1996 Senior Girls Football “The Goannas”

A team of genuine Ground Breakers.

This the 1st of 2 State Champion Girls Footy teams in 3 years (1998 was the other), which are still the only 2 in our history. We have had 7 Boys teams win it.

The girls won 7 matches to win the Title, all full matches of 4 quarters.

The Girls were also State Runner-Up in 1995 (20 point loss) which was the 1st year of Girls competition ever, and Equal 3rd in 1997 (12 point loss in the Semi Final), in a stellar 4-year period.

The “Goannas” name came from teammates calling out “Go Anna” to player Anna Stansbury. Our Junior team became The Geckos.

Back then, it was girls from Years 10-12. But most of the key players in this team were Year 10 and 11.

In fact their Leading Goalkicker (Carly Allan, 25 goals) as well as their 3rd (Amanda Norman, 13) and 5th (Shannon Knox, 8) were all Year 10s. So too were two others in the Top 10 (Stacey Clarke and Kara Moore, 4 each). A remarkable 7 of the team would win their 2nd Title 2 years later in 1998 as Year 12s.

This was 10 years before future AFL Women’s star Darcy Vescio enrolled at Year 7, and 20 years before any Girls League was formed in the area.

There were some very talented girls in this team. Just some of the feats noticed in our Sport archives include:

KARA MOORE – Ovens & Murray Netball League Best & Fairest two years in a row (1996 C Grade, 1997 B Grade) for Wangaratta Rovers.

KARA MOORE, STACEY CLARKE & MARNIE CLARKE – All in the Wangaratta Rovers C Grade Netball Premiership team 1996. 

STACEY CLARKE – Also in 1999 B Grade Rovers Premiership team, and 2x A Grade Premierships at King Valley (2015, 2016) including as Coach.

AMANDA NORMAN – Ovens & King Netball A Grade League Best & Fairest (and Premiership) 2009 for Tarrawingee, 1x WHS Athletics Champion.

KATE SPILLER – Australian Champion Cross Country Skiing 1994, 4x State Champion XC Skiing (1993, 1994, 1996, 1997).

BREE LAMBERT – Australian Silver Medalist Cross Country Skiing 1998, 2x State Medalist XC Skiing, 1x WHS Swimming Age Group Champion.

MICHELLE KNEEBONE – 3x State Athletics Medals (Gold Triple Jump 1996, Silver Triple Jump 1994, Bronze 100m 1994), State Volleyball Team U16, 3x WHS Athletics Age Group Champion, 3x All-Time WHS Athletics Records (100m, Triple Jump) still standing.

KATHRYN STOKES – 2x State Athletics Medal (Silver High Jump, Bronze Relay).

ANNA STANSBURY – 2x State Relay Medals (Silver, Bronze), Gold Shot Put @ Eastern Zone.

JO HARRISON – 6x WHS Swimming Age Group Champion.

MARNIE CLARKE – Silver Medal Cross Country Eastern Zone 14yo