Having won eight of the last 10 Premier Division titles in the VWFL, the Darebin Falcons are setting themselves for their next challenge of conquering the new VFL Women’s competition.
The establishment of the 10-team state league sets up a whole new playing field, with Darebin starting on the same base as their opponents. New season, new start.
“It’s always a new season,” Darebin’s new playing coach Jane Lange said.
“We start every year thinking what we can improve on from last year and what did we do well last year rather than thinking that we’re defending.”
The Falcons currently field eight AFL listed players including AFL Ambassador and Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce and had 16 players nominated for the AFL Victoria Women’s Academy.
“Whenever anyone gets the opportunity to step up and play seniors, it always has the promise of finding which of our players can step up more consistently – six of our Youth Girls are training with us as well as doing their own training,” Lange said.
“Besides, [the Academy players] going away and then coming back here with the skills that they have is just going to be a benefit in itself.”
New players from their 2015 Division 1 team and Youth Girls will bolster their line-up in 2016. Just as important is the extra professionalism brought by the appointment of James McConnell as Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Darebin’s on-field success is helped off field by the work of the Darebin Women’s Sports Club, where football joins soccer, cricket and 8 Ball sides as part of a larger organisation.
Recently appointed club president Aleisha Leonard said being an all-female club has advantages and disadvantages.
“It can often be more difficult for us to obtain the same level of sponsorship as female teams
who are associated with male teams or within male clubs,” Leonard said.
“Our club is run by its members for its members, so our committee has historically been largely made up of ex or current players.
“I believe like many other clubs, recruiting the volunteers required to help within all facets of running a multisport club is always challenging.”
One of the keys for the club is creating a football pathway, which will start at Auskick level.
“We’ve only ever had a Youth Girls team for twelve to eighteen year olds,” Leonard said.
“In the future we would like to grow a successful junior pathway program for girls of all ages in AFL as we have done in Soccer.
“This will begin with the launch of our girls only Auskick program in April. We’re hoping to get up an Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s team eventually and keep our Youth Girls for sixteen to eighteen year olds.”
Success and increased media promotion for female football has only created positives for Darebin in the off season. Having recently signed a three year sponsorship deal with Meridian Communication, the club recently installed new light towers that will enable them to train properly during the dark winter nights for the first time.
The City of Darebin Council is also set to acknowledge the clubs impact, featuring one of its players in an upcoming book.
“One of our senior AFL players Darcy Vescio is going to be in a book about up and coming Darebin sportswomen called ‘Women in Sport’,” says Leonard.
“It’s a really good story – Darcy first ran onto Etihad stadium in a Bulldogs jumper as part of the Auskick program she participated in with her brother in their home town of Wangaratta.
“Fast forward 12 years later she ran onto Etihad Stadium again but this time as a drafted Western Bulldogs player in the Exhibition Match.”
Darebin will start its season at home against Cranbourne, it the battle of the premiers in Premier Division and Division 1.
WEBSITE: www.falcons.org.au
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