New teams join Western Victoria Female Football League 2021 competition

Terang Mortlake will field a women's team for the first time while North Warrnambool Eagles will make its debut in the under 18 section.

Both competitions will start on Sunday, April 18 and consist of 14 rounds.

The women's draw has been released in full while the under 18 girls' fixture, which has been split into pools to limit travel early in the season, has been finalised until round seven.

Reigning premier South Warrnambool, Terang Mortlake, Warrnambool, Ararat, Portland, Hamilton Kangaroos and Horsham Demons form the seven-team women's competition.

Warrnambool will join Terang Mortlake as a debutant after COVID-19 restrictions forced the 2020 season to be scrapped.

The 11-team girls' competition will consist of North Warrnambool Eagles, South Warrnambool, Terang Mortlake, Portland, Timboon Demons, Warrnambool, Old Collegians, Ararat Storm, Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham Demons and Stawell Warriors.

North Warrnambool Eagles junior co-ordinator Sean Kenny said the club had built up its junior base via an academy and was excited to take the next step.

"It is really important. It is quite an impressive movement, the whole female footy thing," he said.

"We've seen it with AFLW coming in but also from a community and participation point of view.

"I think the more opportunities we can have young people, and particularly girls, to be playing sport and team sports, the better."

Kenny said the Eagles, who had Paddy Harris driving their female program, were confident they'd have enough players to fill a team.

"The community is growing out here (at Bushfield) and it's good to be able to offer that for our local girls to play," he said.

"It's all been a bit of a whirlwind because we weren't sure if there was going to be a competition this year but now we'll go through the process of getting our girls back together again and potentially encouraging a few more."

Bloods co-ordinator Noel McConnell said Terang Mortlake would have its next senior women's training run on Wednesday, March 3 at Terang Recreation Reserve, from 5.30pm.

He said the team would welcome any interested new players for both its teams. It also needs trainers and water carriers.

"We've got a really strong presence in the juniors of Mortlake people but this year it is growing into the Terang area," he said.

"This year we are looking at ways of ferrying kids across the 20-odd kilometres.

"We think our senior base is more likely to be Terang and in the first instance we'll train out of Terang, subject to the ground holding up and ground availability."

O'Connell said the club wanted to get on the front foot.

"There's two major factors for wanting a women's team - we want a pathway for the junior girls and continue doing that in the club environment they grew up in," he said.

"The second is, at the moment the league we're in, has 11 junior teams, and fluctuates between five and seven senior teams, but we think the time will fast come where there will need to be a junior and senior team in that competition from the one club.

"We don't want to be left behind when that comes."

Round one

Sunday, April 18

Ararat v Terang Mortlake, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Warrnambool, Horsham City Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos v Portland, Melville Oval

South Warrnambool bye

Bye round Anzac Day

Round two

Sunday, May 2

Terang Mortlake v South Warrnambool, Terang Recreation Reserve

Warrnambool v Ararat, Deakin University

Portland v Horsham Demons, Hanlon Park

Hamilton Kangaroos bye

Round three

Sunday, May 9

South Warrnambool v Warrnambool, Friendly Societies' Park

Ararat v Portland, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham City Oval

Terang Mortlake bye

Round four

Sunday, May 16

Portland v South Warrnambool, Hanlon Park

Hamilton Kangaroos v Ararat, Melville Oval

Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Deakin University

Horsham Demons bye

Round five

Sunday, May 23

South Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos, Friendly Societies' Park

Ararat v Horsham Demons, Richardson Oval

Terang Mortlake v Portland, Terang Recreation Reserve

Warrnambool bye

Round six

Sunday, May 30

Horsham Demons v South Warrnambool, Horsham City Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos v Terang Mortlake, Melville Oval

Portland v Warrnambool, Hanlon Park

Ararat bye

Round seven

Sunday, June 6

South Warrnambool v Ararat, Friendly Societies' Park

Terang Mortlake v Horsham Demons, Terang Recreation Reserve

Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos, Deakin University

Portland bye

Round eight

Sunday, June 13

Terang Mortlake v Ararat, Terang Recreation Reserve

Warrnambool v Horsham Demons, Deakin University

Portland v Hamilton Kangaroos, Hanlon Park

South Warrnambool bye

Round nine

Sunday, June 20

South Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Friendly Societies' Park

