By Barry Irving
RYE Women’s football has added two new coaches to its staff list this season.
Head coach Scott Gathercole has been reappointed for his third season. Support coaches assistant coach Vicki O’Sullivan and skills coach Gary Sanford bring finals experience and player skills to the team.
In 2012 when there was no youth girls football on the Mornington Peninsula, Vicki instigated a Mornington Peninsula youth girls team, which played under the MPJFL banner in an AFL South East Youth Girls competition at Casey Fields Cranbourne.
Two years later MPJFL established its own youth girls competition, made up of six Mornington Peninsula clubs. The MPJFL U18 youth girls competition plays for the Gary Sanford Cup every year and has grown to what it is today with several aged competitions.
In 2016, Vicki instigated the first senior women’s team at Mornington, again coached by Gary.
This team played in a new AFL managed South East Division, which won the premiership in its first year.
The following year the AFL handed control and management of senior women’s football to local regions and Mornington played in the South East AFL competition.
Mornington women’s football team was placed in Division 1 and has remained there since.
Gary coached the Mornington team from 2016 to 2019 with Vicki as captain; the team, improving each year.
Gary was awarded 2018 Coach of the Year and the following year coached the Women’s AFL South East Interleague Team in two games, winning both.
Gary and Vicki’s main goal in coaching has always been to improve as many players as possible from the start of the season to the end.
Gary said “I like winning but its not everything, I usually learn more about players from losses”.
Gary and Vicki are both excited to be part of the 2026 Rye Women’s Football coaching team, supporting Scott.
Training times are currently every Wednesday night starting at 6pm at Truemans Road Reserve, Tootgarook.
If you haven’t registered yet there is still time to join a group of women who enjoy training and competing together. Season 2026 promises to be a successful and exciting one.
For more information, phone Scott Gathercole on 0400 064 198.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 11 February 2026
