BFLW senior interleague coach Danyel Waters says she is impressed by the camaraderie and the buy-in of her playing group ahead of its 4 July showdown against Central Victoria.<\/p>\n
A squad of 26 players, from which a final team of 24 players will be chosen, is continuing to train with a firm game plan in mind.<\/p>\n
Waters fully praised the commitment and talent of the squad.<\/p>\n
“Now that we have selection out of the way we are refining just how we want to play and what we want to look like out there, according to the strengths of each of our players,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I find there’s always a bit of apprehension when you get rival clubs together and some big personalities, but this group has just meshed so well.<\/p>\n
“I feel it’s overflowing into their games, getting to train together over the last month or so.<\/p>\n
“There are friendships forming between the girls and it was great to see that out on the field two weekends ago when Darley and Redan played.<\/p>\n
“That’s the beautiful thing about interleague \u2013 the forming of new relationships between players and clubs and that ultimately brings out the best in everyone.<\/p>\n
“Otherwise you just go through your career being rivals and you don’t get an opportunity to intermingle.<\/p>\n
“It’s brilliant for that.”<\/p>\n
The squad is laden with players from traditional powerhouses Redan and Darley, with Bacchus Marsh’s brilliant form in leading the competition after 11 rounds also rewarded.<\/p>\n
Quick to make its presence felt, senior competition newcomers Ballarat has five players in contention to make the final team.<\/p>\n
The clash against the CVFL, whose member teams comprise reigning four-peat premiers Castlemaine, Bendigo Thunder, Eaglehawk, Golden Square, Marong, Sandhurst, White Hills and league newcomers the Wedge-Tailed Eagles, marks a long-awaited return to senior interleague competition for the BFLW.<\/p>\n
It will be the league’s first senior interleague game in six years.<\/p>\n
Castlemaine (five players) and Golden Square (nine), which heads the ladder at 10-1, one game clear of the Magpies on 9-2, feature heavily in the CVFL squad.<\/p>\n
Players of interest include Golden Square ruck Karley Hynes, who played 11 AFLW games for Collingwood from 2018\u201320 and represented Australia in both volleyball and beach volleyball, Castlemaine’s Mikaela Trethowan, who briefly played for Essendon’s VFLW team, and Golden Square midfielder Liz Watkins, the league’s reigning best and fairest.<\/p>\n
Waters is particularly impressed by some of the youngest members of her squad and their ability to soak up information and desire to develop their games.<\/p>\n
In her first season as Darley’s coach, Waters has brought elite pathway experience and a proven record in developing talented female footballers to both her club and league role.<\/p>\n
An assistant coach with the Calder Cannons under-16 girls, she previously coached in the Coates Talent League U18 Girls program, led the Essendon Pathways Academy and coached multiple Essendon District Football League interleague teams.<\/p>\n
Waters said her side was determined to make the BFLW’s return to interleague action a winning one.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sunday’s round 11 games delivered big wins for Ballarat, Darley and Bacchus Marsh.<\/p>\n
The fourth-placed Swans took care of Lake Wendouree by 142 points at C.E. Brown Reserve, with interleague squad member Sunday Doddrell booting six goals and Aleyna Tuncay and Pearl Perkins five apiece.<\/p>\n
Another interleague squad member Tilly Ferguson was best afield for the Swans.<\/p>\n
At Maddingley Park, Bacchus Marsh consolidated top spot with a 170-point win over Carisbrook.<\/p>\n
Ella Bradbury led the way on the scoreboard with seven goals, Isabella Fatalla booted six, while Amy Garofalo and Jamie-Lee Speakman also chipped in.<\/p>\n
Darley remained in second spot following a 120-point win over East Point. Ruby Thomas (five goals), Sharni Battye, Leivi Lane, Kim Bessell (six) and the returning Trinity Skenderis all shone for the Devils.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BFLW senior interleague coach Danyel Waters says she is impressed by the camaraderie and the buy-in of her playing group ahead of its 4 July showdown against Central Victoria. A squad of 26 players, from which a final team of 24 players will be chosen, is continuing to train with a firm game plan in […]<\/p>\n