Healesville Junior Football Club’s U13 Girls walked up on the podium with a gold medal around their neck, a trophy and a flag on their hands after beating Wesburn on 10 August.
The Healesville U13 Girls showed team camaraderie throughout the season.
Coach Jaimee Petersen said “coming together” was the secret to the team’s ultimate win.
“Overall, I think the season worked out really well. The girls worked really hard to get to where they are,” she said.
“They all consistently showed up at trainings, and that clearly showed during game time as well.
“At the grand final, again, the girls rallied. They worked well together.”
The Healesville U13 Girls didn’t finish the regular home and away season on top of the ladder.
The team was in third place with 44 points, 11 wins and three losses.
Petersen said it was a very close season for everyone where every team could have been in the grand final.
“When it comes to my girls, they played how they played to every team,” the coach said.
“They played fair, they pulled up their socks every game … They just come out to play the game, and they do that with a smile on their face. So I honestly think it’s the friendliness joined with the skill level.”
It was the second season Petersen coached the team.
For her, it was important to make every single player feel included and not to rely on just one standout player.
“My focus was to go with what the players wanted,” the coach said.
“(My focus) was listening to them as much as (I can). There might be things that I wanted to do, but it was about listening to what they wanted as well. So I asked a couple of questions at the start of the season, and then we stuck with their answers.
“As a coach, the aim is to make sure that everyone is getting a shot. I guess it’s to make sure that everyone feels a part of the team, whether they can play or not, whether they get as many quarters on the field. It’s about trying to make sure that everyone still feels included.”
The coach was very humble, describing herself as “not a competitive coach” and giving all credit to the players for the premiership.
“Honestly, it’s the girls. It wasn’t necessarily anything that I did. I think there aren’t just multiple different groups within the team. I honestly think that they came together … But I can’t take credit for the way that they conduct themselves,” Petersen said.
“In all honesty, I admire the girls in pretty much every game that they play. It’s the girl that has worked really hard all season to be able to mark, and they take that mark in a particular game.
“It’s the girl that’s focused on kicking, and she kicks an absolute rippa goal in finals. I’m amazed by the things that each individual girl can do to improve. Overall, I was impressed by each and every single one of them in every game.”
Petersen also appreciated the support and assistance along the way to the premiership flag.
The coach said the highlight of the season was the support from every parent, guardian, and assistant.
“It’s sometimes really hard in kids’ sports to get parents involved. And I think in this team, every parent was willing to help and be there,” she said.
“It wasn’t just a drop and go. I believe most parents stayed around and watched.
“You’ve also got your team manager, assistant coach, trainers, runner, supporters on the outside.”
