THERE is plenty of excitement among the grade five and six girls from Mansfield Primary School about making the state level in the schools’ Australian Rules Football (AFL) competition to be played this Thursday August 22.
The team is made up of 25 girls from the two higher grades at the local school and this year was the first time Mansfield Primary School had a girls only AFL football team play in the recent interschool sports day.
“The team was firstly coached by Mrs French who confessed knowing very little about AFL, and therefore on the day a few of the girls convinced two of their older brothers Lenny and Isaac to come along to support with technical knowledge,” said Grade 5 classroom teacher, Kristy Richter.
“The girls were fuelled by a generous ‘lolly salad’ to give them energy they needed,” she said.
On divisional day, the Mansfield girls played against and won against Bourchier and Orrvale primary schools at Mooroopna which earned them a place at the state level competition taking place at Port Melbourne this week.
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The school is extremely proud this year that this is the first time not only for the girls’ football team to be represented at state level, but also its mixed netball team.
“Bertalli’s Bakery and Mansfield Laundrette have been very generous donating the funds needed to send our girls off to state in style with a brand new Jersey designed by sports teacher and now coach Mr K (Aaron Kirkby),” said Mrs Richter.
The girls can now represent their school with pride and Mansfield Primary School would like to thank the local businesses greatly for their support.
“The girls are very excited and a little nervous …. but training hard at lunch times,” said Mrs Richter.
