Junior Almanac: My first footy season

 

by Jasmine Conrad

 

My footy season started one Sunday when I went to the registration for the Caulfield Bears Junior Football Club with my mum and I met my wonderful coach Gilbert.

 

The first training that our girls’ team had was so amazing and was filled with excitement, energy and laughter. And I forgot to mention, also cartwheels. After every training that we had, more and more girls came and the numbers in our team went up and up.

 

After one training we had our jumper presentation where we were presented with a jumper with our number on it. When we received our jumper we also got a poster page telling us what women had that number in AFL, I had number 6 and the people women who have that number are Kirsten McLeod and my favourite player of all time Daisy Pearce. Daisy Pearce is my role model and is a role model for a lot of the other girls as well.

 

Finally game day had come, we were all wearing braids and we were pumped up. Before every game, Donno and Gilbert (our wonderful coaches) chose one captain for each three zones, the captains for our first game were Violet, Tess and Gisele. Before we ran out onto the field for the first time, Daisy Pearce had sent a video to the whole team hoping that we would win and sorry she couldn’t make it in person.

 

The siren rang and my dad’s whistle blew (he was the umpire)…here we go, the first ever girls team playing at our club. This game was going so well, we were winning and there were some visitors watching us, council members and others wanting to sponsor our team.

 

The girls played so well, we won by so much and the goal kickers were violet with 5, myself with 2, Jemima with 2, Maggie with one and Lily with 1. When we got back into the rooms, we sang our amazing club song for the first time, sending a video back to Daisy thanking her for her message and telling her that we won.

 

This season was so great because it felt so good to be the first team at our club to play and that we as girls can prove to everyone else that girls can do what boys do and play what they play. And I could prove to my younger self watching my brother’s game that you can have whatever dream you want, and you can become whatever you like. I love footy so much all of the girls think the same, that is why it is so great.

 

I loved the season because everyone was so nice and they were all there for the same reason which was to play footy and have FUN. We were coached really well and everyone improved out of sight. I had role models to look up to while I was playing and even though I was injured for most of the season (with a broken ankle), I still loved watching my friends and my team playing and thinking about that that is what I did and is going to grow up as.

 

 

 

 

Read more about The Women’s Footy Almanac 2017 HERE

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Read Kirby Fenwick’s review of The Women’s Footy Almanac HERE.