She ran all day, was clean both on the inside and outside, and extremely tough and determined. 

Captain Inanay Gilson was an integral player, despite being ill and not at full fitness. The multi-talented Wangaratta Rover who remarkably plays both Football and Soccer each weekend — not to mention winning the Victorian Gravity Enduro Mountain Bike Title earlier this year —  played through the midfield most of the day, and was clean, effective, strong and reliable in any contest she was involved in. She took timely marks, hit bodies with tackles when needed, used good kicking skills, ran all day, and was always a threat when moved forward for a rest, kicking 2 goals including one huge set shot from outside 30m, and one after a big fall involving a whiplashed head on the ground. Another super competitor and ripping leader from our Year 8 cohort.

Vice Captain Ruby O'Kane was the other Year 8 to be absolutely pivotal. She handled the crucial Ruck role all day, without rest and without wavering. The Soccer player has never played competiton Footy, but would blitz most in the league if she joined. She directed hit outs to her midfielders all day, took clean overhead marks, gathered loose balls without fumbling, won clearances from her own ruck taps, tackled, put her head over ground balls will unwavering courage, and ran all day. Along with Kaity and Inanay, the 3rd piece of one of the best Leadership Groups you will see in a Junior sport team.

Tellingly, 5 of the above 6 girls will race in Benalla in 2 days time, at the Hume Region 3km Cross Country run. All finished Top 7 at the Upper Hume race in Dederang.

GOAL KICKERS: Mia Simpson 3, Isabella Boulton 2, Inanay Gilson 2, Bella White 1.

BEST PLAYERS: Kaity Ford, Isabella Boulton, Mia Simpson, Paige-Lee Dummett, Inanay Gilson, Ruby O'Kane.

HOW THEY LINED UP:

B: Claire Shilcock, Amelie Booth, Zya Da Silva

HB: Leila Hyland, Kaity Ford (C), Kate Preston

C: Ruby Barnard, Inanay Gilson (C), Willow Norris

HF: Ellouise Jones, Mia Simpson, Scarlet Adamo

F: Bianca Hagl, Bella White, Paige Tanner

RUCK: Ruby O'Kane (VC), Paige-Lee Dummett, Isabella Boulton

INT: Mahalia Mowday, Ellie Hutchinson, Georgia Kelly

Thanks to all our girls for competing today. To the many with no Footy experience who played an unfamiliar contact sport on an ice cold day like today, you were brave. You'll be even better in July when you give yourselves the chance to be our 1st W.H.S Football team to make it to a State Finals tournament since 2017.

Thanks also to our many helpers toady, especially Central Umpires Clarence Lampa and Will Sayers, Boundary Umpire Jeremy Bagley, Year 7 Young Guns Will Bouton, Nick Jones and Austin Whitehead and Year 7 Girl Annabelle Wills who was a great help. Thanks too to P.E teachers Morgan Clark and Alex Johnson, who gave up their Lunch break to come and support the team, many of whom are in their classes, and provide expertise.

There are heaps more photos ofnFacebook, courtesy again of Kev McGennan, current parent and former W.H.S teacher. Thanks again Kev, a great W.H.S man.

Jud Mullins

CLC Coordinator.