![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/524052428_1159904386_09104.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
“But the year after that there was youth girls, which was under-18s and that was the only age group there was.<\/p>\n
“There was a women’s comp in Melbourne, but never in Ballarat.<\/p>\n
“But as I was ageing out a bit, the Ballarat league came into existence.<\/p>\n
“Now there are a lot of age groups \u2013 women’s, under-19s, 16s and 14s \u2013 and there’s a 12s, who play on Friday nights.<\/p>\n
“It’s definitely grown. (The women’s) game is completely different to what it used to be.<\/p>\n
“You played until you were 14 and then you were lost to the game a bit.<\/p>\n
“It’s awesome now. And with the AFLW now, more and more girls are getting into it.”<\/p>\n
Bokma – a former North Ballarat Rebels representative – said the goalkicking award would not have been possible without the support and efforts of her teammates further up the ground.<\/p>\n
“My right-hand woman, Ellen Werts, we’ve played footy together for a few years now. She plays on the forward flank and is usually delivering the footy to me,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It was great to see her in the top five for goal kicking as well.<\/p>\n
“But it’s all the girls, who pass the ball to me every week.<\/p>\n
“I wouldn’t get these personal accolades without them.<\/p>\n
“It’s definitely a team here at Redan.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got a new coach this year \u2013 Tim Meaney. He’s changed up the game plan and it’s really worked.<\/p>\n
“What he’s doing for us girls is really good. He’s really made us believe in ourselves.”<\/p>\n
Bokma hopes that belief can spur the Lions, who face Bacchus Marsh in this Sunday’s second semi-final at City Oval, to their first premiership since 2022.<\/p>\n
The Cobras, like the Lions, will be full of confidence after upstaging Darley by 25 points in last Sunday’s qualifying final at Marty Busch Recreation Reserve.<\/p>\n
“This is the most promising year we have had in the last couple, definitely,” Bokma said.<\/p>\n
“Belief is half our issue.”<\/p>\n
Week one finals recap:<\/p>\n
Darley 5.4 (34) lost to Bacchus Marsh 9.5 (59); East Point 5.9 (39) defeated Lake Wendouree 3.2 (20).<\/p>\n
Week two finals:<\/p>\n
Redan v Bacchus Marsh (City Oval); Darley v East Point (Eastern Oval).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
REDAN’S Jess Bokma says while personal accolades like the BFLW’s leading goalkicker award are nice, a premiership this season with the Lions would be a far greater reward. The 26-year-old clinched the goalkicking crown with a bag of three in the Lions’ 31-point final round win over Darley. Her main rival for the goalkicking crown, […]<\/p>\n