Sport

Moama to hit the park for first senior season

By Matthew Kappos

Apr 16, 2026

Three-time and current Brit Tancred medallist Shaleah Cooper will be part of Moama’s inagural women’s squad.

Moama Football Netball Club will take its first steps in the senior women’s competition this weekend, as the club’s inaugural women’s side takes to the field for the first time.

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In a double-header with the youth girls, the side will travel to Cobram for its first fixture, taking on Cobram on Sunday.

Reserves player Brad Millen, who made the move to Moama from Numurkah in the off-season, has taken on the coaching job for the new venture, heading a squad with a mix of youth and experience.

“There's a few youth girls that have come up, a lot of them showed a lot of talent and they're striving to better themselves, pushing at training,” Millen said.

“We've picked up a few of my partner’s friends who played at Echuca and those senior girls have really shown what we're expecting.

“They've really pushed themselves and set the bar for the younger girls that are stepping up.”

It’s hard to know what to expect from a newly-minted side, but history has proved there is plenty of women’s talent in the Echuca-Moama region.

Moama and Echuca United have claimed the past two youth girls crowns and Echuca, which has gone into hiatus this season, has been a perennial force in the women’s league, featuring in the previous six grand finals.

Three-time girls league medallist Shaleah Cooper will be one of the mainstays of the squad, which also includes reigning women’s league medallist from the Murray Bombers Tori Russell.

“As much as we'd love to win games, as long as the girls are running out with a smile and running back off with a smile, that’s more what I'm looking for,” Millen said.

“The squad that we've got has got some absolute talent and from what I've seen in a few of our trainings, there is no reason why we can't push deep into the year and into the finals too.”

Boasting a squad of about 25, the team will also have the opportunity to call on some of the stars from the youth girls’ line-up if needed to bolster its ranks.

Millen said the support from Moama in starting its women’s program and growing the female football arm of the club had been phenomenal.

“The club, like right across the board, have been absolutely amazing,” he said.

“The support and the willingness to help out and get whatever we need to help the girls out, they've been right there, so it's been good to have that backing from the club and the committee itself.”

Moama takes on Cobram at Scott Oval from 1.35pm on Sunday.