By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
GRIDIRON is a sport for everyone.
With this in mind it’s no wonder that the Berwick Diamonds Womens Gridiron team have managed to amass 28 passionate players who will this October embark on their maiden season.
“It’s a sport for everyone – every size, every shape and every fitness level has a position out on the field,” Diamonds player Catherine Bouwhuis said this week.
“One of our girls is only four foot 10.
“With other sports if you look at the entire team they are roughly a similar build and shape, but gridiron is so diverse, incredibly diverse sizes and cultures.”
The Berwick Diamonds, closely affiliated with the Berwick Miners men’s side, will finally debut as a team in the Gridiron Victoria Women’s League in two months’ time.
The league now consists of six teams and continues to break new ground in a sport that for so long has been viewed as a man’s game.
While getting the team off the ground seemed mired in complications over the past year or two, 2014 brought with it a renewed commitment from the players and coaches to see the women’s team up and running.
With her husband Tristan – aka Shorty – a past player and now offensive coach for the Berwick Miners, who will now share Sydney Pargeter Reserve with the Diamonds, Cat admits that playing gridiron and watching the NFL has been part of the “family culture” for several years.
And with close to 30 players now registered for the womens side, Cat’s passion for the American sport and the Berwick Diamonds is emblematic of all her teammates.
“I honestly hadn’t thought about it and then early this year when they put out the call for anyone interested in this season, I thought sure why not, it’s just a bit of fitness training,” she said.
“And within two months I was passionately invested and wanted the team to succeed.
“It was more than just showing up.
“Initially there probably would have been 12 to 16 of us training, then beyond our sign-up day there has consistently been at least 26 of us.
“We needed 20 registered players, which is a lot of girls, and we all have to buy our own gear, we couldn’t just borrow from seniors.
“A few of the girls have invested up to $1000 each – it’s not a cheap sport.”
Berwick Miners and Diamonds president David Cox has been a driving force in pushing for the women’s team to become a reality and now looks forward to the start of the season with more than a little pride.
“It’s pretty surreal at the moment, obviously now just paid our team registration and to see the girls bonding as one and going out on the town and creating friendships is just great,” he said.
“It’s not just about the football, but mainly for these girls they get the chance to play this game and make lifelong friends forever and a day.
“Football doesn’t last forever but the friendships do.”
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BerwickDiamonds.
