The SFL Women’s season kicks off on Friday night with three games under lights

They were ready to play in April, but the coronavirus shutdown made it a frustrating wait for their season to start. Now they are ready for action. We speak to some of the SFLW’s top players.

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TASMANIA’S biggest women’s footy competition kicks off on Friday night and the teams are champing at the bit to get their season under way.

The 11 SFLW teams will play 11 home-and-away games, followed by a three-week finals series with the grand final on October 17.

For Suns defender-turned-onballer Jessica Kube the wait was interminable.

SFLW footballers (L-R) Jess Kube (South East Suns), Mandy Fish (Lindisfarne) and Katie Stanford (Claremont). Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“We’re really excited and glad that we’ve got a season going ahead,” Kube said.

“The girls have trained hard and we are ready to go.”

Lindisfarne ruck Mandy Fish said her Two Blues not only looked forward to playing but also getting people to come and watch, with 500 people now allowed at outdoor venues.

“We are itching to get started and the energy is definitely lifting,” Fish said.

“All of the girls are excited to get back on the ground and round one for us is at home and to get some people around the club will be fantastic.

“Our goal is to be competitive and do as well as we can. I guess every team’s goal is to win the flag and you’ve got to set that as your goal.”

Like players in other competitions — the TSLW starts this week but only a single game — the SFLW teams have not known when to prepare for the start of their season or if there would even be one.

“It has been really hard, especially because we start pre-season so early in the year,” Kube said.

“When we came to the end of pre-season and we were ready to start playing, we got told that it wasn’t going to go ahead, or in the best case scenario it would be delayed.

“Then we had a couple of months off, and that’s really hard for people not only to maintain their physical fitness but it’s also hard on their mental health as well.

“So it has been a tough one, but since we got the go-ahead for a season I think a switch was flicked and the girls were ready to get back in and start training harder to get their fitness up.’

Round one games — Friday: North Hobart v New Norfolk at North Hobart Oval 6.15pm, Hobart v University at TCA 6.30, Claremont v Brighton Abbotsfield Park 6.30. Saturday: Southeast Suns v The Port at Shark Park 10am, Lindisfarne v Kingborough Anzac Park 11.30.