Kolora-Noorat's Molly Bourke excited to help WDFNL club play finals

The Power, who are making their Warrnambool and District league finals return after six years, line up against the Demons in the must-win final at Davidson Oval.

The Geelong-based Bourke was one of several past Power players lured back to their home club by first-year coach Laura Bourke this year.

"It's been beautiful to be welcomed home, a place that's been very special (to me) growing up," Molly Bourke, 26, said.

"We'd spend hours as juniors there with our best mates running around."

Multiple junior premierships and a league best-and-fairest honour were among a golden run of success for Bourke during her teenage years at the club.

"We had a big run of success right through and I was fortunate enough to play in a few of those grand finals with a few of the girls I'm playing with this season," she said.

Now with the chance to vie for an A grade flag, the secondary school teacher revealed there was a bubbling sense of excitement around the club in the lead-up to finals.

"That's one thing about the Power, the whole community's always got around each other," Bourke said.

"I'm expecting everyone will be out and about, the streamers to be up and that community spirit will help us both (football and netball) get over the line."

Arguably, it's been that very same community-driven culture that has galvanised Bourke and her teammates from pre-season to present.

"Coming into the season, I think we've all had the club at the forefront of our mind and doing it for each other," Bourke said.

"It's quite surreal, you start round one and you don't know where you'll end up.

"You play for lots of different reasons but to get to where we are (finals)... we're absolutely pumped."

For Bourke, who previously played at Geelong Amateur, the opportunity to be reunited on court with past teammates - including sister Lillie and cousins Laura and Anna - was a major motivator to play at the Power, because she was reconnecting with family, including mum and dad Michelle and Pat, after living away from home for several years.

Confident in Laura's abilities to coach, Bourke further praised her cousin's professionalism and communication.

"It's outstanding and a credit to her the way she's been able to coach such close mates and family," she said.

Bourke has taken on wing attack duties for the Power after formerly playing centre and wing defence in Geelong.

She missed two months of the 2023 season travelling abroad with Lillie joining her for part of the trip - though both kept up their training in a bid to be ready for finals once they returned.

"To even be welcomed back (into A grade) after that trip has been incredible," Bourke said.

"I was just trying to keep as fit as I could... it was always at the forefront of our mind, checking in with the girls. We have a WhatsApp group with the girls so we were able to call and check in."

Bourke said hard work and team spirit would be key to progressing further into the finals series.

"Hopefully we keep staying in and just take on each week (as it comes)," she said. "We'll have to bring our best and play the way we know how."

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