SUNDAY’S VFL Women’s Grand Final is about more than the culmination of a single campaign for Essendon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Season 2022 could not have been more different from back in 2018, when the Bombers first joined the VFLW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A one-win year saw them comfortably finish last on the ladder back then, but fast forward four years and they have not lost a game in 2022, en route to their first Grand Final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coach Brendan Major<\/em><\/strong> has witnessed all the highs and lows of that journey, having been the Bombers\u2019 one and only coach in their VFLW journey thus far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked earlier this week to reflect on that journey, Major found it hard to “encapsulate” it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom the start, the club has been fantastic in its support of women\u2019s football and support of the program,” he said. “I think that as a staffing group and as a coaching group, we\u2019ve focused on the fundamentals and we put our people first, and I think that as the years have gone by we\u2019ve just maintained that focus on good people and developing our people, creating a space for them to have the opportunity to develop, and then taking that responsibility to develop and we\u2019re here because of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside Major, only six players from that inaugural squad are still at the club; Alex Morcom<\/a>, Courtney Ugle<\/a>, Eleanor Cornish<\/a>, Kendra Heil<\/a>, Natalie MacDonald<\/a> and Simone Nalder<\/a>. Another inaugural Bomber \u2013 Rebecca Neaves<\/a> \u2013 is now at the Southern Saints, also set to line up in Sunday\u2019s Grand Final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Major spoke glowingly of how much of an impact those six players have made on the group at Essendon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuge, absolutely huge,” he said. “When you talk about development of a list and development of a group, it\u2019s about training standards as a whole group. It\u2019s about a group of people getting together and putting what\u2019s best for the team in front of what\u2019s best for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “When talking about Courtney Ugle, Kendra Heil, Morcom, Simone Nalder, Mariana Anthony, Natalie Macdonald, those types of players, the players that are really good football players in their own right and probably haven\u2019t quite had the recognition they may get [in relation to being drafted], or they may get next year, they have been tremendous for the Essendon Football Club over a number of seasons just through sheer hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike many of the VFLW sides, Essendon has chosen to keep its now AFLW-listed personnel playing right the way through the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor us it\u2019s about what\u2019s best for the player,” Major said. “We\u2019ve pulled a couple of players and that\u2019s ok because that\u2019s what was best for them. So I\u2019m not going to make judgements on what the other clubs have done, they\u2019re all in unique situations, and they\u2019ve done what they think is best for their club.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bombers may have the favourite tag heading into the match, but try telling that to Major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you look at the two contests we\u2019ve had with the Southern Saints this year it was a draw then it was 10 points, and it could have gone either way,” he said. “It was very close for most of the game and the first half of the game they very much had the run of play. So, although statistically without losing a game this year I can understand why people would say that, but I would expect a very even game this week. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be too heavily favoured one [way] or the other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, will this journey over the last few years culminate in the ultimate glory for Major and his Bombers? Only a few more days until all will be revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n