Back-to-back: Kyabram’s Bella Sefton (standing, third player from left), Payten Johnson (back, far right) and Tongala’s Ruby McLeod (front, far right) with their Northern Country Women’s League Youth Girls premiership team.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Four Kyabram football families were wearing the unfamiliar red and white colours of Shepparton Swans on Sunday to support their teenage daughters involved in the Northern Country Women’s League Youth Girls grand final.
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Kyabram’s Bella Sefton and Sienna Brennan, Ruby McLeod from Tongala and Payten Johnson — who Kyabram will claim as its own through family connections — were all part of the Shepparton Swans’ back-to-back premiership team.
Bella and Payten Johnson — who is the daughter of Brett and granddaughter of long-time Kyabram businessman Graeme — were a part of the team last year, but this year was Ruby’s first taste of grand final glory.
The team won the Deakin Reserve play-off against Moama 7.6 (48) to 4.5 (29).
Bella has been playing with the Swans since she was 13, and spent most of the season as a defender.
Ruby kicked two goals in the win and Payten, who is part of the Murray Bushrangers program, was among the best players on the ground.
Bella is the daughter of Jason and Liz Sefton, who also have talented 12-year-old son Jonty rising in the ranks of St Augustine’s football. Sienna is the daughter of Tim and Megan Brennan.
She has played in the boys competition prior to joining the Swans youth girls team this season.
Bella Sefton has been part of the V/Line Cup program, but never played in the mixed competition of the Goulburn Murray Junior League.
Bella, 15, is a Year 10 student at St Augustine’s College.
Bella still has two more seasons in the youth girls ranks and the Swans’ team looks on track to continue its domination of the competition, as there was only one top-age girl in the team.
There was a fourth Kyabram connection to the women’s grand final event, with Kyabram’s Claudia Moore playing in the senior Nathalia team that lost the grand final to Echuca.
The 2023 flag was Echuca’s first since the side’s creation in 2017, and ended Nathalia’s bid for a three-peat of premierships.
