The Games That Will Matter in William Buck Premier Women’s

On the back of the release of the 2023 William Buck Premier Women’s Fixture. VAFA Media has selected the all important games and match ups that will set 2023 apart from any season previous.

In a landmark year for the VAFA Women’s top-section, we will see 10 teams compete across an 18-round home and away season. Collegians, make their way up to William Buck Premier along with Old Scotch and Fitzroy from Premier B, while we welcome the Coburg Lions to the competition.

St Mary’s Salesian, Marcellin and Old Trinity, all part of the 2022’s William Buck Premier section will play in lower divisions.

Round 1: Melbourne University Women’s Football Club vs. Coburg Lions

The VAFA Women’s Competition will have to wait one extra day to see the debut of our newest club the Coburg Lions. 

Melbourne University Oval will be rocking on Sunday, April 16 as these two sides go toe-to-toe. The VAFA’s oldest Women’s club comes up against the VAFA’s newest, in what should be an enthralling battle.

MUWFC finished 2022 inside the top five and made it through to the semi-final weekend before being bundled out by Caulfield Grammarians. Under the guidance of new coaches they’ll be ready for another tilt at the big time. 

Coburg will be very much the unknown in the early rounds of the season but given the experience they have, playing on Piranha Park as their home ground we’re expecting them to be a competitive force. 

Round 1: Old Scotch vs. West Brunswick

The Scotch Stars finished the 2022 season in Premier B Women’s in fourth spot. The finals series is where these girls excel. They’ve done it before in 2019, and in 2022 they did it again. Facing off against Fitzroy they produced a brilliant four quarter performance to bring home the clubs second women’s pennant.

They’ll be unfurling that flag at 3:40 PM at the Cave in their season opener in the VAFA’s topflight. Two of the inaugural clubs of the VAFA Women’s Competition. The men’s senior side will be away to Caulfield that day, so the Women will deservedly take centre stage to open the year at home. 

Round 2: St Kevin’s vs. Melbourne University Women’s Football Club

What a 2022 St Kevin’s Women’s produced. They go into 2023 as the reigning Premiers and the unique experience of going back-to-back in the VAFA Women’s Competition. 

It will be a triple treat for SKOB fans. You’ll want to get to T H King early to see the Women’s thirds, the senior men and the senior women’s side unfurl Premiership flags. MUWFC will be hellbent on spoiling the party and serving it up to the champs. 

Tom Purcell, Sarah Cameron and Sophie Stratford will take to the field after the senior men in the 4:45 PM twilight slot on what will be the biggest day for the club since the Grand Final days themselves in 2022. 

Round 6: Melbourne University Women’s Football Club vs. Collegians

The MUWFC are box office viewing in the VAFA Women’s Competition in 2023. While they’ll be out to spoil the parties of Coburg and St Kevin’s in the opening fortnight. In Round 6 they’ll play host to their annual Pride Game. 

A match that sits proudly in the club’s calendar every year. They have a terrific record on this day, most recently accounting for Fitzroy in 2021 and St Mary’s Salesian in 2022.

The purple army of Collegians will venture to the Uni Main with the aim to come away with the win themselves and cement their spot in William Buck Premier Women’s.

Round 8: St Kevin’s vs. Kew FC

It will be two months into the season before the best two sides of 2022 lock horns. St Kevin’s and Kew went head-to-head in strong contests throughout this year. 

Kew was the only side to knock SKOB off their perch during the home and away season, and surprised them during the finals series. Unfortunately they couldn’t repeat the dose on Grand Final day. Jess Burger and Dakota Villiva watched on as St Kevin’s ran away from them with the title. 

The best player in the competition, Villiva comes up against the competition’s strongest goalkicker in Sarah Cameron. There are more to both of these sides than these two exceptionally talented ladies, but both will lead from the front on this day. 

Other moments to watch out for in 2023:

• Caulfield Grammarians opening five rounds include the 2 William Buck Premier Grand Finalists (Kew and St Kevin’s) and the 2 Premier B Women’s Grand Finalists (Old Scotch and Fitzroy)
• Home ground debut of Collegians (Round 2) in William Buck Premier Women’s
• Twilight games for Old Scotch in Round 1, Round 4 and Round 9
• Fitzroy’s chase for redemption in the Premier B Grand Final rematch in Round 8
• Melbourne University Women’s NAIDOC Round match
• West Brunswick Women’s Pride Game
• St Kevin’s Pride Game

PHOTOS: Bruce Tobin, Collegians FC and Steve Mallia, Melbourne University Women’s Football Club