It has been a big year for the Cootamundra Blues Australian Rules Football Club with the introduction of a women’s team this year and the men’s team making their third grand final appearance in four years.
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Not since the days of the Blues competing in the Farrar League alongside a women’s netball team has a female side been part of the club.
The women’s introduction can not be described as anything less than a great success with Blues president Todd Basham singing the praises of the women’s Blues during Saturday night’s presentation evening.
The women went from strength to strength this season with their first win a highlight for the entire club.
The team was initially comprised of Young Saints players, however as the season rolled on, more and more Cootamundra girls put their hand up to have a go at the traditionally male-dominated sport.
They were led well by experienced captain/coach Michaela Percival, while Justyn Smith of Cootamundra put his hand up to help early in the season to assist the girls and has been part of every step of their journey.
The Blues men played in fourth division this year, stepping down from third division due to a lack of playing numbers during pre-season.
The season was in doubt with just 20 players locked in and no coach, but such is the spirit of the Blues, they rallied and by the end of the year 42 players had pulled on a navy blue jumper and Scott Munday, from the South Coast, was signed up as playing coach prior to round one.
This year, the Blues were able to help former player Adam Barnes with his fundraising to get to Russia for life-changing treatment for multiple sclerosis.
The fundraiser turned into a terrific day for the club as they hosted a double header of football on Clarke Oval, together with an old boys game and an Auskick demonstration.
More than $4000 was raised for Adam on this day.
Also this season, former player Andy Ingold, together with Mr Basham, organised a 1992 and 1997 premiership reunion, which saw a good number of former players return for a day of reminiscing and catching up.
Mr Lott played 116 matches for the Blues and sat on the club’s committee from 2001 until 2015.
He spent seven years as secretary between 2003 and 2010.
Attention of the club now turns to the 2018 season, when they hope to climb back into third division, via strong pre-season recruitment and organisation.
- Honour Roll of award winners to come
