Limestone Coast Women’s Football League leads the pack as season returns for 2021
Forced to abandon its 2020 finals series, Limestone Coast women’s football is back and paving the way for the generation of footy stars.
Mount Gambier
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mount Gambier. Followed categories will be added to My News.
What began as two teams made up on the day, a Limestone Coast Football League has grown to a nine-strong competition, which is paving the way for the future of country female football.
The Veolia Limestone Coast AFL Women’s League was forced to abandon its 2020 finals series when COVID hit and now clubs are hungrier than ever for premiership glory ahead of Sunday’s 2021 season start.
Coach Micheal Hunt led Mundulla to a premiership in its first season in 2019.
Finishing fourth in 2020 before the pandemic derailed the Tigers’ chance of going back-to-back, he said the team was looking forward to a more competitive 2021.
“South were the best side in the minor round last year so, a bit of credit must go to them, they’re a good side and would have taken a bit of beating,” he said.
“You never know and we’ll never know but hopefully this year we get to see how teams have progressed.”
Hunt and said he had learnt more about the sport in three years coaching Mundulla than he had in his lifetime.
“Every year you see major improvement in the girls because they just strive to be the best they can be,” he said.
“They hadn’t played the sport before you can’t expect miracles in the first year, it was quite scrambling and unattractive footy but I think if you go along to any of the games in the Limestone Coast footy league this year there’ll be some really attractive football.
“They’re super competitive, super committed to being the best and you just hope that everyone does everything they can to help that happen.”
Kybybolite’s Holly Hannaford played her first season in 2020, alongside sister and league leading goal kicker Della Hannaford and she is ready for redemption.
Undefeated until the final round of the home and away season, Kybybolite fell to South Gambier in the top of the table clash, dropping them to second on the ladder days before finals were called off.
“That was shattering,” Hannaford said.
“It’s pretty hard when everything is going the way you want it to and then just to lose that opportunity.
“It was a shame the way it had to end unfortunately but hopefully we‘ll get another crack at it again this year.”
Outside of high school and college football at St Mark’s College, Hannaford had limited chances to play growing up and she said it was great to see a younger generation of female footballers coming through the ranks.
“It’s really exciting especially for some of the younger girls coming through now and actually developing from that Auskick age up, their skills are going to be incredible,” she said.
League president Sarah Ottoson-Crossling said it was committed to developing women’s football in the region and the next step was the introduction of an under-16 competition in mid-March.
Ottoson-Crossling said three teams – Border Districts (Frances), Kybybolite and North Gambier – would make up the inaugural season with options to grow.
“Girls, from any club, will still have the opportunity to come and play for any of the teams during the season,” she said.
“We want to make this clear, if enough girls show up, we’ll make a fourth team.”
South Australia’s best lash technician of 2024 revealed
The votes are in and counted and it’s two-in-a-row for the winner of this year’s best eyelash technician.
Fate of ‘embarrassing’ road name decided after call to ditch historic ‘slur’
A council has made its decision on whether to change the name of a local road after a resident objected to its “offensive” connotations.