When North Melbourne and Brisbane lined up at Ikon Park on Sunday afternoon for the AFLW grand final the players were no doubt thinking back to where it all started — at their local football club.
The Nagambie women’s football team might be young, but it is one of the most determined sides in the league. And also one of the best feel-good stories of the competition.
Coach Breeana Davidson has been at the helm since the Lakers decided to field a team in the Northern Country Women’s League for the 2023 season.
In its inaugural season Nagambie didn’t have many players, but Davidson said they played with the spirit of a fully-formed outfit despite the challenges thrown at them.
“We’ve got a group of around seven or eight that are locked in,” Davidson said.
“They might miss trainings, but last year, they were turning up to every game.
“Hopefully, we can improve from last year. We weren’t quite lucky enough to win last year.
“We fell just short twice, so hopefully this year, just a lot of improvement and getting a few more girls on the park will help us.
“We’re a little bit stiff in missing out on a few of the junior girls that could have gone up to the women’s league.
“So if we had started it maybe two or three years ago, we could have been in a little bit of a better position. But at this stage, the girls are 110 per cent committed.”
The biggest obstacle the team faces is a lot of travelling.
“We have to travel quite far, which is probably the hardest part — travelling to Nathalia, and Echuca three times last season. The closest team is Tatura,” Davidson said.
The Nagambie team is the only women’s football team in the Seymour region.
So, Davidson is on a mission to get women from across the area to start kicking goals in 2024.
“They don’t have to be experienced or have played any games,” she said.
“The majority of them from last year were all first-year players. We had a couple from juniors, but most of them are all brand newies.
“We had two crossovers between netball and football last year. We usually play on a Sunday, so that never really affected us.
“But when it did, we were able to work it out with the other team, so the girls who wanted to play netball and football could.
“With the new lights, hopefully, we’re able to do a few Saturdays after the boys.”
On the men’s side of things, the Lakers have an experienced side that knows the ins and outs of creating a successful team.
With Harley Taylor-Lloyd stepping up to the top job in 2024, there’s a buzz around the club.
Davidson said with Taylor-Lloyd at the helm, the women’s side was sure to benefit.
“I’ve been wanting to get a little bit more experience and a bit more knowledge from the senior boys,” she said.
“With Harley coaching the seniors, it’s going to be easier because he has to — we’re related!
“If I tag along, he’s going to help me out and give me a few of his cheat sheets and stuff like that.”
This year has been a big year for women’s sport in Australia.
Between netball, soccer, cricket and AFLW, players have captured the imagination of a nation.
Davidson is proud to see women’s sport getting the praise it deserves off the back of strong national team efforts.
“We had a pre-season meeting a couple of weeks ago and women’s sport seems to be at the forefront of everything,” she said.
“A lot of clubs are pushing for a women’s team, whether it’s football or cricket. That seems to be the go-to for clubs.
“So they’ve been really good. Like Harley said, it’s going to push us further, we’re one club, so that makes us feel like we’re a part of it.
“We might not have won a game last year, but the morale around the club, let alone just within our team, has been really good.
“The spirit is good. You have to start somewhere and if we can get the culture right, that’s a good stepping stone to making sure in 10 years’ time that everyone is on the same page.”
If you are interested in joining the Nagambie women’s team or just keen for a kick, you can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/nagambiefnc