Efforts unrewarded
Volume 11, No. 47, July 13, 2006

Pressure: Cpl Emma Vorbach just gets a kick away. Photo by Pte John Ainley .

THE Australian Services Australian Football Association is considering development camps for women players later this year in the wake of the national Australian football championship.

Recent commitments to East Timor meant that an under-strength ADF side competed without success against tough competition at the championship in Sydney from June 19-24.

ADF women’s Australian football coach WO2 Kim Beasland said the ASAFA was considering a proposal to conduct the camps at major military bases in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville and Darwin.

“The camps will be conducted over a weekend for any full-time or part-time serving female members who have even the remotest interest in Australian football and not confined to current players,” WO2 Beasland said.

The camps would have the input from the AFL in the respective states and would focus on techniques, strategies and thought processes involved with Australian football.

“I think the ADF needs to be very proud of the commitment these girls have shown both on and off the field,” WO2 Beasland said.

“We had one Navy girl who pulled alongside at Garden Island at eight o’clock in the morning to marry up with the team at noon to play the very next day. Another could play only four of the eight games as she had to go overseas halfway through the week.

“I am very proud of all those girls who came together to represent the ADF in the highest echelon of women’s football in Australia.”

Female players from many parts of Australia and all three services gathered at Randwick barracks for a short week of lead-up training before the championship.

Despite close contests against the ACT, NSW and SA, the top three sides – WA, Queensland and Victoria were too strong for the ADF.

“Heart and determination are the words that come to mind when thinking about how the girls played each and every game,” team captain Cpl Emma Hender said.

“The team gave their all and as the captain of the side I could ask for no more.

“The team showed each state the ADF never-give-up attitude.”