By Jonty Ralphsmith
The Pakenham Junior Football Club is proud as punch, having produced six players who have made the Gippsland Power girls under-16 futures list.
The Power pathway will give the girls the opportunity to play against the best of their age in the state and develop their skills at the highest junior level.
Among that six are the Power co-captains, Abby Hobson and Ava Deszcz.
Deszcz is a strong-bodied key forward who can rotate through the midfield with good skills and speed.
This season is her first at Pakenham with coach James Perkins describing her as “the loudest at training by a country mile.”
Gippsland Under-16 coach Shayla Marsh added.
“The energy they bring to each training session got them voted in, they’re always enthusiastic and get around the other girls,” she said.
Hobson is another who can play key forward, leading the Lions goal-kicking last year.
“She would be one of the best female footballers I’ve seen ever,” said Perkins.
“A really strong contested mark and beautiful kick, she leads by example on the field.
“When she played, we won most of the time.”
Jayda Tannahill, Bonnie Williams, Ashleigh Perkins and Addison Venten round out the Lions who made the cut.
Tannahill has improved markedly in the last 12 months, playing the role of an in-and-under workmanlike midfielder.
“She tackles well and has a really good work-rate and you know you’ll get 100 per cent effort week in week out,” Perkins said.
Williams also plays through the midfield, backing herself to breakaway and take the game on when she gets ball in hand.
She was one of the stronger performers for Gippsland on the weekend, which went down to Dandenong by 12 points at a hot and blustery Hastings.
Perkins, a left-footer with a good tank and high footy IQ, is the most experienced of the lot, having played 75 games of junior footy.
Her experienced shines through at Power level according to Marsh, who lauded her willingness to help those newer to the game.
Venten, meanwhile, is new to the club, having played in West Gippsland in an under-18 competition last year which threw her in the deep end.
Pakenham see her as a halfback.
Perkins, Tannahill, Williams and Hobson were all part of the Lions squad which made an impressive run to the preliminary final last year.
Williams won the club best and fairest, and, with teammate Hobson tied for fourth in the league medal.
“They all have aspirations to go as far as they can with their footy,” Perkins said.
“They’re six really good girls and they’ve all become a close-knit group.
“It’s great to see so many from the same area who will hopefully be with the Power for the next couple of years.”
As well as being the best 22 players for the under-16 team, all six girls will be a chance to represent the under-18 team later in the season.
