TWO new teams have joined the Western Victoria Female Football League ranks for season 2021.
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Terang Mortlake will field a women's team for the first time while North Warrnambool Eagles will make its debut in the under 18 section.
Both competitions will start on Sunday, April 18 and consist of 14 rounds.
The women's draw has been released in full while the under 18 girls' fixture, which has been split into pools to limit travel early in the season, has been finalised until round seven.
Reigning premier South Warrnambool, Terang Mortlake, Warrnambool, Ararat, Portland, Hamilton Kangaroos and Horsham Demons form the seven-team women's competition.
Warrnambool will join Terang Mortlake as a debutant after COVID-19 restrictions forced the 2020 season to be scrapped.
The 11-team girls' competition will consist of North Warrnambool Eagles, South Warrnambool, Terang Mortlake, Portland, Timboon Demons, Warrnambool, Old Collegians, Ararat Storm, Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham Demons and Stawell Warriors.
North Warrnambool Eagles junior co-ordinator Sean Kenny said the club had built up its junior base via an academy and was excited to take the next step.
"It is really important. It is quite an impressive movement, the whole female footy thing," he said.
"We've seen it with AFLW coming in but also from a community and participation point of view.
"I think the more opportunities we can have young people, and particularly girls, to be playing sport and team sports, the better."
Kenny said the Eagles, who had Paddy Harris driving their female program, were confident they'd have enough players to fill a team.
"The community is growing out here (at Bushfield) and it's good to be able to offer that for our local girls to play," he said.
"It's all been a bit of a whirlwind because we weren't sure if there was going to be a competition this year but now we'll go through the process of getting our girls back together again and potentially encouraging a few more."
Bloods co-ordinator Noel McConnell said Terang Mortlake would have its next senior women's training run on Wednesday, March 3 at Terang Recreation Reserve, from 5.30pm.
He said the team would welcome any interested new players for both its teams. It also needs trainers and water carriers.
"We've got a really strong presence in the juniors of Mortlake people but this year it is growing into the Terang area," he said.
"This year we are looking at ways of ferrying kids across the 20-odd kilometres.
"We think our senior base is more likely to be Terang and in the first instance we'll train out of Terang, subject to the ground holding up and ground availability."
O'Connell said the club wanted to get on the front foot.
"There's two major factors for wanting a women's team - we want a pathway for the junior girls and continue doing that in the club environment they grew up in," he said.
"The second is, at the moment the league we're in, has 11 junior teams, and fluctuates between five and seven senior teams, but we think the time will fast come where there will need to be a junior and senior team in that competition from the one club.
"We don't want to be left behind when that comes."
2021 Western Victoria Female Football League draws
Women's
Round one
Sunday, April 18
Ararat v Terang Mortlake, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Warrnambool, Horsham City Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos v Portland, Melville Oval
South Warrnambool bye
Bye round Anzac Day
Round two
Sunday, May 2
Terang Mortlake v South Warrnambool, Terang Recreation Reserve
Warrnambool v Ararat, Deakin University
Portland v Horsham Demons, Hanlon Park
Hamilton Kangaroos bye
Round three
Sunday, May 9
South Warrnambool v Warrnambool, Friendly Societies' Park
Ararat v Portland, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham City Oval
Terang Mortlake bye
Round four
Sunday, May 16
Portland v South Warrnambool, Hanlon Park
Hamilton Kangaroos v Ararat, Melville Oval
Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Deakin University
Horsham Demons bye
Round five
Sunday, May 23
South Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos, Friendly Societies' Park
Ararat v Horsham Demons, Richardson Oval
Terang Mortlake v Portland, Terang Recreation Reserve
Warrnambool bye
Round six
Sunday, May 30
