By Tara Murray
Footscray keeps the Western Derby Cup in its keeping for another couple of months after coming out on top against Altona in the opening round of the Hockey Victoria premier league season.
The two clubs are facing off for the trophy for a second straight season, which is awarded to the team that accumulates the most points from the four premier league clashes.
The Bulldogs won the premier men’s match 5-2 and the women’s reserves match, 1-0, with the other two matches, the men’s reserves and women’s premier league, ending in draws.
Bulldogs president Nicole Virtuoso said it was a big home day for the club.
The men’s match win was a positive start against a side that won the minor premiership last season.
Virtuoso said the side was looking to move up the ladder this season.
“It was exciting to see them do that,” she said. “Altona has a couple of players in the Kookaburra squad and were missing from the sides.
“The boys put on a show and it was really exciting.”
Scott Shaw scored two goals for the Bulldays, while Oscar Allan, Charlie Gunn and Nicholas Vlassis also scored.
In the women’s premier side, the match finished 0-0.
Virtuoso said they were unlucky not to come away with the win.
She said the side was one that would build across the season.
“It’s a very young side,” she said. “The women’s side is the youngest average age side we have had in our 12 years in premier division.”
The club has continued to grow in the off season with both the senior and junior programs getting stronger.
Virtuoso said it was exciting to see how the club was building.
“It was really good and we’re looking really positive,” she said. “We have eight women’s teams this season and seven men’s.
“We have entered an extra men’s team this season. Our juniors and masters start soon.
“We’ve seen a big influx into senior women’s and men’s and we have juniors in every senior team.”
Virtuoso said having juniors in every senior team was part of the club’s vision to further increase the pathways between the junior and senior programs.
“It starts at under-14s as we start talking to their parents and get them involved,” she said. “The first step is getting them to a training session.
“The under-14s and under-16s do ball patrol for the premier league sides so they see what senior day looks like.”
