Melbourne University Women’s Football Club’s Under 17 Youth Girls’ professional conduct was recently acknowledged as being the best in AFL Victoria’s western Youth Girls competition.

Last month’s inaugural AFL Victoria Youth Girls Presentation Night, held at Bulleen’s Manningham Club, saw each competition’s best conducted club awards, best and fairest winners, leading goal kickers and best team players announced before over 190 guests. The initial 2009 Youth Girls Academy squad was also announced.

It was Melbourne University’s Under 17 team that claimed the last award of the evening, the prestigious Best Conducted Club, against some well respected opposition. Each week throughout the season, competition umpires vote on the conduct of players, officials and supporters of each team. Each team’s dealings with AFL Victoria are also taken into consideration. The Under 17s’ perfect score of 210 votes for the season, as well as the club’s strong philosophy of growing the game to benefit the sport, gave them the edge needed to claim the award.

In the individual awards section Tess Haywood (Under 17s) took home the Runner Up Best and Fairest trophy, finished on sixteen votes, two votes behind Victorian and Sunbury Premiership Captain, Brooke Surgeon. It was a fitting finish for the younger of the club’s fearless Haywood sisters. Tess, who was selected in the 2008 Western Youth Girls interleague team, polled votes in eight of her fourteen games, and included four Best on Ground performances.

Melbourne University’s Best Team Player awards went to Alethea Everard (U17s) and Marian Foley (U18s).

Alethea's journey as a player in 2008 was inspiring for many of her team mates and her coaches. Although a little timid at the start of the season, her skills and confidence grew as the season progressed. As well as her marking and kicking, a great component of Alethea's game was a willingness to follow team rules, to pass and shepherd when necessary and to provide support for her team mates.

Marion Foley took her game to a new level throughout the year and showed some great skill in both the back and forward line. Teammates always appreciated her smiling and encouraging demeanour and her coaches could always count on her to ask, ‘What’s required?’, and then try her hardest to deliver. Marian was always thinking about how to apply effective shepherds and who she might pass to the ball to for best team effect. Her positive and happy approach, and her support of others, helped with the success the team enjoyed throughout the year.

The MUWFC also had six players invited to join the 2009 Youth Girls Academy. Ruby Grounds (14 years), Tess Haywood (14), Lessey Hodgkinson (17), Dana McMillan (16), Alex Saundry (16) and Sian Wilson (15) were all rewarded for their outstanding efforts this season with an invitation to undertake an off and on field development program over 2009. They will enjoy coaching sessions with elite level coaches and undertake personal development workshops in areas such as mental health, financial management, sports medical training and cultural diversity.

The night also acknowledged a record ninety-six girls who turned eighteen in 2008 and will no longer be allowed to participate in the Youth Girls competition next year. The following fourteen girls from Melbourne University were acknowledged:
43 games - Georgia Tsiakalakis
40 - Laura Kane
34 - Freya List
33 - Anna Calder
32 - Bridget Barker
24 - Deb Loughnan
23 - Rosie Isaac
22 - Laura Demir
22 - Maddy Macreadie-Smith
22 - Melanie McKenzie
17 - Monique Bastiaan
16 - Marian Foley
16 - Anna Hamilton
16 - Renae Schwarze
15 - Gabrielle Butera
14 - Vishmi Pydiah

The Melbourne University Women’s Football Club thanks all of these girls for their commitment to the club and the Youth Girls competition, with many of these girls responsible for creating the passion, building motivation and driving the positive philosophy that exists amongst the ranks of the club’s Youth Girls. The club wishes them all great success in their future personal endeavours and hopes to see many of them join the senior ranks in 2009.

The Melbourne University Women’s Football Club is extremely proud of all the Youth Girls and congratulates them for their individual achievements this year.