Full circle experience for Paterson and Carron

Former Swans footballer Lily Paterson and Swans League athlete Megan Carron were brought back to their first time playing football when they coached a high school’s first women’s football team.

Caron and other women’s league players were holding a clinic at Guilford Grammar late last year when they were asked to coach the first girls football team for the school.

“I’d never coached before, so I was learning with the girls,” Carron said.

Some players in the team were only thirteen, which is the same age Paterson and Carron were when they were first introduced to playing football.

Paterson found the coaching experience very rewarding, and she is grateful to have gotten the job through the Swan Districts Football Club.

“The development the girls made from the first training until the last game was awesome to see,” Paterson said.

“Seeing the girls joy at playing a new sport with their friends was really rewarding.”

Paterson played for Swan Districts Football Club up until she was drafted to play in the women’s team for Port Adelaide late last year. She is really enjoying playing for Port Adelaide and really values the connections she made with her team and the community while playing for Swans.

Paterson and Carron coached students with a diverse football background, with some showing great aptitude in the sport, and others knowing little to nothing about the game.

Despite the team’s varied knowledge of football, the girls trained and played hard, scoring themselves well-deserved wins throughout the season.

“When they won they were just so excited,” Carron said.

“Even the parents were so happy when the girls won.”

“The parents were happy that their kids were happy and they would come up to me and say thank you, which I thought was really special.”

Some students from Paterson and Carron’s team have since joined Swans, discovering an enjoyment and tenacity for the sport.

“A lot of the girls played netball and volleyball, it was great to introduce them to a new sport,” Carron said.

“The girls had a lot of fun and I had fun coaching them.”

Growing up Carron was always athletic, playing netball and riding horses before she ultimately choose to concentrate on football.

Now aged 19, still chooses football and is working with her dad with spray and blast equipment to fit around the training and game day schedule.

Carron said she loves playing for Swans as she enjoys the fun of the game and also the sense of community.

“I’ve grown so close with the women on my team and this year I want to enjoy playing with them and become closer,” Carron said.

By Ava Rawlings