Sky is limit for Bears

■ The meteoric rise of the Banyule women’s football program has been something defender Casey Woodward is proud to be a part of, as her side look to culminate their three years of development with a Division 1 premiership in 2023.

Like their senior men’s team, the Bears made their mark from the outset in their inaugural season in the women’s competition, finishing as minor premiers in Division 3 during the shortened 2021 campaign before reaching a Division 2 preliminary final last year.

After a brilliant opening four games in 2023, Banyule moved into the top flight and have settled into the new competition seamlessly, currently sitting in second place with eight victories, and are all but certain to finish in the top four.

Woodward, 21, has been an integral part of the club’s program from the beginning, playing 36 games to date across all three campaigns, being named in her side’s best in 20 of those matches.

Speaking to NFNL.org.au, the star defender explained how nervous her side was about the move into Division 1, before they quickly found their feet in the competition.

“We were nervous to make the move, Division 1 is a huge jump compared to Divisions 2 and 3 so there was a lot of hesitation,” she said.

“Division 3 is a lot more fitness and overall natural sporting ability. When you go into Division 1 it becomes a lot more of a structured game rather than a big game of markers up.

“But now that we have played all the teams once, we are feeling a lot better about our position and how competitive we can be.”

And that comfort has translated into Woodward’s personal game, saying that the move has allowed her to be a better footballer.

“I can definitely see the difference in my own performances in terms of applying football knowledge and making moves that I wouldn’t have done in Division 2. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity for improvement,” she said.

Woodward also reflected on the development shown by many players in the side throughout the last few seasons, explaining how those improvements have made the team a well-balanced outfit.

“[From] starting off by just learning how to kick and handball in Division 3 and then moving three years later and putting in place a full-blown backline and forward players, is absolutely phenomenal,” she said.

“It’s very hard to pick out the best players on any given day because it could be any one of our girls. Being able to play in a team and improve as a team is making us stronger and stron- ger as we go on.” With five games remaining in the home and away season, Banyule look to be in a prime position to not only make the finals, but to finish in the top two and earn a double chance in this year’s finals series.

It would be an achievement that not only can allow the Bears to set their sights on their first piece of silverware, but also expand their program in the near future and build on the 31 players currently on the list.

“To land as high as we have is so unexpected and definitely something that has put a fire in us to say, ‘we know we can do it now, so let’s go for the big one’,” she said.

“We’re hoping to push for a second team in the upcoming years…but we want to make sure we are not starting a second side that we won’t be able to put as much time and effort into as a first side.

“However, that Division 1 flag is looking mighty reachable in the next couple of years, so I think that’ll be a big priority as well.”

Their next step in reaching the ultimate success comes this Saturday when they take on top of the table Montmorency at Beverley Road Oval. The Bears last encounter with the Magpies saw them go down by 15 points just over a month ago.

The determination of the whole side to get one back on the ladder leaders is strong according to Woodward, who says a fast start will be the key to victory.

“Our attitude entering the game is that we have to blow them out of the gate and hopefully hold that lead for the whole match rather than let them get the jump on us this time,” she said.

Billy Morrison did well to compete in the ruck all match with Laurimar pair Aiden Clarke and Josh Leather, as the Mernda tall’s pres- ence around the ground ensured every contest down the line was evened out.

Light rain welcomed the two sides to start the match, with multiple early chances from both sides resulting in behinds.

Josh Leather broke the deadlock eight min- utes in with a goal before minutes later, a long kick from Marsh bounced its way through the big sticks.

Mooney then kicked truly moments later to suddenly balloon the advantage out to 20 points.

Looking to get back into the game, a one-on- one contest inside the visitors forward 50 was won by Demons’ leading goalkicker Bryce Kimuliatis, who turned and snapped a goal to give his side a boost.

But Micah Vecchio responded with a nice finish to again extend the lead for Laurimar and despite a late major from Ryan Lovegrove- Hudson, the Power had all the ascendency and led by 14 at the first break.