Ararat to Warrnambool, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Portland, Horsham City Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos bye

Round 10

Sunday, June 27

Warrnambool v South Warrnambool, Deakin University

Portland v Ararat, Hanlon Park

Hamilton Kangaroos v Horsham Demons, Melville Oval

Terang Mortlake bye

July 4 bye

Round 11

Sunday, July 11

South Warrnambool v Portland, Friendly Societies' Park

Ararat v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval

Terang Mortlake v Warrnambool, Terang Recreation Reserve

Horsham Demons bye

Round 12

Sunday, July 18

Hamilton Kangaroos v South Warrnambool, Melville Oval

Horsham Demons v Ararat, Horsham City Oval

Portland v Terang Mortlake, Hanlon Park

Warrnambool bye

Round 13

Sunday, July 25

South Warrnambool v Horsham Demons, Friendly Societies' Park

Terang Mortlake v Hamilton Kangaroos, Terang Recreation Reserve

Warrnambool v Portland, Deakin University

Ararat bye

Round 14

Sunday, August 1

Ararat v South Warrnambool, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Terang Mortlake, Horsham City Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos v Warrnambool, Melville Oval

Portland bye

Semi-finals

Sunday, August 8

Preliminary final

Sunday, August 15

Grand final

Sunday, August 22

Round one

Sunday, April 18

South Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Friendly Societies' Park

Portland v Timboon Demons, Hanlon Park

Warrnambool v Old Collegians, Deakin University

Ararat Storm v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Stawell Warriors, Horsham City Oval

North Warrnambool Eagles bye

Bye round, Anzac Day

Round two

Sunday, May 2

Terang Mortlake v North Warrnambool Eagles, D.C Farran Oval

Timboon Demons v South Warrnambool, Timboon Recreation Reserve

Old Collegians v Portland, Davidson Oval

Ararat Storm v Horsham Demons, Richardson Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos v Stawell Warriors, Melville Oval

Warrnambool bye

Round three

Sunday, May 9

North Warrnambool Eagles v Timboon Demons, Bushfield

South Warrnambool v Old Collegians, Friendly Societies' Park

Portland v Warrnambool, Hanlon Park

Ararat Storm v Stawell Warriors, Richardson Oval

Hamilton Kangaroos v Horsham Demons, Melville Oval

Terang Mortlake bye

Round four

Sunday, May 16

Old Collegians v North Warrnambool Eagles, Davidson Oval

Warrnambool v South Warrnambool, Deakin University

Timboon Demons v Terang Mortlake, Timboon Recreation Reserve

Hamilton Kangaroos v Ararat Storm, Melville Oval

Stawell Warriors v Horsham Demons, Central Park

Portland bye

Round five

Sunday, May 23

North Warrnambool Eagles v Warrnambool, Bushfield

South Warrnambool v Portland, Friendly Societies' Park

Terang Mortlake v Old Collegians, D.C Farran Oval

Horsham Demons v Ararat Storm, Horsham City Oval

Stawell Warriors v Hamilton Kangaroos, Central Park

Timboon Demons bye

Round six

Sunday, May 30

Portland v North Warrnambool Eagles at Hanlon Park

Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake, Deakin University

Old Collegians v Timboon Demons, Davidson Oval

Stawell Warriors v Ararat Storm, Central Park

Horsham Demons v Hamilton Kangaroos, Horsham City Oval

South Warrnambool bye

Round seven

Sunday, June 6

North Warrnambool Eagles v South Warrnambool, Bushfield

Terang Mortlake v Portland, D.C Farran Oval

Timboon Demons v Warrnambool, Timboon Recreation Reserve

Ararat Storm v Hamilton Kangaroos, Richardson Oval

Horsham Demons v Stawell Warriors, Horsham City Oval

Old Collegians bye

Rounds eight to 14 to be determined

Semi-finals

Sunday, August 8

Preliminary final

Sunday, August 15

Grand final

Sunday, August 22