HISTORY will be created at tomorrow’s AFL Victoria Community Championship match between the Central Murray Football Netball League and North Central Football League.
Some of the district’s top girls footballers will take to the Swan Hill Showgrounds at 9.50am as part of an exhibition game prior to the three representative games.
One keen observer will be Kerang teenager, Bella Ayre, who was Victoria Country’s most valuable player at the AFL Youth Girls National Championships, held earlier this month in Melbourne.
The Kerang Christian College year 11 student will watch on tomorrow as many of her Woorinen teammates, who compete in the Bendigo Junior Football League Youth Girls competition, will play in the one-off match.
“I would love to play tomorrow, but it will be good to see other girls have a crack,” the 17-year-old said.
The national tournament was the fourth time Ayre represented Victoria Country, with this year’s appearance set up through selection following strong performances with the Bendigo Pioneers Academy during a Statewide competition in April.
As one of the oldest players in the Victoria Country side, Ayre was seen as one of the leaders, despite not being a member of the leadership group.
“The coaches wanted to give the girls who will be playing in the 2017 competition a go as being leaders,” she said.
Victoria Country featured in the top pool of the five-day competition, playing against Victoria Metro, Western Australia and Queensland.
Ayre was named in the top players in each of the three pool games, and was best on ground in the team’s first win since moving to the top flight – a nine-point win against Queensland at Sandringham.
“We had a 20 point lead, but Queensland had the wind in the last quarter,” the forward said.
“They kicked a couple of goals early, but we played our structures really well.
“The conditions were just terrible. It was pouring rain and the rain felt like needles on my skin.”
The win set up a second match against Queensland during the final day of the competition, with Victoria Country prevailing by two points at Punt Road Oval.
Ayre kicked two goals in a match that was similar to the sides’ previous meeting three days earlier.
“By this time of the competition we were all feeling heavy (due to the fatigue). My legs felt like tree trunks.”
Ayre is one of 44 players from the national titles that will play in an exhibition match in September, with the All Australian side to be selected following the game.
The match will be one last chance for the St Kilda supporter to show perspective AFL women’s competition teams her skills before December’s draft, which will be used to develop squads for the 2017 national competition.
“I would love to play in the national competition, but it is all about working hard and putting in time,” she said.
Prior to that Ayre will continue to play for Woorinen, and is a chance to play for Victorian Women’s Football League side, Bendigo Thunder this season.
“To all the girls out there thinking about playing, have a crack. There are so many opportunities to play,” she said.
