By Daniel Paproth: dpaproth@mmpgroup.com.au
THERE are almost a million people playing football across the country. Last week, Michelle Densley kicked more goals in one game than any of them.
With a 20-goal outing for St John’s Old Collegians against Hallam on June 16, she topped the weekly goal-scoring table in Australia. The star has kicked 56 goals in eight games in the Victorian Women’s Football League’s south-east division, ranking her 35th overall in the country, and with the second-highest tally by a woman.
Not bad for someone who would rather be playing defence.
“Our coach, David Kerr, put me in the forward line and I’ve proved him right, unfortunately,” Densley said with a laugh.
“This is my first time playing the forward line. I had a bit of a run there when I first started but I was quickly moved to the backline.
“I generally freak out in front of the goals. I’d definitely prefer to be in the backline.”
And although the result sounds like a story of domination, Densley is quick to heap praise on her teammates, who helped orchestrate the 48.19 (307) to 0.0 win. To achieve this, St John’s had 12 other goalkickers.
“It was a bit of a one-sided affair against Hallam,” she said. “It was one of the best games our girls have ever played. They delivered it to me perfectly.
“So the 20 goals is all on them. They’re the best group of girls I’ve ever played with.”
The win came as vindication too, after Hallam beat St John’s by 14 points in the grand final last year. Hallam has lost several players from its premiership side.
Kerr said Densley had been a revelation this season.
“Last year she played on a half-back flank and this year we thought we’d try her out in the forward line because she’s a great mark and kick,” he said.
“She’s been outstanding. We had a plan to just feed her so we could kick a big score and she just finished off the hard work by her teammates. Sometimes she had two players on her and still outmarked them.
“I’ve been coaching for 13 or 14 years and I’ve never had anyone kick 20 goals before. It was amazing to watch and hopefully she’s on track to kick 100 goals.”
St John’s sits on top of the ladder, with eight wins from nine games and a percentage of 753, well ahead of Scoresby in second.
However, Densley said the team had to be wary of Keysborough and also Scoresby, which beat them in round seven.
COMING UP »
St John’s plays sixth-place Whitehorse in an away match at Springfield Park at noon on Sunday.
