A new era kicked off for girls football on Saturday, when eight teams from across Victoria played in the opening round of the AFL Victoria Youth Girls Academy Challenge.
The teams are divided into two pools and compete in a round‐robin competition over six weeks before finals.
Calder Cannons captain Deanna Berry, a Mernda junior, has won many awards so far in her short football career.
“It’s really good and a bit of an honor to lead the team into the first competition,” Berry said before the opening match.
Berry said it was good to get the opportunity to play in a competition.
“Last year we played in a round robin competition (between three teams) and we won the cup at the end of it,” she said.
“This year it feels as if we’re like the boys, playing in a weekly competition.
“If you perform poorly you can come back the next week and have another go.”
The Cannons started the competition with 3.3 (21)‐1.8 (14) loss to Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday, Nell Morris‐Dalton kicking their only goal.
The challenge is the latest in a number of new competitions and academies either established or to be set up in the next couple of years.
Twenty of the Cannons girls, including Berry, are in the initial Vic Metro under‐18 squad for the national championships in May.
Berry was part of the team which won the competition last year and was named in the All‐Australian team.
“We train every Friday,” she said.
“It’s in Melbourne this year; it’s where footy is showcased the most.
“We want to keep the national title and win it in our home state. We’re working our butts off at training.”
If Berry wasn’t busy enough with the Cannons and Metro training, the 17‐year‐old also trains and plays with Victorian Women’s Football League club Montmorency and is the youngest player selected to train at the VWFL’s AFL academy.
“It’s amazing to see how many girls want to become footballers,” she said.
“It’s no longer a male‐dominated sport.
“It has improved my skills and I’ve been able to learn about off‐field stuff as well.
“It’s been a privilege to train with the likes of Daisy Pearce and Melissa Hickey.”
The Cannons play their second match of the challenge against Murray Bushrangers in Shepparton.
