Essendon AFLW squad set to arrive for two-day community camp in Shepparton in mid-July

On day one, the Dons will be based out of Rumbalara Football Netball Club for a number of activities for fans to revel in, detailed by AFL Goulburn Murray club development lead Sam Monaghan.

“It will include them being welcomed to country, a smoking ceremony and then to the public, there will be an open training followed by fan engagement, player signings/photographs — the works,” she said.

“That evening, there will be a come and play session which will be Auskick and Superkick open to all, not just girls.

“And then that night Rumbalara will be hosting us for a coaching forum with Natalie Wood, their head coach, and the theme will be around coaching female athletes.”

Female-specific coaching, while not new per se, is a relatively untouched space in Shepparton.

And so, the forum’s invitation extends well beyond football.

Whether girls are learning to torpedo out of the defensive 50, score a penalty on the soccer field or otherwise, Monaghan said the tips shared during the sessions would be transferable across any sport.

“It’s very much open to anyone in that coaching space, male or female, that’s working with female athletes,” she said.

“It entails everything from recruitment/retention to differences from male to female athletes and some of the challenges and opportunities that those roles present.

“It should be really exciting, that night, to open that up to the community — hopefully we get a few down there from different sports even.”

While day one of the camp is about the skills and thrills, day two is about giving back.

Essendon’s full list — including Mansfield product and 2023 All-Australian Bonnie Toogood — will scatter around various schools and community groups within the wider Shepparton region to show face and promote female football to the next generation.

In AFL Goulburn Murray’s eyes, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Orienting with the rolling success of the Goulburn Murray Women’s Girls League, in August, AFL GM is set to pilot an under-14 female program under the GMWGL umbrella.

The competition — formerly known as the Northern Country Women’s League — is seeking to create a third division for younger girls to accommodate the burgeoning interest in female football locally.

“With everything that’s going on in the Goulburn Murray Women’s and Girls space, we’re looking to launch an under-14 program next season and this year there will be a pilot program in August,” Monaghan said.

“This is very timely for us in promoting that future competition for next year with our clubs and our local community.

“Just opening that pathway for our girls has been really important to us and we’re very excited to be able to offer that in 2025.

“It’s giving girls an opportunity to play from Auskick all the way to women’s — it’s a very exciting prospect.”

AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell added to Monaghan’s sentiment, noting the Bombers’ visit ties in excellently with the acceleration of the local female football pathway.

“The women and girls space is ever expanding and with the under-14 girls competition due to launch in 2025, this visit couldn’t be more timely in promoting the game to our community and encouraging women and girls to give footy a go,” he said.