How Geelong West survived and thrived as a women’s program

Geelong West had a decision to make at the end of 2022. What they did next led to the club’s first senior premiership. Find out how the Giants survived and thrived as a women’s program.

Women's Grand Final Div 2 Geelong West. V Thomson. Geelong West Giants Players celebrate after winer the Grand Final.

Geelong West had a decision to make at the end of 2022.

Its women’s program was faltering, having won just one game in Division 1 that season, and had been held scoreless twice and to one point twice in 10 games of football.

The Giants were being relegated to Division 2, and with a looming exodus of players, were going to struggle to field a team in 2023.

But instead of packing it in, coach Matt Marsden called on the club to promote a large contingent of its under-16s girls team, which had just finished second on the ladder and lost in a preliminary final, to the senior women’s side.

The gamble paid off, with the Giants hoisting the division 2 premiership cup with one of the league’s youngest sides.

Marsden said the club had taken a massive risk to promote from within rather than calling it quits.

“Where we are from where we were, even six months ago, is a massive difference,” he said after the extra-time win.

Alyssa Cross could have played in the Giants’ under-19s team if they had one.

“Basically the program wasn’t going to exist, we had to put in a lot of work and sacrifice our under-19s team and our under-16s team to field a senior side.

“There are heaps of under-16s girls playing in our senior side, but we looked like not even having a team at one point.

“We put in a lot of work, it really is a program-wide achievement to not only make a grand final but to win it as well.”

Casey Conor for Geelong West.

The plan to keep the senior program alive also cost the Giants their under-19s team, with the club pulling out of entering a side in the new competition.

It wasn’t all without consequence, with the under-16s side winning just one game in 2023 and finishing last on the ladder in division 2.

Despite now the proud owners of senior premiership medals, Shae Conor, Danielle Rhodes, Rachel Bath, Kiya Conor and Darcy Berry were all eligible for under-16s football in 2023.

Makenzie Cumper for Geelong West.

Makenzie Cumper and Alyssa Cross both starred on Sunday but could have been playing in the under-19s side if it existed, while Rhianan Woods is still playing for Geelong Falcons in the flag-contending under-18s team.

Marsden said having a strong senior side would bring the rest of the female program along with it.

“The juniors will come together, winning the premiership will help get young girls into the program and that’ll lift the whole side of female football,” he said.

“After this win we go to 13-1 on the season, if you look at our trajectory we just going up and it’s a great feeling to be a part of it.

“Thomson as well, they should be overjoyed with making the grand final after not even having a team before this year.

“They would’ve been very worthy winners if they had got up, which they definitely could have.

“The women’s competition needs more quality programs, and they’re certainly one of them.”

Originally published as How Geelong West survived and thrived as a women’s program