Harper Sercombe
The Western Eagles are continuing to build their successful women’s program.
Following an undefeated FV state league 4 season, the Eagles are continuing to expand and develop women’s soccer at the club, with plans to add in another senior and junior teams.
The Eagles were fantastic this year under coach John Bilcharz, winning 14 of their 16 matches, drawing the other two, with a positive goal difference of 36.
Bilcharz said the growth of women’s soccer at the club has been great with the team consistently having an excess of players, forcing Bilcharz to rotate through his squad.
“It’s been fantastic… the numbers are there and the retention of the players are very similar to last year, we didn’t lose many,” he said.
“I’m super keen for next year to try to get two teams up and running across a couple of divisions so it’s really good.”
Trying to fit a squad of 26 into a game day maximum of 17 players was always going to be tricky for Bilcharz. He said a key to his team’s success was the messaging he relayed to his squad in virtue of securing promotion.
“I was pretty honest and upfront at the start of the year that our intention was to win the league,” he said.
“If that meant us having to play our better players more regularly… then we would do that.
“If our messaging is clear and concise then I think everyone has got that honesty from me… it will alleviate a lot of the problems.”
The messaging is the same to his players ahead of the 2024 season, with the Eagles back on the training track last Thursday night.
“In state 3 at a minimum, I definitely want to survive and not come back down [to state 4],” Bilcharz said.
“At a maximum I would think it would be grouse if we could get promoted to state 2, that would be fantastic, the momentum’s there.
“I’m looking forward to next year and there’s no reason why we can’t go again and potentially win the league.”
While the hope is that the Eagles will be able to add another women’s side, more junior girls teams are to be expected in 2024, which is something that Bilcharz is passionate about.
“I spent a lot of years with my daughter at Keilor Park… they had girl’s teams from under nines all the way through the ages up into the senior squad… I’d like to mirror that if we can at our club,” he said.
“Then we’ve got a pathway of girls coming through at whatever age group, I’d like to be involved in that program.
“There’s no reason why we can’t get some of our girls to train some of the younger girls to give them some exposure.
“I’ve got visions of how I want it to work, the next step is putting it in place.
“We definitely want a junior program of girls coming underneath so it rejuvenates the senior side in years to come.”
