Tigers women’s side ready to roar

THE senior women’s football side at Torquay is ready to roar for 2021 but are still looking few more players to join in.

Tigers co-coaches Lisa Robinson and Josie Smith are overseeing pre-season efforts for the side’s third season in the Epworth Senior Female Football competition, and say everyone is keen to get started following a total lack of competition in 2020 due to the coronavirus.

“We’ve got a few new players this year and we’re on the scout for more,” Robinson said.

“In the first season, it was obviously a bit of an experiment but the girls were pretty competitive by the end of the season.

“We were in Division 1, which was pretty tough for a first-year side but the girls won a couple of games.

“This season, we’re aiming to be pretty competitive again, with a bit of enjoyment there for the girls, and to continue to develop and to get a few of the junior players through our program.”

Robinson said Torquay was looking to build numbers towards starting a second senior women’s side.

“At the end of the day, anyone who wants to play football can play football – obviously the younger you are, the easier it is – but we’ve got Cindy out there who’s in her 40s, and she’s in her second season,” she said.

“We’re really open to anyone who has an interest, whether they’re experienced or not experienced.”

“We want to create a pathway for females to play footy in Torquay,” Smith added.

“We’ve been getting new girls every week at the moment, and getting our name out there.”

Earlier this week, AFL Barwon confirmed the first two Round 1 games in the Senior Female Football season would be double headers with the men’s BFL games, with Anglesea and Barwon Heads to play on April 10 at 5.10pm, and Torquay and Drysdale to play on April 17 at 5.10pm.

“They’re the curtain raisers,” Smith said.

“It’s pretty exciting, I think the girls can’t wait to get out there. I definitely can’t.”

The Torquay Tigers women’s senior side trains at Bellbrae Reserve on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7.30pm. For more information, head to torquaytigers.com/female-football.