TO find a team who'll go to great lengths to play football, look no further than Woorinen.
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The Tigers are the newest addition to the Bendigo Junior Football League youth girls division, and will travel 200km each way just to take the field.
They make their debut against North Bendigo at Atkins Street at 2.20pm on Sunday.
Most of the Woorinen girls are first-year footballers, but the side boasts some handy talent on and off the field.
Swan Hill College students Luca Gallo and twins Donal and Tenay Fellows all represented Victoria at national school or AFL carnivals last year.
The Tigers are coached by Swan Hill teacher Robbie Gray, who has a history of guiding schoolgirl football teams in the Swan Hill region.
His assistants include Alana Woodward, who played for Berwick in the Victorian Women's Football League, and Lateesha Jeffrey, daughter of former AFL player Russell Jeffrey.
Lateesha was a star in the Northern Territory, playing at national titles, earning a place in the All-Australian High Performance Academy and NT Thunder Academy, winning a grand final with the Palmerston senior women and coaching their youth girls team to a premiership.
"We wanted to get the right people in these positions to make sure our girls develop," said Woorinen youth girls director Brenten Hogan.
"We know we are going to be pretty raw with our skills set this first week, but we are trying to ensure the girls enjoy their football and improve those skills throughout the year.
"In three to four weeks time, when the new players have a better understanding of the game, we could become a reasonable side."
The club already has 20 girls registered for its first year, including players from Kerang and Tooleybuc, and anticipates more interest once the season starts.
Balranald teen Chelsie Scott will travel from more than an hour across the NSW border to join in the action.
Hogan said five of the Tigers players had a Koori background and the club had been fortunate to have Mallee District Aboriginal Services as their major sponsor. A local bus company was also subsidising transport costs.
Given their traditional uniform clashes with existing youth girls team Kyneton, Woorinen will wear a red jumper with a yellow sash.
