‘It was a magnificent day’: NCWL wins under-18 interleague title

By Bransen Gibson

May 23, 2023

Champions: The Northern Country Womens League under-18 team poses with its newest piece of silverware following its 15-point win in the interleague grand final on Sunday. Photo: NCWL

Dean Walton has hailed Sunday as a “real success for youth girls football in the region” after the Northern Country Women’s League under-18 team was crowned interleague champion.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

NCWL defeated AFL North East Border Female Football League by 15 points in the grand final at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, capping a memorable day for the young footballers.

A strong first half kicking with the breeze put the soon-to-be champions in a commanding position at the break, with NCWL holding firm in the second half to prevail 4.4 (28) to 2.1 (13).

“It was a magnificent day, the girls were amazing,” Walton, the head coach of the NCWL under-18 side, said.

“North East are a really good side, a really good side. We just played high-pressure football. There was belief that we could win it, and we did.”

Three teams competed in the interleague tournament this year, with North East fielding a side for the first time to battle it out against the NCWL and Bendigo Junior Football League rep sides.

NCWL topped Bendigo by 29 points in the opening round, but fell to North East by 17 points in round two.

But when North East and the NCWL met again in the grand final, it was the latter that was able to flip the script.

Walton said the side was able to gel more as the day went on, a key factor in NCWL’s win in the finale.

“The girls got to know each other a lot better,” he said.

“They took a lot of confidence into the second game against North East because the first was a really competitive game. They beat us by 17 points, but we weren’t overawed by the occasion.

“We had a really simple game plan to ensure that we played one-on-one football when they had the ball, to commit to putting in 100 per cent effort with the ball or without and do the basics really well.

“For a group of girls that pretty much met each other for the first time on Thursday night, the fact that they played such good team football was a real credit to them.

“It was the first time we have had three teams ... It was great to have three leagues involved and we are really happy to be the inaugural interleague champions.”

Zahra Kelly won the best-on-ground accolade for her superb performance during the grand final, while Walton said Jemika Cooper, Trinity Gullifer, Rahni Garner and Emily Zampaglione had great games as well.

With the team now having had the opportunity to not just play alongside one another but also win together, Walton said it would be a huge boost for the players and the NCWL as a whole moving forward.

“This will bring out a whole new friendship and camaraderie between girls from other clubs,” he said.

“A majority of the side were first-time interleague players, so they got to taste girls football at that higher level and they showed that they are up to it.

“Nathalia are brand new in the competition this year, we had four girls from Nathalia who it is their first year of competitive football, let alone interleague, and they did not look out of place.

“As a whole, it was a real success for youth girls football in the region. It was a big success for girls footy overall, and specifically for the Goulburn Murray region.”