(From Maureen Donnellon)
Ladies’ football had a league with teams which played for a few seasons from 1950 until the end of 1953 in the Tyrrell League.
Sea Lake, Watchem, Narraport, Woomelang, Nullawil and Wycheproof also played in the competition with Birchip, a long time before the A.F.L.W. was thought about!
I was lucky to be sent a photo of the Birchip team from 1950, by a former Birchip resident, who had seen a couple of photos of Birchip girls playing in red and white guernseys in a charity match, and remembered he had a photo with the girls in black and white. The photo was given to him by the former playing captain and coach of the team, Miss Dot Atwell.
I noticed how well dressed the girls were, and all jumpers seemed to fit well. Luckily, I was able to check out a couple of ladies still living in town, and found a fascinating story never mentioned in the few copies of the “Guardian” newspaper we were able to find at the Museum.
Birchip had no newspaper from 1945 until 1950, and we only have a few years of papers from the 1950s. As that was long before the Museum, there were no records.
Men’s football was lucky to fill a column in those days, while basketball rarely rated a mention at all; just to say the girls won or lost, rarely a score, and never a player named. The newspapers had no photographs, only pictures for advertisements.
Nullawil and Watchem both had photos of ladies’ teams which played against Birchip in 1950, in histories of their towns, but no mention was made in any Birchip publication, so the photo was very welcome.
I found that the girls didn’t borrow their gear, but owned their jumpers and tailored shorts and boots and socks, and played against other teams on the same circuit as the men’s football was played.
Rules stated back then that all teams had to have access to a second football ground, so in Birchip, football was played at the present oval, also in Cumming Avenue in the area where houses are now situated between Kings and the plantation area. The reserves played there. As some teams came by train in those early years, it was a handy ground. Two grounds meant that both games could play simultaneously for convenient train travel, if needed.
Sophisticated drainage systems were not installed, and sometimes the ovals were under water. Dressing sheds, canteens etc. weren’t a problem… they just didn’t exist, apart from a couple of small tin sheds and a can-style toilet. There was a cold water tap if there was a need to wash off mud, and was used to cook savs for many years over a wood fire.
Depending on the climate and rainfall, the season could be played on grass in a good year and on dirt if the rain didn’t fall at the right time.
Circuses were sometimes held in that area, too, which didn’t help the level of the ground either.
I have been told that the Narraport team was very tough to play. It is interesting that when young local footballers excel, the genes are always credited back to the players’ fathers. There are many mothers of our top footballers, past and present, in this picture, and those of Watchem and Nullawil adding to the gene pool, I think.
I would love to know if there are other photos or names of team members that could be added.
Birchip won its premiership in 1950 with this team . . . another premiership that should have been celebrated this year (70 years later).
Dot Atwell was an excellent player and coach, and also a noted lady cyclist who won many championship races for ladies and competed against many men cyclists, winning some races against them too. She played golf, bowls and tennis among other sports.
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