Meeniyan has become the shining beacon for footy-loving girls in the Prom Coast this year, and the Club is also hatching plans to field a senior women's team in 2026 as the numbers of women playing Aussie Rules across South Gippsland surge.
The Dee’s U18 girls team welcomes players from as far afield as Nyora, Yanakie, Foster and Mirboo North, with Coach Brett Guy making the move back to his old club when Korumburra’s women's program folded last year.
"We've almost got double the amount of kids wanting to play," Brett says. "MDU are right behind us, we share the ground with all the boys."
Brett, who became involved in coaching when his daughter wanted to play, emphasises the unique qualities of coaching female players. "The girls love it even more than the boys. They love tackling, they love training, they love playing. Girls are easier to coach: they listen better, do what they're instructed and pick up things faster."
Among MDU's standout players is Yanakie local Casey Johnson, who claimed the Division 1 Under-18s best and fairest award across the Gippsland league's 15 teams this season. The enterprising midfielder and ruck rover also finished runner-up in MDU's U18s women’s best and fairest, capping off what she describes as her best season yet.
Casey's success has earned her selection in the AFLW Gippsland team for the upcoming VLine Cup carnival in Ballarat, alongside three of her MDU teammates and friends, and she has her sights set firmly on professional football. Casey says she draws inspiration from local AFLW stars Yasmine Duursma and number one draft pick Ash Centra, as well as her footy heroes Erin Phillips and Gippsland boy and former Collingwood captain, Scott Pendlebury (with whom she shares the number 10 jumper).
Casey's football journey began when a teacher at Foster Secondary College encouraged her to try the sport. She started with the Corner Inlet Stingrays before finding her home at MDU, where she's flourished in a supportive environment that's helped her develop both on and off the field.
For Casey, ensuring women's football finds a permanent home in South Gippsland is crucial. Her advice to prospective players is straightforward: "Go for it. It's worth it. You make a lot of new friends and get new skills - not just footy, but communication and discipline."
"I knew three people there at the start of the year, now I've got 18 friends," Casey says of her time at MDU, and Brett Guy agrees about the welcoming culture at the Club.
"Everyone's a different character, you don't have to be a certain height or fitness level, there's a place for everyone," Brett says.
MDU is hosting open training nights for girls aged 8-18 over the coming months – check out www.facebook.com/groups/mdufnc/ for details. Cara Schultz
