Junior girls football in Melbourne’s north-west is set for boost with the expansion of the western girls football competition.
The competition run by the Essendon District Football League in conjunction with the Western Region Football League will next season have three age groups, under-18s, under-15s and under-12s.
This season the competition had an under-18 age group and for the first time had an under-13 competition.
EDFL operations manager Marc Turri said the leagues wanted to make sure girls stay in the game all the way through from Auskick to senior women’s competition.
“It’s about providing a pathway for young footballers from Auskick to under-12s, then under-15s and under-18s,” Turri said.
“A lot of girls play Auskick and the key is transition into football teams. Decreasing the age group by a year to under-12s, means it will include primary school children and hopefully it will encourage them to play.
“Girls football is the highest growth sport in Australia, so it’s important to have the right age groups.”
Turri said ideally the league would eventually like to see all of its clubs having junior and senior girl’s teams.
The only club from the men’s EDFL competition to also have senior and junior women’s sides this season was Pascoe Vale.
“Some clubs are more advanced that they have a number of girls wanting to play,” Turri said.
“The key for clubs is starting at under-12 level and have the girls progress through the age groups together.
“It’s easier to hold onto players when they are in playing competitions which are more suited to their age.”
Turri said the EDFL and WRFL would continue to have a combined competition, but ideally in time they would run their own competitions.
“Keeping them combined now will hopefully mean we will have enough clubs fielding teams to get all three competitions going.”
“We are confident that we will have enough sides for all three competitions next year.”
