Castlemaine Football Netball Club Senior Women’s Football Team premiership player Tia Davidge has been selected to play for Essendon in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition in 2023!
The on-baller is thrilled to take the next step in her football career and pull on the boots on for the Bombers side.
Tia said she after training and playing with the Bendigo Pioneers representative squad in 2022 she was invited to attend a tryout with the Bombers late last year and was then invited to train with the side.
“I wasn’t able to hit the training ground until the start of this year as late last year I represented the Vic Country Under 19 Women’s cricket side at the National Cricket Championships in Perth,” Tia said.
“We made the final against New South Wales at the WACA but unfortunately we were able to come away with a win. Despite that it was an incredible experience,” Tia said.
She has travelled to Melbourne for regular training sessions with the Bombers since the beginning of 2023 and was thrilled when VFLW manager Georgia Harvey and Bombers coach Travis Cloke sat her down to tell her she had made the Essendon list.
“I was really thrilled. I missed a lot of representative football with the Bendigo Pioneers due to my cricket commitments and two broken fingers on the footy and cricket field in 2022. However, the opportunities I did get with the Pioneers led me down this pathway and I hope to eventually take the next step up into the AFLW in the future,” Tia said.
Tia, who is most at home in the centre of the action, is hopeful she will get the call up to the Bombers side in their first match of the 2023 season on March 26.
However, local Magpie fans may still get the chance to see Davidge in action for the Castlemaine Magpie Women’s side as they strive to defend their AFL Central Vic Women’s 2022 premiership title when she is not required to play for the Bombers.
Tia’s star has been on a positive trajectory for some years now claiming Under 18 Girls Best and Fairest honours at her former junior club Strathfieldsaye Storm in 2021 and joint Best and Fairest honours in the Bendigo Junior Football League Under 18 Girls competition that same year.
In her spare time Tia continues to enjoy her local cricket representing the Barkers Creek A Grade side in the 2022-2023 season and working to support the Outdoor Ed team at Castlemaine Secondary College.