PREMIUM

Footy girls follow in Johnson’s footsteps

Dead heat: Kyabram P-12 College girls’ football ruck Tayla Starling (left) has some stern opposition from Taya Tamblyn, who was playing with the Rochester/Lockington combined team.
High release: Lacy Parsons prepares to lay the boot into the Sherrin during the Campaspe carnival. She was at the defensive end of Kyabram P-12’s team when they played Rochester/Lockington.
Eyes front: St Augustine’s College girls’ football coach Zane Sutton attempts to gain the attention of his players during a half-time address in the team’s match with the eventual runner-up of the Campaspe carnival, St Mary’s of Echuca.
Saint sandwich: St Augustine’s College ruck Olivia Whelan attempts to win a two-on-one battle during the Campaspe primary schools girls’ football carnival.
Super boot: St Augustine’s finished the carnival in sixth, from the 11 competing schools. Isla McCormick was providing some relief after St Mary’s kicked a point against the college team.
Look left, look right: Sienna Willis considers her options during the preliminary rounds of the eighth staging of the Campaspe girls’ carnival.
Breakaway: Kelsey Cogger leaves her opposition for dead, and seems to be enjoying the process, while attempting to stem the tide in a losing Kyabram P-12 College game last week.
Who wants it: Tayla Starling seems to be frustrated by the lack of up-field movement from her teammates and eventually decides (inset) to kick the ball as far as she can away from the opposition goal.
Under pressure: Mia Reid manages to get her kick away for Tongala as she is tackled by two Echuca players at Moama’s Jack Eddy Oval last week.
Looking for options: Lily Williams looks further afield for support from her teammates during Tongala’s match with Echuca at Moama last week.
Clearing kick: Ava Tinning was one of the outstanding players for Tongala in the Campaspe girls’ football carnival, providing a stumbling block for opposition teams in her role at half back.

Almost a decade ago a determined Echuca primary-schooler named Annabel Johnson was named the player of the carnival at the closing ceremony of the inaugural Campaspe primary schools girls’ football carnival.

The now 21-year-old has since become an important member of the Geelong Cats AFLW team’s mid-field, averaging almost 15 disposals, five tackles and three marks a game during 2021.

The 21-year-old kicked five goals during the season after being selected at number 15 in the AFLW Draft of 2020.

Johnson’s achievements remain a talking point among organisers of the Campaspe primary school event, which attracted 11 teams to Jack Eddy Oval last week.

Girls involved in the tournament last week will no doubt have heightened interest in the launch of the 2022 AFLW season, which for the first time will include all 18 clubs.

Rob Morris, the energetic figure behind the co-ordination of the Campaspe primary sporting calendar, said COVID-19’s impact on recent years had meant involvement had dropped to five or six schools.

“This year is a fantastic promotion for girls’ footy and a credit to the staff and schools that organised the teams,” he said.

“There were 200 girls involved in the carnival this year.”

Echuca Primary School was the winner of the tournament, beating St Mary’s Echuca in the grand final.

Echuca will now represent the Campaspe district at the Swan Hill regional finals on August 2.

A combined team from Rochester and Lockington primary schools finished third in the carnival, with St Augustine’s College, Tongala Primary School and Kyabram P-12 College in the second half of the field.

“We had great support from St Joseph’s College, which supplied the umpires, from Vince Jessen (first aid) and the Goulburn Murray’s AFL development officer, Jeje,” Morris said.

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