Port Fairy Plovers women's, under 12 teams to play first-ever home games on Sunday

The teams play their first-ever South West Victorian Football Association home games at J.J. Colledge Oval. In doing so, the women's game is the first of its kind in the Moyne Shire, while the under 12s play the first junior match in the shire in up to 30 years. Women's team coordinator Cassandra Jarrad hopes the day inspires the entire Port Fairy community.

"It's setting a new trend and we can see that trend is already changing in women's professional sports," she said. "It's getting more recognition and being recognised in its own right. And it's really amazing to see that filtering into regional Victoria, where we are being put on the same platform."

Founded last year, Port Fairy Soccer Club entered just one team - men's - competitively. Expanding exponentially, the club now fields four teams, including a division two men's team. Jarrad said the introduction of the women's team had a noticeable impact on the club's culture.

"The women and men sometimes train together, and I've had feedback from the men about how much they enjoy that," she said. "It changes the energy. It becomes more community."

With up to 50 initial expression of interests, Jarrad said COVID-19 restrictions halted early momentum regarding numbers. However a large portion of the final squad did start with the club in those early kick-arounds.

"We've got 15 players, four have played soccer before and the rest haven't," Jarrad said. "But the skill and development over the last year has been pretty phenomenal."

Jarrad said the work of coaches, James Chapman and Tommy Robinson, as well as Anne North with coordination had been invaluable to growth of the team. She said the group was pushing to create a welcoming environment for women to come and try a team sport, and in doing so, set a precedent for the next generation of soccer players.

"I think the role of role models is very well known in women's sport, if they can see someone else doing it it makes it possible for them," Jarrad said.

Meanwhile, the under 12s will set a new course for junior sport in Port Fairy when it hosts Portland earlier in the day. Leading out the team as captain for the day will be Saskia Vingrys, who is one of two girls in the team.

Junior coordinator Nick Grimmer said the team was excited to make history.

"We only started last year, and to think we'll have a group of juniors run out in the uniform in front of Port Fairy in a home game, it's huge," he said. "The kids are really excited to be a part of the first team."

Boasting 100 kids in its MiniRoos program last year, the club looked to kick start an under 12 program, with 16 kids on this year's roster.

"They've held their own against teams, they drew with Hamilton," Grimmer said. "The thing we're most happy with though is the culture and attitudes of the players. To see a group of kids have that maturity in a game is incredibly positive and if they can keep that culture moving forward, they are going to be very successful."

Grimmer said judging by interest, the Plovers could enter two under 12s teams next year. He said the junior program's main focus was to foster a love of the game within its players.

Jarrad encouraged community members to come out and support the club on Sunday.

"We would love anyone who has any interest in sport to come down and watch," she said. "Last year, we ran a similar home ground opening day and there was so many people there." The under 12s kick off at 9.30am before the division two men's at 11am. The women's match follows at 1.30pm ahead of the men's at 3pm.

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