DARREN MONCRIEFF
Thursday, June 23, 2011
HER coach describes her as a vital cog in the engine room of Western Australia's women's football team, and the woman who blazed the trail for females in footy is proud to have Kirby Bentley's name on the medal that bears hers.
The 25-year-old (pictured) was a revelation at the recently completed national championships where she put in a powerful display to be named as the finest among her peers.
Bentley was judged as the tournament's fairest-and-best player and was duly awarded the Debbie Lee Medal.
She was WA's best in each of the Sandgropers' games.
Oh, and she was selected in the All-Australian team.
That's some effort.
And while individual recognition is nice, it's team success that sportspeople crave. But the powerful Victorians got in the way of that, defeating the WA women in the grand final 16.5 (101) to 3.1 (19).
Bentley was joined in the WA team by two other Nyoongar women, her East Fremantle team-mate, Tiah Haynes, and Swan Districts' Rikki Ryder.
It's here, in the growing West Australian Women's Football League, that Bentley, from Mount Barker in WA's south-west, is honing her game, now in just her third season in footy.
The June championships were her second following her debut in 2009.
A national-level netballer with West Coast Fever, Bentley's football prowess grows each year. As does her mental strength. In 2007, Bentley tore her ACL in a netball match and spent 12 months in recovery.
"It's a huge honour to receive an award like this," Bentley said. "I grew up as a bit of a tomboy with my Dad teaching me how to kick, but my sporting background is netball from the age of 13. And like netball I play footy as the game unfolds; I just 'play'.
"I guess you could put it down to being a natural but in saying that I worked hard at training and had an expectation and challenged myself to be better each time."
Bentley's WA coach, Nicole Graves, was full of praise for her star rover's efforts for WA.
"Kirby is just an exceptional athlete; her determination and commitment to perfection on the field makes her not only one of the best but a fantastic ambassador and role model for women's AFL and for our young team," Graves said.
"Kirby had an outstanding tournament, gaining maximum votes in all games. She is part of the 'engine room' of our team; a vital part of our midfield, and of the leadership group off the field."
Debbie Lee, after whom the fairest-and-best medal was struck, predicted big things for WA with Bentley in the team.
"Watching Kirby play I can only be in awe of her skills," Lee said. "She was a standout in her team and WA should be excited about the emerging players and talent they are bringing to these events each year.
"I am very proud to have her wearing a medal with my name on it."
Depth the key to match Victoria
VICTORIA's defeat of Western Australia was the fourth such defeat the "Big V" has inflicted upon the Sandgropers.
The win also means Victoria have now won the women's football titles 12 times in a row.
Bentley said setting higher standards was crucial in matching the Vics and was confident WA could one day be level-pegging.
"WA has a lot to offer in regards to talent and each year the local competition is getting harder," she said. "The players' standards have to lift which will benefit our State in moving forward and closing the gap and becoming more competitive with the Vics.
"As a female football culture, we need to set a standard at training and in games for the new talent coming through so we can build and grow as a group and State. But don't worry, WA is coming.
"This was my second year playing at State level and you expect the best from each State to rise to the occasion, as I think they did. It's fantastic for the competition and women's football in moving forward.
"I think there are vast improvements in moving forward in women's football (locally), and the level of competition is growing rapidly and the amount of females interested in playing has risen greatly."
Graves agreed that depth was the Vics' strength.
"The Vics just have so much more depth; they have 30 teams to our 13 and to South Australia's seven,” the Swan Districts premier division coach said. "So we are a long way off in our participation rates.
"However, we do compete in terms of skill level and elite development, we just need to time to grow our numbers."
Outside football, Bentley works at the David Wirrpanda Foundation, the organisation set up by the former champion West Coast Eagle to provide Indigenous youth role models and healthy life choices.
Bentley is a role model and a facilitator in its 'Dare to Dream Girls' program, designed for high-risk or disengaged female students, specifically Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, aged 12-17.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Photo courtesy: PAIGE SMITH
Last Modified on 20/07/2011 20:41