The VAFA would like to congratulate the 42 players named in the initial Big V Women’s Centenary squad to host the Perth Football League at Sportscover Arena, Elsternwick Park on Saturday, July 12.
Big V Women’s coach Paul Groves – who is coaching the team for the third consecutive year – is very happy with the group that he and his selectors have settled upon.
“Across the three years, this is the strongest squad we’ve put together,” said Groves.
“It speaks volumes for the women’s competition that we’ve seen teams come up from Premier B this season and their players immediately look at home in the top tier. The likes of Old Geelong and Willy CYMS have been competitive in A-Grade, with players that are certainly worthy of being in the Big V mix.
“That shows that the depth of our top-end talent continues to grow. As a result, there could be a number of Big V players from our previous campaigns that potentially miss out this year – not necessarily because of their own form, but because others have put their hand up.
“All of the girls in our squad have been in good form, and that’s the main consideration when trimming the squad to the final 22 to run out on game day. They’re going to need to be playing good footy in the four club games between now and then.”
Groves learnt a lot from the Big V Women’s thrilling one-point nailbiter in Perth last year.
“Traditionally, we’re a hard, tough, combative team. We’ll continue to have that strong physical undertone in the contest, but we also need to be able to utilise the ball effectively after we win it.
“We certainly overused the footy last year, with way too many handballs that invited pressure. Perth were very good at that and we were sloppy by foot and didn’t look after the ball well enough. We couldn’t retain the footy well enough last year to find a way through.
“So a clear focus in our training camp – and one that has already impacted squad selection – is that we’re leaning towards players who are very good kicks. We have a number of new players in the squad that are elite ball users and have tricks that will allow us to be more aggressive with our ball movement by getting it into their hands.
“That will help our team score more. We had opportunities last year but broke down in our connection piece and kicked 4.8. We’ve got a really talented group of small forwards, which will help. At the other end, we’ve also got a defensive group that will be more structured and settled this year.”
Groves recognises the importance of experience in the squad.
“We have a lot of new faces, so our experienced ones must be playing good footy to retain their spot. That experience may not be confined to Ammo footy, either. We have brought in a couple of former AFLW players in Sarah Jolly and Cecilia McIntosh. They will add plenty of wisdom to our group.
“We have five sessions together and in the past couple of years, the girls have loved watching vision and learning that way. So we’ll be showing them vision of themselves, as well as AFLW vision to help educate them as much as possible.
“There isn’t the time to implement anything too detailed, so we’ll focus on particular aspects of the game and build from there.”
Groves fully appreciates the magnitude and privilege of pulling on the sacred Big V.
“The girls themselves probably can’t understand the enormity of it right now,” he said.
“I appreciate it more now that I’m no longer playing but can see and feel the special connections that it generates, catching up with former team-mates 15 years later and you still have that unique bond.
“It’s even more special this year, being the Centenary, and the VAFA has a huge Big V Gala planned for the Thursday night. So that will certainly hammer home the importance of it to our players.
“Walking into Centrepiece and seeing 800 people in the room celebrating everything great about the Big V will be an amazing experience for them. It will also reinforce our responsibility to bring maximum effort on the Saturday to properly represent your family, your club and all of those who have gone before you.
“We’re going to really lean into the history and will be setting each player a task to learn about a past Big V player. We want to honour the past.
“There’s a lot that comes with getting this chance to play. Your club is thrilled and you’re repping your entire club – other players, the coaches and staff, the volunteers and fans.
“Everyone will be excited to see you out there representing your community. Our clubs will celebrate their players getting selected in the squad – it’s a great achievement they can be proud of too.
“And from a personal perspective, playing Big V is huge for building connections and relationships. You never know when you’ll come across a Big V team-mate in the course of your life. Maybe you’ll be going for a job at some stage and they’ll be on the selection panel – who knows?
“But I know that I regularly bump into old Big V team-mates and whenever I do, there’s a special bond and appreciation for each other, having gone through this intense and special experience together. You’ll never forget it and the Ammo community has a unique way of keeping connected.
“The moment you pull on a Big V jumper, you immediately join a very special group. But once you run out, you’ve got to perform. We all need to bring maximum effort to be able to earn the post-game satisfaction that we gave everything we had.
“That’s what I want our players to take out of it. You just never know the impact this experience might have on your life, so make the most of it.”
VAFA BIG V WOMEN’S 2025 SQUAD
| Jasmine Shepherd | Beaumaris |
| Taylah Tysoe | Beaumaris |
| Chloe O’Malley | Caulfield Grammarians |
| Ebony Angelopoulos | Caulfield Grammarians |
| Milly Hines | Caulfield Grammarians |
| Ellie Cleland | Caulfield Grammarians |
| Olivia Brilliant | Fitzroy |
| Jaime Nelson | Fitzroy |
| Cecilia McIntosh | Glen Eira |
| Amelia Dawborn | Kew |
| Jade Hillas | Kew |
| Annie Xanthos | Marcellin |
| Jasmine Tait | Old Brighton |
| India Tait | Old Brighton |
| Georgia Nicholas | Old Geelong |
| Mietta Passon | Old Geelong |
| Sophia Rothfield | Old Geelong |
| Brooke McKay | Old Geelong |
| Ellen Williams | Old Melburnians |
| Mia Cowan | Old Scotch |
| Eloise Defina | Old Scotch |
| Katie Hunter-Scott | Old Scotch |
| Anais Everitt | Old Scotch |
| Jade Wise | Old Scotch |
| Maxine Wells | Old Scotch |
| Emily Tassiopoulos | Old Scotch |
| Erin Woodford | Old Yarra Cobras |
| Emily Condon | St Kevin’s |
| Jess Joyce | St Kevin’s |
| Kate Stanton | St Kevin’s |
| Belinda Woolcock | St Kevin’s |
| Bree Doyle | St Kevin’s |
| Sarah Betts | St Kevin’s |
| Hannah Smith | St Kevin’s |
| Mischa Beaconsfield | St Kevin’s |
| Sophie Stewart | West Brunswick |
| Taylah Watson | West Brunswick |
| Vic Holt | West Brunswick |
| Sarah Jolly | West Brunswick |
| Georgia Alomes | West Brunswick |
| Krystal Russell | Williamstown CYMS |
| Ella Tyson | Williamstown CYMS |
The VAFA Big V Women’s squad will be trimmed to 23 in the lead-up to the Saturday, July 12 match against Perth FL at Sportscover Arena, Elsternwick Park, which will also be live-streamed on VAFA.com.au.
Book your tickets today for the 2025 Big V Gala Dinner, presented by CitiPower – a landmark event celebrating 100 years of Big V Representative Football.
This prestigious event will bring together past and present players, coaches, officials, club representatives, partners and supporters for a night of celebration, storytelling and recognition of the proud legacy of the Big V.
Date: Thursday evening, 10th July 2025
Location: CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park
Tickets: $195 per person (includes three-course dinner, beverages & entertainment)
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