The girls of the Western Region Football League were on show on Sunday.
After two years without finals due to COVID-19, the under-18s, under-16s and under-14s grand finals were held on Sunday.
Yarraville Seddon Eagles capped off a successful year winning the under-14 grand final. They also won the under-18.5 grand final in a merged side with Flemington Juniors.
The under-14 Eagles team completed a perfect season, beating Altona Juniors-Spotswood team, 3.5 (23)-1.5 (11).
Ruby Jones was named best on ground, proving to be the difference, kicking all three of her side’s goals.
Four of the girls in this team had never played football before, including one who could still play in under-12s.
Team manager Renee O’Donnell said it’s wonderful to see the girls enjoying their football again after the last two years of junior football were cancelled.
In the under-18.5s, the merged team of the Yarraville-Seddon and Flemington, beat Williamstown Juniors, 8.17 (65)-3.6 (24).
The merged team was the result of hard work at both clubs to ensure that girls footy continued for the age group of girls who started playing footy with the boys because girls footy didn’t exist.
Donna D’Alessandro, mother of captain Emily Heaney, said the win was a well deserved reward for a team of girls who have had to fight every way through their footballing career.
Best-on-ground Sierra Grieves is another Yarraville Seddon original, with her father Neil a life member at the club.
Grieves could still be playing in the under-16 competition.
Eagles club vice-president Sammy Leigh said it was wonderful to see the success girls footy is having, and that she can’t wait to see the silverware take its pride of place at the junior presentation day in two weeks.
She said the results had shown how far girls football has come and was already looking forward to continuing the success into 2023.
“We will have girls’ sides in every age bracket, and are finding more and more girls coming through the Auskick program,” she said.
Meanwhile, in the under-16 girls grand final, Altona won a thriller against Williamstown.
The Vikings, who trailed 26-1 at half time, kicked three goals in the final quarter to get the 4.4 (28)-3.8 (26) win.
