Cougar star in State Squad

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Valley Cougar star Lauren “Tessa” Tesoriero is competing in Sydney this week against the nation’s best female footballers.
The 19-year-old “rover”, winner of the club’s inaugural best and fairest award last year, has been training with the Victorian Senior State Squad for the past month in preparation for the national carnival which started on Monday.
As well as playing against representative teams from every state in Australia except Tasmania, the Victorian Squad will play against a Defence Forces team and the Victorian Under 19 Development Squad team.
Lauren said the inclusion of the Under 19s in the competition – including another Yarra Valley player, Kerryn Bugat – is testament to the high standard of women’s football in Victoria.
At the end of a week of round-robin matches, the top two teams will compete for Australian championship status on Saturday.
Lauren is no stranger to football. Her two brothers play for Mt Evelyn and her parents are also involved in the club.
Until last year, her passion for sport was focused solely on netball.
She went to one of the first Cougar’s games last year during a break from netball, and that was it.
“I thought I’d give it a run and I just love it. Getting into the finals in our first year was a tremendous feeling,” she said.
The choice between continuing to play netball with the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Netball Association, and football with the exciting new Cougars, was a tough one, so she plays both.
Admitting to being more than a little nervous as the team waited to fly out of Melbourne on Sunday night, Lauren told the Mail it was a great honour to play at the elite level of women’s football.
Admitting only to “doing all right” when it comes to taking a mark, she said being a team player was what she saw as one of the most important strengths in her game.
Victorian Squad captain, Kerryn Stephens, however, was less subjective, saying Lauren had well and truly earned her place in the team as a talented young footballer.
“Lauren goes in hard at the ball and has fantastic hand skills and marking ability,” she said.
“I played with her in the Country/Metro side and for a kid who has never played at that level, she was really confident – she takes them all on.
“She’s only young but she certainly leaves her mark on the team, that’s for sure,” she added.