Carnival a learning experience for Pilbara female footy players

Women’s footy took a massive step forward earlier this month with the inaugural Female Country Football Championships held in Perth on July 6 and 7.

The Pilbara sent a side to the tournament, with a team of 16 women from Hedland, Tom Price and Karratha making the trip south.

The Eagles had no subs for any of their games, which made it difficult when competing against sides with at least 20 players on their list.

Eagles coach Jessica Creighton said the team did not go down thinking they were going to beat everyone.

“We focused on the little things, like making tackles and getting some goals,” she said.

The Pilbara side did not win a game over the weekend, but did improve throughout, which was an impressive effort considering they were competing against sides which came from really experienced leagues.

“They’ve got such strong clubs down there, where as women’s footy in the Pilbara has only really existed for a couple of years,” Creighton said.

“But it was a great experience to play in a bigger comp and see how many skilful players there are out there.”

Two of the Eagles players, Anna Bero and Creighton, were selected in the All Star team at the end of the championships.

Creighton encouraged all women in the region to give footy a try.

“Most girls come to the training and really enjoy it, so they end up playing,” she said.

“It’s more physical but really enjoyable when you do the little things and do them right, everything you improve on you get enjoyment out of.”

The Pilbara will be competing at an invitation-only competition in Perth this year and are seeking sponsorship for the trip.