Melton South is hoping to continue the momentum with the club seeking to field a women’s side for the first time next season.
The Panthers announced on social media that they were looking to form a side and Peter Binek would be the inaugural coach.
Binek, who joined the Panthers this year, is currently the club’s girls football coordinator and under-14 girls coach.
He has also been involved at Melbourne Centrals and Darley with the development of their female programs.
Binek said it was a pretty exciting opportunity at the Riddell District Football League club.
“It’s a really good appointment,” he said. “I’m rapt to be part of the club.
“I came back to the club this year to help out with the juniors and help set up the junior program.
“It’s been a really good year.”
Binek said the aim behind introducing a women’s side at Melton South was making sure they had a pathway for all their junior footballers.
As well as under-14s, the club has had youth league girls sides for a number of years.
“We want to keep the youth league at the club, we don’t want them to disappear,” he said.
“We want them to have someone to look up to and a few have already put their hands up to play next year.
“Senior women are on a Saturday and juniors are on a Sunday. They’re happy to put their hands up.”
With the club’s senior sides finding their feet in the RDFL, Binek said it was the right time to introduce a women’s side.
The club’s senior football and netball sides moved back to the RDFL this season with their senior men’s football team to play finals this year.
Binek said they were hoping to build a female program that would continue to get stronger and bigger the next couple of years.
The women’s side will play in the RDFL senior women’s competition which has continued to go from strength to strength.
Binek said hopefully there would be a few more sides looking to join the competition.
The Panthers are looking for players to join the side of all abilities.
Binek said he had already been on the phone speaking to possible players.
“I’ll talk to a few more once they have finished playing finals,” he said. “We’ll look at recruiting and we’re talking to a few girls.
“Hopefully we can get some players who have left Melton to play football back at Melton club.”
