Our Opening Family Night last Sunday Night presented our Club Captains for 2017. This year the criteria for Club Captain changed vastly and slightly. Vastly because we welcomed our Inaugural Girls Captain and slightly in that we were looking to our coaches to identify the community qualities we value at Blackburn. Lachy Keighran and Ayla Williams are worthy Captains for 2017.
A BIG Congratulations to you both from the whole footy club.
AYLA WILLIAMS
“I am very thankful for this opportunity to be the inaugural Blackburn Juniors Girls Club Captain for
2017. I am really looking forward to an exciting and successful year ahead for both the boys and girls teams.
Girls footy is growing year by year and is giving every girl the ability to play at a club, region and state level and even in the AFLW league. Some of our proud achievements at Blackburn include girls who have been chosen for the EFL and YJFL interleague squads, the first Oakleigh Chargers team playing for the Youth Girls’ TAC cup and also last year for Vic Metro. This is all due to the fantastic coaching and support we get here at Blackburn.
Blackburn Football Club has played a huge role in promoting and building the girls program which continues to increase each year.
To think we only had an under 12s and under 15s team just three years ago and we have now expanded to over 100 girls, with 5 teams and one of the first girls only Auskick centres!
I first came to the club in 2010, when my brother, Alfie, started his first year in under 9s and I was a water-girl at his games. I was gently persuaded by Craig Smith over the next few years to try out
for the girls team and I’ve been hooked ever since! Last year, I decided to help out Tim Jacobs as the assistant coach for the under 12 girls team and enjoyed it so much that I’ve chosen to stick around for another year.
I, myself, have been coached by and played alongside some amazing people who have come through this club. My first coach and then fellow player, Katherine Smith, was captain of Vic Metro and was drafted this year to the Melbourne AFL women’s team. In under 18s, my first coach was Meg Hutchins, former Bulldog and now a Collingwood senior player. Thanks to Raph too of course, my current wonderful coach, who led us to our first finals last season!
I must finish by saying a huge thank you to Pat Mannix, Craig Smith, Tim Jacobs, Dave Ramsdale and Kylie Morton for all that they do and have done for the Blackburn Girls. This is not to forget the dedicated parents and all the helpers who make this club such a great one!
Go Burners””
