CVFL out to spoil BFLW’s dream interleague initiation

CVFL co-captain Carly Geary says the team is embracing the tough test ahead to deny the BFLW an emotional win on home turf in tomorrow’s senior women’s interleague fixture in Ballarat.

While Central Victoria is an old hand at interleague football, thrashing Millewa in its most recent clash last season in Mildura, Ballarat will be taking to the field for the first time since the former AFL Goldfields women’s competition was rebranded as the BFLW in 2021.

Geary will lead the CVFL into battle alongside her Golden Square teammate Kira Gibbons, the pair announced as co-captains just this week.

With their rivals having no real exposed interleague form, Geary said the focus for the CVFL had been very much on their own strengths and preparation.

“I don’t really know what we are going up against, but I feel we are going to be a bit of a force no matter who we are against,” she said.

“We have got a really good side.

“I know we are playing on a Saturday, so we’ll be missing a few of our best players because they have netball commitments and what not, but the team is really strong despite of that.

“We are developing into a really strong league. I feel we’d compete quite well against Melbourne sides, but it’s hard to get a gauge when you don’t come up against them.

“You don’t really know until have you something like interleague I guess, which is part of the attraction of interleague.”

As the BFLW prepares to break new ground with its first foray into senior interleague competition, Geary is mindful the hosts will be eager to make their introduction a winning one.

More than most in the Central Victoria line-up, she has at least some grasp of what they will be up against.“I actually played a couple of games over in Ballarat a few years back for East Point … just filling in to help with some numbers, but we had quite a strong side,” Geary said.

“I don’t think the team ended up making finals, but there are some very strong teams over there in Ballarat and with some quite handy players.

“They have quite a good connection with Melbourne with some players going back and forth from VFL to their local club.

“There’ll be some very good players floating around come Saturday.”

Both Darley and Redan, which have dominated the Ballarat competition since its inception in 2021 and are currently first and fourth on the ladder, are extremely well represented in the BFLW team with seven and six players respectively.

A further five are from Ballarat Swans, which is sitting third on the ladder in its first season fielding a senior women’s team.

Ella Bradbury is the sole representative from second-placed Bacchus Marsh, which has emerged as a major premiership threat with its exciting young playing list.

Another four are from fifth-placed East Point.

Coached by Eloise Gretgrix and Leigh Stevens, the CVFL team includes a league-high nine players from ladder leaders Golden Square.

Geary admitted being shocked, but honoured to be named co-captain, and especially thrilled to be doing the job alongside her new Bulldogs teammate Gibbons.

“Especially with the group we have … we have such a strong team,” she said.

“And Kira is a teammate, so I’m really privileged to be standing alongside her as co-captain.

“She’s an absolute ripper and such a great leader, and a player all our team would just love.

“That makes it easy.

“This is his first year at Square and she has slotted in perfectly; just a great personality.

“That’s part of being a good leader – being approachable.

“I’m sure everyone on the team would be quite comfortable going to chat with her.”

Lining up for her third interleague campaign, despite missing the CVFL’s last three, Geary admits to relishing the tough opposition that representative sport dishes up.

“I hope that it’s a really good hit-out … would love to be challenged. That’s when people play their best footy, when they’re challenged,” she said.

“I like high-end sport.

“No doubt it’s going to be a tough one to win, but I reckon we’ll pull through.”

The BFLW v CVFL senior interleague clash kicks-off at 2.30pm at Alfredton Recreation Reserve in Ballarat.