When Jesse Hrudka Wartman decided to study for a semester in Melbourne, she never imagined that she'd fall in love with a new sport. However, the Melbourne University MUGARS got their claws into her and recruited her for the women's footy team. Jesse will be keeping us posted on her experiences playing footy before she returns home at the end of June. She's already looking forward to practicing with the Minnesota Morrigans before school starts in the fall.
Ryan Bartz (left) with AUG Melbourne University Captain, Lucy Puls
Ryan Bartz, an exchange student from New York, was selected in the Green & Gold Australian Women's football team at the Australian University Games late last month. Although selection is honorary as there is no international competition to play in, it is a major achievement for Bartz who had only played two games of Australian Rules football prior to the Australian University Games.
Bartz, a theatre student, arrived in Melbourne in July to complete a semester on exchange at the University of Melbourne. A college ice hockey player in New York and in her home state of California, Bartz thought to try her hand at the Australian game to complete her Aussie experience. She called the Melbourne University Women's Football Club, who was nearing the end of the home and away season. With only 2 regular games left in the season, Bartz took hold of the opportunity to have a kick and took to the field in the famous black and blue colours of Melbourne University. She immediately made an impact on debut for the Melbourne University Girls' Aussie Rules Squad (MUGARS) Division 3 side, leaving Coach, Deb 'Henry' Lawson, pleading with her to stay on permanently.
The Melbourne University Women's Football Club would like to extend an invitation to any members of the Women's Australian Football Association should they make it to Melbourne, Australia. Our members are more than welcome to join the Mugars at training and possibly play if their stay allows them to do so. The Mugars can reached via their web site at http://www.mugars.org.au.
Women have picked up the footy bug in Japan and are playing in Osaka and Tokyo. The Tokyo Goannas Australian Football Club has a report on the first intersquad women's match between their women's side and the Osaka Bilbies.
