MPFNL 2023: Five female club presidents lead clubs to finals

We take a look at the changing face of local football as female club presidents make their mark in the Mornington Peninsula league.

Karingal president Sara Burke (left) and Somerville’s Sam Merks have led their clubs with distinction this season.

It was a changing of the guard of sorts leading into the Mornington Peninsula league season, with four clubs electing female club presidents.

It brought to five the number of ladies in charge of the 22 local clubs — almost a quarter of the league.

Six months on, the women-led clubs have achieved notable success.

Every club with a female president has made finals.

Somerville, with Sam Merks as president, is chasing its first senior flag in 37 years and has already won its first final in Division 2 this season.

Karingal, with Sara Burke at the helm, has all three teams in finals in Division 2.

In Division 1, female power has driven Pines (with Kim Jackson as president), Mt Eliza (Cass Clayton) and Frankston YCW (Lou Meagher) to finals action.

Like Karingal, the Redlegs have all three teams in finals.

Frankston YCW president Louise Meagher.

Pines president Kim Jackson. Picture: Facebook

Burke is in her third season as president of Karingal, while Merks, Jackson, Clayton and Meagher have stepped into the top job this year.

Merks remembers a time — and it wasn’t that long ago — when females were in the background at football clubs.

Now they’re leading the way.

“We have evolved as a community and it’s wonderful,” she said.

“As my husband says, and it’s true, it’s not the gender of the person that matters, it’s the right person. I think we’ve all got used to that now.”

Karingal senior coach Luke Forsyth said Burke’s leadership was “invaluable’’.

“She’s the matriarch of Karingal footy club and the Burke family is club royalty,’’ he said.

Sara’s mother-in-law Robyn Burke is a past Karingal club president and she and Sara in 2011 created the Bullettes netball club.

“Sara has made her own name in her netball career with a few best and fairests and premierships but to take on the reins as president is another notch in her belt,’’ Forsyth said.

“She’s always one to go into bat for you when you need something.

“We’ve fortunately convinced her to go around again next year which is awesome.

“I couldn’t speak more highly of her and what she does...she’s always the one giving.’’

Mt Eliza president Cass Clayton with Nathan Jones.

Frankston YCW senior coach Paul Goonan said Meagher had played a key role in bringing the football and netball groups together at YC.

“She goes above and beyond,’’ he said.

“She’s got a great rapport with the playing group. Thursday nights, God love her, she sits and plays cards with the playing group, about 15 of them…she’s part of it.

“She’s brought the netball group and football playing groups even closer which I didn’t think was possible.

“They mingle across all parts of the club which is really good. I mean they’ve always been close but they’ve taken another step under her presidency.

“We do a physio night…she joins in with the netballers, they’re now part of it. Our rehab night now includes footballers and netballers whereas once upon a time it was just focused on footballers.

“She’s made a point of combining it. It’s a little thing but it just really reiterates that we are the one playing group now, not just football group and netball group, we’re one group.

“That’s my number one thing that I’ve noticed, and the players love it.’’