WOMEN’S footballers of the region have been delivered disappointing, but expected news, with there to be no 2020 Limestone Coast Women’s Football League premiers.
The season was called short before the first week of finals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the decision to officially end the season was made during an executive meeting held over video chat last Wednesday.
In its fourth year, the competition had continued to grow and for LCWFL president Sarah Ottoson-Crossling it was a disappointing way to end the season.
“It was really upsetting for everyone involved, especially the top four teams,” she said.
“I think everyone believed they had a real crack at getting into the grand final.
“In the scheme of things – with so much going on – this is really little, but it still hurts and it is being felt by all.”
Despite the sudden end to the season, the league presentation night will still go ahead, albeit in a digital form.
The LCWFL Facebook page will stream the results from 5.30pm tonight, with a mix of video and written posts to announce the various accolades for the season.
“Everything was cut short, but we did finish the minor rounds so we can announce winners and we can do a medal count,” Ottoson-Crossling said.
“Rather than wait for when the bans are lifted and we can meet again, we thought we might as well go ahead.
“Everyone is looking forward to finding out where they came in, who won and the team of the year.”
One award for the night will be the minor premiership, which will be the closest a team will get to the ultimate success this year.
That award will be presented to South Gambier, after the Demons put an end to Kybybolite’s undefeated season in the final minor round to claim top spot.
There is no doubt it was a far from ideal conclusion to 2019-20, but Ottoson-Crossling said overall it had been a successful period for the league.
In addition to the main competition, an Under 16 come-and-try series was held to introduce younger players to the game, with the hope to provide a permanent pathway into the women’s league.
“We introduced this come and try – it came under the SANFL come-and-try banner,” Ottoson-Crossling said.
“We had about eight or more come-and-try trainings and then they did an internal game.”
That match was played in Naracoorte between mixed teams from Naracoorte and Mount Gambier and Ottoson-Crossling said the day had a strong following.
She hopes for the program to continue and help bridge the gap between playing junior football in the boy’s league and playing in the senior women’s competition.
“In the league there are already some Under 16’s playing,” Ottoson-Crossling said.
“There are also a lot of Under 16’s who want to play, but they cannot quite get into the women’s league yet.
“We really need a system where girls know if they start Auskick, they can go through to junior footy.
“At the moment there is a break and you have not got anywhere to go – you cannot go from junior colts straight into the women’s unless you are a big, strong and confident player.
“We just felt there was a lot of girls dropping off, or not even having a look at football because they could see no one else in that age group taking off anywhere.”
It is hoped the introduction of an Under 16 competition will help build a solid foundation for the women’s league into the future and continue the improvement of the competition.
From her on-field experience as a player for Kybybolite, Ottoson-Crossling said player and team skill improvements have been clear to see this year.
“It was definitely a tougher season,” she said.
“The skills have improved – I have been a part of it for three years now and I notice on the field how much better everything looks and the skills and fitness.
“There is a lot more athleticism being shown on the field and people are taking it seriously – the improvement is there and it is visible.”
She looks forward to that improvement continuing when the 2020-21 season is able to kick off, while for now she said it is important for players and supporters to stick with their clubs through these tough times.
