Tyrendarra inaugural women's football team improving week-in week-out

For Tyrendarra, which is fielding its first team in the Western Victoria Female Football League this year, improvement is coming thick and fast.

Inaugural mentor Glenn Kane, a former Hampden league coach with Camperdown and Mortlake, said his team's progress in a few short months had been rapid.

But even he didn't expect the team's upswing from game one to two.

Two weeks after losing its opening game against Horsham, Tyrendarra celebrated its first-ever victory, crushing second-year team Warrnambool by 87 points.

"I think they were a little shell-shocked in their first game, getting used to the physical contact, the tackling, getting themselves in and under the packs," Kane said.

"So to walk into that second game and see the scoreline at the end of the game, it was a real surprise. To see their capacity to hit the scoreboard and kick straight was really pleasing."

Buoyed by a number of recruits from Portland, Kane said their presence was invaluable in the team's early existence.

"That's been helpful with their experience, they'd already played some footy and been supportive of those newbies," he said.

In welcoming 35 people to a 'come and try' night in October, it was then Kane and club knew it had a worthwhile proposition on their hands.

With a background as a PE teacher, Kane stepped into the shoes of senior coach after coordinating that first night. He said he kept it simple when coaching the women, with the mindset of treating them as footballers.

"Its something we've tried to give them - that real experience of what it's like to be a footy team and that footy culture," he said.

The players have also driven a series of key statements that set the foundations for the way the team interacts with each other.

"That' been really awesome to help me guide the way I coach them," Kane said. "It's really driven the culture they have wanted to develop. It's exciting, I've never had the opportunity to do that from scratch."

While Sunday's win was one for the books, Kane said the group never spoke of results, instead focusing on three key goals instead.

"First was to have fun, the second thing was they really want to be part of a footy club, to feel valued and integrated, and the third was just to improve," he said.

"All the conversations are how we improve and how we can measure that and that will continue no matter where we end up as the year goes on."

With several games to come against the likes of Hamilton, South Warrnambool and Stawell, Kane is adamant his team would remain "open eyed" and concentrate "on what we're doing".

"But we do get a buzz, being a tiny little community, about having the opportunity to compete against the bigger towns, the Hamiltons, Horshams, Warrnambools," he said.

Tyrendarra hosts Horsham on Sunday from 12.30pm.

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