The Demons tried to build some momentum in the early stages of the second quarter and found initial success in doing so, when Billy Morrison sailed a long-range shot on goal through the big sticks to cut the deficit to 10 points. It would prove to be the closest the away side would get to their opponents for the remain- der of the match.

Nice back-to-back goals from James Apted and Matthew Gersh again put Jimmy Atkins’s men back in control of the match, with Gersh especially getting his hands on the football often inside 50.

Somer 22 points down approaching half time, Matthew Golledge tried to spark his side with a great finish on the run for the Demons, but illdiscipline from his team saw the visitors give up a goal almost straight away with Vecchio marking and kicking truly to give Laurimar a 23point advantage at the main break.

The scoring started to dry up in the third quar- ter with Mernda again creating plenty of entries inside their attacking half to kick off the term.

Riley Edwards’s goal five minutes into the quarter gave Robert Fletcher’s team some hope and despite Laurimar piling the pressure in their attacking half, the impressive Demons defence held their nerve and kept the hosts to just four behinds for the term.

Just before the three-quarter time siren, Daniel Smith converted a simple set shot on goal to put Mernda right in the mix, trailing by only 15 points heading into an intriguing final term.

But the intrigue soon disappeared in what was a lacklustre last quarter. Stoppages dominated the term, despite it being kept inside Mernda’s attacking half for most of that period.

It was a perfect situation for the hosts who looked to maintain their advantage and they would soon seal the game in impressive fash- ion, starting with a soccer goal from Mooney, followed by two solid majors from Nathan Andrews and Aidan Clarke to signal a brilliant victory for the Power.

Laurimar move to second spot on the ladder as a result of the triumph, and by not facing a current top four side until Round 14, the Power are in the hot seat to build further momentum before a massive final month of the regular season.

Despite tasting defeat for the first time since Round 3 on Saturday, Mernda slip to third and with top of the table Kinglake next week, it means they will not face a current top five side in their last five games of the season, setting up a monu- mental finish to the home and away campaign. - NFNL

“I was conscripted because I had no children - I had only married in the July and was called up in the October.

“When we came out of the forces together, we went on a holiday but when returned, everywhere was bombed out.

“We decided to come out to Australia but of course it didn’t go down too well with the family. Eventually they got used to it.”

After making the big move, the couple started their new lives down under with a family and would eventually travel around the world together.

“We went twice around the world and our last year together was spent travelling.

“

Paris was my favourite place to be, I had my 72nd birthday in Paris, it was so lovely.”

Trudy is continuing to tick things off her bucket list and is now planning to get on a hot air balloon later this year. As for her advice for more than 100 years of happiness?

“Get on with one another and don’t argue. I never argued with my husband even though we were different religions,” she said.

Forest decision

■ The Supreme Court last week announced its decision on VicForests appeal of last November’s landmark court decision in Kinglake Friends of the Forest and Environment East Gippsland vs VicForests, known as ‘The Glider Case’.

Sue McKinnon, President of Kinglake Friends of the Forest, said: “ The panel of 3 judges upheld Justice Richards’s findings that VicForests’ actions were in breach of environment laws.The orders limiting logging in forests that are home to endangered gliders will remain.

“This decision gives endangered forest species a fighting chance of survival. It’s testament to the power of communities to fight for the natural world; for the places we love and the wildlife we share them with.

“The courts have shown that VicForests is incapable of observing environment laws: they must be abolished.”

“For years we have reported illegal logging to the Department of Environment. They have ignored VicForests countless breaches. We are concerned that now loopholes will be found to log critical habitat under other names, and the Department will continue to turn a blind eye.

“After a year-long court case, last November Justice Richards handed down a decision requiring state owned logging agency VicForests to a) thoroughly survey for endangered Greater Gliders and threatened Yellow Bellied Gliders in forest it planned to log, and b) implement certain protections for gliders living in forests scheduled for logging.

“Last year the Greater Glider was “uplisted” from threatened to endangered. The species has experienced an 80% decline in population over the last 20 years due to the cumulative effects of bushfires and native forest logging,” Ms McKinnon said.