Tara Murray
Macedon might not have come away with the inaugural Riddell District Football League women’s premiership, but they still walked away winners on Saturday night.
The Cats had just three players turn up to their first session back in February as they started the quest to field a women’s side.
They got a side up, but early rounds were short on numbers.
But the side kept growing and growing and they managed to make finals in their first year, which had exceeded all expectations.
One finals win was quickly followed by a second one with a grand final spot against Kyneton their reward.
On Saturday night, Kyneton came away with the perfect season with a 5.13 (43)-3.2 (20) but the Cats came away with plenty of admirers.
Cats co-captain Tamara Collins was full of praise for her side.
“I’m so proud,” she said. “I thought the girls gave it absolutely everything, there was nothing left out there.
“That was all we could bring and I think that we actually gave them a bit of a fright.”
The Cats had failed to kick a goal in their first two matches against Kyneton and the Tigers seemed on track for another win in the second quarter after kicking the first two goals of the term.
The Cats managed to get two goals through Laura Roberts before half time, before the Tigers got their third through Jordan Savoia to lead by 13 points at half time.
Collins said they were full of confidence heading into half time.
“We felt really, really confident, that we might be able to tip them off and we knew that they would come back strong and hard,” she said.
“We probably got a bit tired in spots and didn’t manned up on a few players and they got away from us a bit, but that’s the quality side they are.”
Collins said they never give up and fight hard until the final siren, which they did with a final quarter goal to Roberts.
Roberts ended up with three goals and was named among the best with Lilli Collins and Lulu Slater.
Collins, Lola Coppin, Isabella Shaw and Kit Collins all backed up the match on Sunday as part of the Cats youth girls team in their semi final for a spot in the grand final.
Ninna Harbinson, who left the ground injured in the women’s grand final, has also been part of that team all year.
Tamara Collins said those girls were the reason why there needed to be the RDFL women’s competition.
“This is why this league has been really good,” she said. “Those girls have somewhere to go afterwards.
“It’s really exciting for the girls of the region.”
Having had 14 players in the grand final team that had never played football before this season, Collins, who was one of them, said this is only the beginning.
