THE Sawtell/Toormina Saints Youth Girls have been a dominant force in 2021.

The Saints continued their unbeaten season with a 61-point win against the Port Macquarie Magpies at Richardson Park, during the latest round of the AFL North Coast junior season.

The win was their eighth straight in a winning run which has seen them win by an average margin of over 55 points.

Saints part-time coach Dave Rava explained to News Of The Area the reasons behind the dominance of their competition.

“We have players in the Sydney Swans Academy, and we are strong across the board,” he said.

“We have 24 to 26 players so we have huge depth.

“The first-year players have picked it up quickly and they have a lot of natural ability.

“And playing as a unit and team rather than individuals is our strength.”

Coach Rava described the different backgrounds of the strong Saints team.

“We have a few girls that used to play basketball and they’ve transferred those skills over,” he said.

“We have 10 first year players and also a lot of girls that started in our junior system in the under 11’s and have progressed through.

“And we have a lot of girls from different schools across the area who just get along so well.”

Rava said his side truly enjoyed their football.

“They are great to coach and they have a lot of fun and they don’t take it too seriously,” he said.

“And the feedback I get is they are having fun as we’re not playing for sheep stations.”

Lilli Moody captains the super side and certainly leads by example.

“I like to get everyone involved and make sure everyone gets involved in the game,” she said.

“I have a loud presence on the field and I am very vocal, and I’m there if anyone wants to talk about the match.”

Communication was the key to her team’s success according to Moody.

“I think we have really good team camaraderie, and the players who have been playing a lot longer help with our skills,” she said.

“Social media is really big for us because we all stay connected as some girls come from all across the region.”

Like many of her teammates, the midfielder came from a basketball background, where she represented Australia as a junior.

She found there were noticeable differences between playing for the Saints and her time on the court.

“The big difference is tackling as it’s more physical and you need a lot more fitness,” she said.

 

By Aiden BURGESS