The VU Western Spurs are a
Women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football (in areas where it is popular, known simply as women's football or women's footy or women's AFL), is the female-only form of Australian rules football, generally with some modification to the laws of the game.
...
club who compete in the
Northern Football League (Australia)
The Northern Football Netball League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League and later Northern Football League) is an Australian sports league based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria. The league regul ...
and the AFL Masters Victoria competition . Based in
Footscray, they play home games at Henry Turner Oval. They were formerly known as the St Albans Spurs who competed in the
Victorian Women's Football League
The Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) was the oldest and largest Australian rules football league for women in the world, consisting of 47 clubs from Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, across seven divisions and a total of ove ...
and reserves competition.
History
They were founded in 1993 by
Debbie Lee
Deborah "Debbie" Lee (born 1974) is a former Australian rules football player and coach.
She has campaigned for recognition of women's Australian rules football in Australia, giving up a WNBL career to focus on developing the sport.
She was ...
who has become a significant figure in the progression and success of women's AFL.
In 2015 the club was rebranded and relocated to
Footscray, obtaining a sponsorship from the Maribyrnong City Council and
Victoria University and were renamed the VU Western Spurs. They have strong ties to the Western Bulldogs; from 2018 their VFL Women's side used their name and colours.
Jordan Roughead, a former Western Bulldogs ruckman, was also an assistant coach of the club from the 2015 - 2018 season.
Colours
The VU Western Spurs have one guernsey which is predominately sky blue with dark blue trimmings and features their symbolic WS in white. At home the Spurs wear dark blue shorts and dark blue socks. When playing away from home the Spurs don all-white shorts with a blue stripe running down each side and dark blue socks.
Club song
When relocating to Footscray and rebranding as the VU Western Spurs the club began using a new song 'The Spurs of the Mighty West' which is to the tune of the
AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
club
Greater Western Sydney Giants
The Greater Western Sydney Giants (officially the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and colloquially known as the GWS Giants or simply GWS) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Sydney Olympic Park, which represents the ...
song. The closing line of 'We're the Spurs of the mighty west', was a creative way to include the club's connection to the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
who sing 'We're the team of the mighty west'.
''Well there's a big big sound''
''from the west of the town.''
''It's the sound of the mighty Spurs.''
''You'll see our great endeavour,''
''true Spurs we stick together,''
''we will always love the Spurs.''
''We ride the biggest bumps''
''and the hardest hits.''
''We're stronger than the rest.''
''We're the VU Western Spurs,''
''we're the biggest and the best''
''And we will never surrender,''
''we'll fight until the end.''
''We're the Spurs of the mighty west.''
''And we will never surrender,''
''we'll fight until the end.''
''We're the Spurs of the mighty west.''
Sponsors
The club's major sponsors include
Victoria University, Proud Poppy Clothing, Lani The Sparky and Wheeler Financial.
AFLW Representatives
The VU Western Spurs have had 8 players drafted to the
AFLW
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
competition whilst registered as a Spurs player.
In the 2016 AFLW Draft,
Alyssa Mifsud
Alyssa Mifsud (born 22 December 1994) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's competition. She was drafted by Melbourne with their fifth selection and fortieth overall in the 2016 AFL Wo ...
,
Shelley Scott,
Ainslie Kemp and
Sarah Lampard
Sarah Lampard (born 7 July 1997) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club#AFL Women's team, Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's competition. She was drafted by Melbourne with their seventeenth selection a ...
were all drafted to
Melbourne FC
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and plays its home ...
,
Bree White was drafted by
Collingwood FC
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The club ...
and
Ashleigh Guest
Ashleigh Guest (born 10 April 1990) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, and the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Guest was drafted by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with their ...
was drafted to
Greater Western Sydney Giants
The Greater Western Sydney Giants (officially the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and colloquially known as the GWS Giants or simply GWS) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Sydney Olympic Park, which represents the ...
.
In the 2017
AFLW
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
Rookie Draft,
Naomi Ferres
Naomi Ferres (born 26 October 1997) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Ferres was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with the club's first selection and the third pick overall in the 201 ...
was chosen by the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
at pick number 3. Ferres went on to win the
2018 AFL Women's Grand Final
The 2018 AFL Women's Grand Final was an Australian rules football match held on 24 March 2018 to determine the premiers of the 2018 AFL Women's season, the league's second season. It was contested by the and and was won by the Western Bulldog ...
and took a crucial mark in the defensive 50 on the siren to deny the
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...
a chance to tie the game.
The 2018
AFLW
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
Draft saw Jessie Davies also be drafted by the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
at pick 46.
During the 2019
AFLW
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
Draft, Elisabeth Georgostathis was drafted by the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
at pick 9.
In the preseason of the 2020
AFLW
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 1 ...
season , Vivien Saad was signed by the
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...
.
The Sydney Swans AFLW side was introduced ahead of the 2022/2023 season and with this came new opportunities for footballers across the country. A premiership Spur, Aimee Whelan was one of the inaugural signings for the club after a breakthrough season in the VFLW
Club Honours and Achievements
2004 - VWFL Seniors Premiers vs. Melbourne University
2009 - Best Conducted Club for the Western Region
2011 - VWFL Seniors Premiers vs.
Darebin Falcons
The Darebin Women's Sports Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is based in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and primarily notable for its Australian rules football team which competes in the highest-level Victorian state league – the VFL Women's (VF ...
2012 - Victoria University Sports Awards: Sporting Club of the Year
2012 - VWFL Reserves Premiers
2017 -
Northern Football League (Australia)
The Northern Football Netball League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League and later Northern Football League) is an Australian sports league based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria. The league regul ...
Division 2 Premiers vs West Preston Lakeside
2019 -
Northern Football League (Australia)
The Northern Football Netball League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League and later Northern Football League) is an Australian sports league based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria. The league regul ...
Division 1 Premiers vs Diamond Creek
2019 -
Northern Football League (Australia)
The Northern Football Netball League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League and later Northern Football League) is an Australian sports league based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria. The league regul ...
Division 2 Premiers vs Heidelberg
Coaching staff
Football Department
References
Victorian Women's Football League clubs
1993 establishments in Australia
Australian rules football clubs established in 1993
Australian rules football clubs in Melbourne
Sport in the City of Maribyrnong
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