Congratulations to the players of the W9Es on a wonderful season.

With four girls who had never played before, our mission at the start of the campaign was simple: have fun, both learning the game and getting to know each other.

An early test arrived in the form of the intra-club gala night, where we came away with a 3-1 win and 1-0 loss against two Eagles teams in higher grades. Some of the themes that stood out were the girls’ resilience, willingness to work hard for each other and, most importantly, their love of the game. With big smiles and tired parents, the girls left the pitch that night, buoyant in anticipation of the season to come.

Fast forward five months to the Bosco U9 gala night and the girls went undefeated through four matches, including two wins and two draws against a line-up that included a Cs team and a Ds team. Set against the backdrop of a lightning-kissed sky, the girls showed an inspirational amount of courage, determination and skill, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. I couldn’t have been prouder, and I needn’t have felt surprised, these girls had been doing this since their first game together.

The two gala nights framed a season in which the girls achieved great results on the field, winning nine, drawing three and losing just two games. But most impressively, a season in which they grew as friends off the field and had a great time doing it.

From exceptionally well-attended training sessions that usually began with a robust game of ‘get-the-ball-off-the-coach’ and ended in flurry of lollies distribution, to the team dinners and matchdays, I’d like to thank this exceptional group of girls and their lovely families for making this such a fantastic year.

The girls’ improvement as players and a team came from their love of the game, their friendships and the support of their families. All that made my job an easy – and a thoroughly enjoyable – one! Our big, sprawling football family included siblings younger and older jumping in to train with us and extended family members – furry and otherwise – crowding the sidelines for games.

I’d like to give a huge thanks also to our manager Marty Jones, a great football brain to bounce ideas off and my right-hand man on busy matchdays.