Horsham Demons v South Warrnambool, Horsham City Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos v Terang Mortlake, Melville Oval
Portland v Warrnambool, Hanlon Park
Ararat bye
Round seven
Sunday, June 6
South Warrnambool v Ararat, Friendly Societies' Park
Terang Mortlake v Horsham Demons, Terang Recreation Reserve
Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos, Deakin University
Portland bye
Round eight
Sunday, June 13
Terang Mortlake v Ararat, Terang Recreation Reserve
Warrnambool v Horsham Demons, Deakin University
Portland v Hamilton Kangaroos, Hanlon Park
South Warrnambool bye
Round nine
Sunday, June 20
South Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Friendly Societies' Park
Ararat to Warrnambool, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Portland, Horsham City Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos bye
Round 10
Sunday, June 27
Warrnambool v South Warrnambool, Deakin University
Portland v Ararat, Hanlon Park
Hamilton Kangaroos v Horsham Demons, Melville Oval
Terang Mortlake bye
July 4 bye
Round 11
Sunday, July 11
South Warrnambool v Portland, Friendly Societies' Park
Ararat v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval
Terang Mortlake v Warrnambool, Terang Recreation Reserve
Horsham Demons bye
Round 12
Sunday, July 18
Hamilton Kangaroos v South Warrnambool, Melville Oval
Horsham Demons v Ararat, Horsham City Oval
Portland v Terang Mortlake, Hanlon Park
Warrnambool bye
Round 13
Sunday, July 25
South Warrnambool v Horsham Demons, Friendly Societies' Park
Terang Mortlake v Hamilton Kangaroos, Terang Recreation Reserve
Warrnambool v Portland, Deakin University
Ararat bye
Round 14
Sunday, August 1
Ararat v South Warrnambool, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Terang Mortlake, Horsham City Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos v Warrnambool, Melville Oval
Portland bye
Semi-finals
Sunday, August 8
Preliminary final
Sunday, August 15
Grand final
Sunday, August 22
Under 18
Round one
Sunday, April 18
South Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Friendly Societies' Park
Portland v Timboon Demons, Hanlon Park
Warrnambool v Old Collegians, Deakin University
Ararat Storm v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Stawell Warriors, Horsham City Oval
North Warrnambool Eagles bye
Bye round, Anzac Day
Round two
Sunday, May 2
Terang Mortlake v North Warrnambool Eagles, D.C Farran Oval
Timboon Demons v South Warrnambool, Timboon Recreation Reserve
Old Collegians v Portland, Davidson Oval
Ararat Storm v Horsham Demons, Richardson Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos v Stawell Warriors, Melville Oval
Warrnambool bye
Round three
Sunday, May 9
North Warrnambool Eagles v Timboon Demons, Bushfield
South Warrnambool v Old Collegians, Friendly Societies' Park
Portland v Warrnambool, Hanlon Park
Ararat Storm v Stawell Warriors, Richardson Oval
Hamilton Kangaroos v Horsham Demons, Melville Oval
Terang Mortlake bye
Round four
Sunday, May 16
Old Collegians v North Warrnambool Eagles, Davidson Oval
Warrnambool v South Warrnambool, Deakin University
Timboon Demons v Terang Mortlake, Timboon Recreation Reserve
Hamilton Kangaroos v Ararat Storm, Melville Oval
Stawell Warriors v Horsham Demons, Central Park
Portland bye
Round five
Sunday, May 23
North Warrnambool Eagles v Warrnambool, Bushfield
South Warrnambool v Portland, Friendly Societies' Park
Terang Mortlake v Old Collegians, D.C Farran Oval
Horsham Demons v Ararat Storm, Horsham City Oval
Stawell Warriors v Hamilton Kangaroos, Central Park
Timboon Demons bye
Round six
Sunday, May 30
Portland v North Warrnambool Eagles at Hanlon Park
Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Deakin University
Old Collegians v Timboon Demons, Davidson Oval
Stawell Warriors v Ararat Storm, Central Park
Horsham Demons v Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham City Oval
South Warrnambool bye
Round seven
Sunday, June 6
North Warrnambool Eagles v South Warrnambool, Bushfield
Terang Mortlake v Portland, D.C Farran Oval
Timboon Demons v Warrnambool, Timboon Recreation Reserve
Ararat Storm v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval
Horsham Demons v Stawell Warriors, Horsham City Oval
Old Collegians bye
Rounds eight to 14 to be determined
Semi-finals
Sunday, August 8
Preliminary final
Sunday, August 15
Grand final
Sunday, August 22