Suns and Tigers working together

THE Surf Coast Suns and Torquay Tigers have joined forces to create a new U15 team.

The team known as the Torquay Suns will be coached by Justin Calvert from the Tigers.

In 2021, the Surf Coast Suns extended their girls’ football program to include an U15 cohort.

Unfortunately, the required player numbers did not eventuate, leaving the team with only eight players.

Down the road, the Torquay Tigers experienced a different problem where they had too many players for one team but not enough to field two.

As the season approached, Suns president Mike Thomas and Tigers junior co-ordinator Dean Goodear started talking to ensure all girls who wanted to play football in this age group had the opportunity.

Now in season 2021, for the first time since the Suns began in 2016, a combined team of Suns and Tigers players will be entered into the AFL Barwon Competition.

“The creation of this team fits in with both clubs’ ethos, where everyone gets the opportunity to play,” Thomas said.

“We have been working together across facilities and ground scheduling for a number of years now, and this team keeps all the players together in the one town.”

The power of the Suns combined with the ferocity of the Tigers proved too much for Drysdale on the weekend which resulted in the Torquay Suns achieving a stunning victory over Grovedale.

“It was fantastic for them to come together and get their first win on the board in round two,” Thomas said.

“The whole thing for this age group and this team isn’t always about wins and losses but just the fact that we have got 23 motivated girls together creating a team environment is fantastic.”

It is expected the merger will only last one season as there are a number of players that will bolster the U15 division when they move up from their current age division in the new year.