Elly McNerney
Coburg is excited to have Dani-Jane “Deej” Umakie join the Lions’ senior women’s team for their inaugural season. Deej is relatively new to the game, after simply filling up the numbers for a friend’s footy team. But shortly after, her love for the sport developed.
“One of my friends asked me to fill in a few years ago because they needed players, and I just jumped on board,” Umaki said.
“When I first joined, I couldn’t get used to handballing, so I was just throwing it around like a rugby ball! So originally I didn’t like the sport, but my friend kept convincing me to go to training and I ended up loving it, which led me to Coburg.”
Deej comes to Coburg after playing with the Point Cook Centrals in the Western Region Football League. She played alongside current Coburg Assistant/Backline Coach Jessie Chester. Chester has been impressed with Umaki’s output on the track so far.
“As Head Coach Liam Cavanagh would say, everyone else in the team walks a little taller when Deej is on the field,” she said.
“She’s still relatively new to the sport but is always willing to learn, gives her all and leaves nothing in the tank. Deej is fierce at the ball and makes sure no one stands in her way. She has some solid height and vertical jump that hugely benefits the team she’s playing in.”
There are plenty of reasons why Deej is excited to be pulling on the Coburg colours this year, but a few in particular stand out.
“I just want to get as much knowledge from the coaches as possible and to understand the game fully, take that onboard and get fitter with the sport,” she said.
When asked what she could bring to the team, Deej said her “aggression” would be a standout factor.
Just like Deej, you can commit to the lions by simply signing up for a 2021 membership. Sign up today at our website. Don’t forget to follow @coburgfcw on Instagram for all updates and information you need to know about our inaugural women’s side.
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