US Exchange Student Takes on VWFL

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.

Jesse Hrudka Wartman (right) suited up before her first VWFL match for the Melbourne University MUGARS beginners team

Had my first footy game Sunday, I had a great time, best team sport I've ever played, even being on the beginners team. It's so much fun, but completely brutal. My knees are going to look horrible when I get back, so sore and bruised. I hope I still have my nose in one piece ;) We lost, but that was expected, the team we played won the division above us last year. We only let them score 3 times in the second half and they completely whomped on the last team they played, so pretty good for us. The coach took me aside and said I did a great job! Oh, I got named as one of the "best on field" players, so that was awesome. Got so dirty though, it was pouring rain! And it's so hard to breathe with a mouthgaurd in, I had no idea. I did a lot on defensive in the second half, it was so much fun, but seriously running for 2 hours straight, sprinting, kicking, handpassing, tackling = a lil tiring when we had no bench and ended up being short a girl or two. Still an amazing experience.