SENIOR female footy newcomer Warrnambool is open to a debut season in 2020 but concedes it's likely to spend the year on the sidelines bolstering its player base.
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Ken Radley, who coordinates the Blues' female football program, told The Main Break podcast the club was taking a cautious approach due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Radley revealed the Reid Oval-based club was committed to fielding junior female teams and was optimistic ahead of a Western Victoria Female Football League meeting on June 23.
We'll probably go back and just develop the squad this year with an aim to play next year.
- Ken Radley
The meeting will determine the league's fate for 2020.
"We're really keen to continue to develop our youth girls, and if the season develops we'll participate in that," Radley said.
"We feel since the COVID-19 restrictions, our senior women's push to start this year has been sort of thwarted a bit. We'll probably go back and just develop the squad this year with an aim to play next year.
"That's not to say if we get enough numbers through the door and there's potential we won't look at it.
"At this stage we're pretty cautious and we're working to develop our core and establish a group that can go into 2021 and be ready to play."
Warrnambool appointed Clare Tilley as its inaugural senior female football coach last week.
Radley praised her impact.
"Claire is a ripper. She's very passionate," he said.
"She's worked with women's football before and we're really, really lucky that she landed on our doorstep in coming down from Cairns and far north Queensland.
"She's really keen to develop a senior women's side this year."
Radley said his club maintained close communication with South Warrnambool and Old Collegians, both of which field senior female teams.
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