By Craig Dooley, Coburg FC Media Team.
Ahead of the commencement of the women’s season in mid-April, we scrutinise the fixture and preview the 5 must see games that will shape our initial foray into the VAFA women’s competition.
As announced in October last year, in 2023 the Coburg Football Club women’s teams will be competing in the VAFA William Buck Premier Women’s competition. At the time, Coburg Football Club CEO Sebastian Spagnuolo stated “We are very excited to have our women’s teams joining such a strong and prestigious league that the VAFA is and has always been. As a club we have enjoyed two seasons in the South Eastern Women’s Football League and we are so appreciative of that league giving us the opportunity to compete in it, however this announcement is fantastic for our players and volunteers who will enjoy being part of a competition that is more local to Coburg.” This has certainly eventuated already with the club being able to recruit strongly from our local catchment.
On the back of the competition change, there has been movement on both the coaching and player leadership fronts. Liam Cavanagh who guided our women’s program for its inaugural 2 years has taken the role at Williamstown as Head Coach of their VFLW team. This presented a great opportunity for the Lions to promote from within and following a season as an Assistant/Midfield coach Tom Chitsos was announced as our Women’s Head Coach. Upon his appointment, Chitsos said of the VAFA competition “It’s a very high standard of footy and being admitted straight into the Premier Division of both the reserves and senior competitions it’s fantastic for us to be mixing it up with the best of the best straight away.”
With Inaugural Women’s Captain Maddie Edwards taking the opportunity to play at VFLW level this year, there has been a new leadership group installed. We recently announced that Amy Duguid has been appointed the new Captain of the Coburg Football Club’s Women’s team for season 2023. Supporting Duguid is a leadership group consisting of Amy Mitchener as Vice-Captain and Claire Cashman, Kurtis Shine and Morgan McNally.
Round 1 Melbourne Uni – Sunday 16th April, 2pm, Melbourne University Oval
Our first up game is against one of last year’s Premier Division finalists. Melbourne Uni finished 4 th on the ladder at the end of the home and away season with an 11 win and 5 loss ledger last year. In the finals they beat West Brunswick in the first round, before being eliminated by Caufield Grammarians in the second round of the finals by 7 points. Melbourne Uni will certainly provide us with a yardstick of what VAFA Premier Division football is all about on our debut. With the Coburg VFL Mens team playing the day prior, it would be great to see a large contingent of Lions fans make their way to Melbourne University Oval on Sunday 16th April to support our women as they spring into action in 2023.
Round 3 St Kevin’s – Saturday 29th April, 2pm, Righetti Oval
This matchup will provide the Lions with a challenge against the reigning VAFA Women’s Premiers St Kevin’s. Last year St Kevin’s finished top of the table at the end of the home and away season, with the 2022 Minor Premiers recording a 15 win and 1 loss season. St Kevin’s showed character to win the flag after they lost in the second week of finals to Kew FC, before going on to comprehensively beat Caulfield Grammarians in the 3 rd week of finals. St Kevin’s then beat Kew FC in a finals rematch to become premiers winning the Grand Final by 23 points. With The VFL Mens team fixtured to play the following day, it would be great to see a pride of Lions supporters get on down to Righetti Oval in Kooyong on the Saturday to support our VAFA team as they take on the reigning Premiers.
Round 4 Fitzroy – Saturday 6 th May, 11.40am, Piranha Park
The “Battle of the Lions” kicks off the May footy action. In the year 2000, Coburg FC played in the VFL Mens competition as “Coburg-Fitzroy” and now in 2023, Coburg will play against Fitzroy in a game of Womens footy…oh how things change!
Fitzroy are the Reigning VAFA Premier B Women’s Premiers. As a fellow newcomer to the premier tier, Fitzroy will be out to show which Lions roar the loudest. Last season, Fitzroy fielded a team in Premier B and finished as Minor Premier with a 11 win, 2 loss and 1 draw ledger. Fitzroy beat Old Scotch in the Premier B Grand Final by 13 points. The Coburg VFL Mens team have a bye in this round of footy, so get your Lions footy fix by getting down to Piranha Park to cheer on our VAFA women.
Round 8 West Brunswick, Sunday 4 th June, 11.40am, Piranha Park
A team from Coburg and a team from Brunswick squaring off in a game of footy again!! What a local derby it promises to be. In 2022, West Brunswick finished 5 th on the ladder with a 6 win and 10 loss record. West Brunswick lost to Melbourne Uni in the first round of the 2022 Finals. The Coburg VFL Mens Team is scheduled to play the day prior, again allowing the opportunity for as many as possible Burger fans to get down to Piranha Park to watch the Women’s Local Derby.
Round 9 Old Scotch, Saturday 17 th June, 3.40pm, Camberwell Sports Ground
Old Scotch are another side like Coburg and Fitzroy who are new to the top tier of the Premier competition and will be looking to make their presence known. Old Scotch finished 4 th on the Premier B ladder with an 8 win and 6 loss record in the home and away season. Old Scotch, due to their ladder position needed to play every week of the finals to make the Grand Final. They went on to beat Collegians by 31 points in the Semi Final to advance to week 2, where they beat Old Brighton by 45 points to secure a grand final position. In the Premier B Grand Final they lost to Fitzroy by 13 points. The Coburg VFL Mens team is fixtured to play on Sunday this weekend, so the opportunity is there to get down to the Picturesque Camberwell Sports Ground to get a late Saturday afternoon dose of Lions
winter footy.
To ensure you don’t miss any of the Lions action this season, make sure that you activate #LionMode and become a member of the club in 2023. Please head to www.coburgfc.com.au/membership/ and join the hunt today!
