Rivals unite to co-captain BFLW in history-making interleague game

Ballarat interleague co-captains Rose Russell and Emmerson Hitch say the team is embracing the rare opportunity to come together as a virtual ‘best of the best’ to represent the BFLW against the Central Victoria Football League (CVFL) on Saturday 4 July.

The 2.30pm clash at Alfredton Recreation Reserve marks the BFLW’s first foray into senior interleague competition.

It will come against one of the recognised strongest country women’s football leagues in the state, centred around Bendigo, but boosted by reigning four-peat premiers Castlemaine and Macedon Ranges-based league newcomers Wedge-Tailed Eagles.

While a senior team previously represented the former Goldfields women’s league, the BFLW has until this season only fielded junior interleague teams.

Co-captains Russell, from Redan, and Hitch (Darley) say the honour of being selected as co-captains has been made even more special by leading a ‘first-time’ team

“The first ever BFLW interleague team – I’m extremely excited and absolutely honoured to share it with Emmerson. She’s an absolute legend,” said Russell, who turned 32 on Wednesday, the same day the captaincy announcement was made.

“Seeing her from the other side at Redan, watching her at Darley, she’s always got great things to say and speaks so well.

“It’s a big honour.

“I don’t know how many seasons I’ve got left in me, so it really is an honour to get there to an interleague game.”

Hitch, co-coach of last year’s Devils premiership team and a forwards coach with Coates Talent League club Western Jets, echoed the feelings of respect and admiration.

“Rose is fantastic. The way she talks and the energy she has, that engaging mindset of getting around everyone, she just warms up the room,” she said.

“You don’t get to see that when you are playing against her, but we know she is always hard at the footy.

“From a Darley perspective, through the years, we have always had to keep her in mind and have had to tag her at times.

“But being on the same team and seeing her get around the girls, getting to co-captain alongside her is something I’m enjoying and I love the friendship we’ve formed over the last few weeks.”

The BFLW is being coached by Danyel Waters, who is in her first season as Darley’s senior women’s coach.

She will take charge of a team of 24 players.

While they have long-been rivals on the field, with Darley and Redan dominating the premiership scene in recent years, Hitch and Russell do share a bit of common ground.

Both are school teachers – Hitch at Melton Secondary College and Russell at St Francis Xavier Primary School in Ballarat.

For Russell, captaining an interleague team for the first time continues a family tradition.

Her father Stephen Russell, a life member at Hampden Football Netball League club Camperdown, was an interleague captain, as was her grandfather Ray Russell, also a life member and Camperdown premiership player.

“It’s a bit of a fun fact I only learned this week,” Russell said.

“Too bad my brother doesn’t play footy anymore, but that’s okay, I’ll continue the tradition.

“I just love footy. I honestly wish I were one of those girls who got to play juniors as well.

“But that’s okay, I’m making up for it now.”

After eight weeks of training together, Russell has gotten to that point where Saturday can’t come soon enough.

“I’ve never played footy interleague before, I’ve played netball interleague, but to have like the best of the best from every team and to create a super team is really exciting,” she said.

“Danyel is such a fantastic coach and really thinks about everything; really focused on where everyone is playing and their role in the team.

“We have a good team, but we are the underdogs, playing against Bendigo, but sometimes that’s a good position to be in with a lot to prove.”

A privilege for both captains as part of the interleague experience has been getting to better know their normal on-field rivals.

“I’ve loved training and taking a mask off the opposition. It’s always been us versus them, but now we are in a team together,” Russell said.

“Speed and skill are our strengths, and I feel like we have a good balance as well.

“There’s some older girls like me, but we have a 17-year-old in Leivi (Lane). A great depth of experience, but plenty of adaptability.

“We’ve been training for some different scenarios under Danyel and she’s been watching a few of the Bendigo games as well.

“We are ready to go and there’s a bit of a home ground advantage.

“It’s pretty bloody cold in Ballarat right now, so I’m sure we can work that to our advantage.”

Added Hitch: “That’s the special part about interleague, coming together with the other girls.

“It’s absolutely amazing that we finally have this opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Ballarat women’s interleague program.

“Training over the past eight weeks … you’ve known of players from Redan and East Point etcetera, but to come together collectively and to learn off each other and to embrace each other’s strengths and weapons … I’ve definitely made a whole lot of new friendships.

“Some of those are with the Redan girls. There’s obviously been some tension through those grand finals over the past few years, but this interleague environment is such an awesome experience.

“And that’s what football is about, the connections and the relationships that you make with people.”

Hitch is expecting Ballarat to thrive on the challenge of coming up against a Central Victoria team that will arrive in Ballarat with more unknowns than knowns, but with an impressive recent form-line in representative games.

“For the best of the best of the Ballarat league to go up against a pretty strong Bendigo side that for the past four years has dominated their interleague games, we’re just happy to get a chance to play such a quality opposition,” she said.

“We’ll embrace the challenge,

“I think we’re going to see a real quality game of women’s football and to be involved is just fantastic.

“It’s great to finally get the chance to represent the league.”