Bartel back to school to fire up the girls

By David Sutherland

IF YOU think footy’s just a game for boys, then get down to Matthew Flinders Girls College. They just love their footy at MFGC.

In spite of having no oval to train on, the school’s Junior Girls Football team recently won the Geelong Secondary School Sports Association Australian Football competition.

The win means the girls will compete in the state semi finals to be held in Ballarat next month. 

On top of that, the school is also gearing up for some serious action on Kick Around Australia Day next Thursday August 7. Excitement is already building as the day draws closer.

“The girls are already busy planning what they will wear and practising theme songs,” says school football coach Julie McNamara.

Geelong premiership player and Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel fuelled the excitement on Tuesday when he arrived at the school escorted by a hefty media contingent, all there to record the day and find out about this Kick Around Australia Day that everybody’s talking about.

Bartel took some of the girls through a skills session on the school’s basketball court in preparation for the day.

“The girls had a great time and got a chance to practice skills and ask Jimmy some questions which he was only too happy to answer,” said McNamara. “It was a fabulous session for them!”

On the day, students will arrive dressed in their team colours, and classes will be conducted as usual until lunchtime when the real fun begins.

At lunchtime there will be competitions for best dressed fan; best hair; best fan accessories; and best rendition of theme song.

“Imagine 100 renditions of ‘We are Geelong,’” laughs McNamara.

After lunch the girls will walk down to Kardinia West oval (St Marys) where activities will be run in a clinic format with six rotating stations. Activities will include handballing at a target, football relays, tackle bag sprints and football tunnel ball.

There will also be longest kick and goalkicking competitions. If there is sufficient time the girls will play a fun, no contact footy tag game, similar to keepings-off.

“The idea is to have all the girls involved regardless of skill level,” says McNamara. “The girls are very excited about the day – and so are the staff, for that matter!”