Tara Murray
Bundoora United is punching above its weight with its female soccer program.
The club has just three female sides, one junior and two senior, but are set to play in the second highest women’s competition next year.
Bundoora sits on top of the FV state league 1 north-west with three rounds remaining, with the top two teams guaranteed promotion.
With promotion already locked up, the side is focused on winning a championship.
Club treasurer Malina Triantafylidis said it would be a massive achievement for the club.
“We have senior women’s and a full under-12 girls team,” she said. “We do have other girls playing throughout the club.
“We recruited our old coach Jonathan Barrientos back to the club who has been in the W-League [A-League Women’s] for many years.
“He came back and his commitment to the game and the girls is second to none.”
With a top two finish the side is set to play in the Victorian Premier League next season, which is only below the National Premier League Women’s competition in the state.
Triantafylidis said the aim for the girls long term was to make it into the NPLW competition. Short term, they have another one.
“The championship is the aim for the team,” she said.
Triantafylidis said the club, which has five volunteers running the show, is keen to further increase the female presence at the club.
“To be promoted in the VPL is quite unheard of for a small program like us,” she said.
“We have 15 per cent females at the club which is quite low and we want to life that to 40 per cent by 2025.
“We are a small community club. For a club of our size having not many hands on deck, it’s a massive achievement.
“I’m really proud of the club.”
