Riverina Cubs took out the pathway division of the NSW/ACT Youth Girls State Championship Cup in Bateau Bay on Sunday.

A month-out, Riverina appeared unlikely to field a team; coach Mel Hyland fell ill, and six players dropped out.

But footy dads Ken McPherson and Greg Stewart put their hands up to coach, mustering players from as far as Hay, Echuca, Narrandera, Leeton and Tumbarumba.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” McPherson said.

“They listened, they did everything they were told.

“There’s a place for women’s footy here.”

Half had only played Australian Rules for their schools, and played other sports, such as league tag, through winter. Just one of 19 girls on the squad, Ellie Dalgarno-Fixter has played for the Riverina’s only women’s team, the Lions. The remainder have played in the Hume League, and Victorian-based competitions.

“They met on Friday at 4pm, only three or four of them knew each other,” McPherson said.

“Because of their backgrounds we tried coaching with the basics.”

Each game consisted of two 20-minute halves.

The first game, early on Saturday morning, was tough.

Pitted against a well-drilled Canberra squad, Riverina lost by 26 points.

The girls won the next game, on Saturday, against Northern NSW.

“Northern NSW were a very physical team,” McPherson said.

“I’ve never seen a women’s game of footy as physical as that.”

On Sunday morning, Riverina defeated Sydney by three goals, progressing to the final against an undefeated Canberra.

The underdogs prevailed with a stunning win, 5.3 (33) to 1.6 (12).

Riverina half-forward Ruby Stewart, 16, from Hay was named player of the final.

“She was our target up forward,” McPherson said.

“She took some great marks.” 

Riverina’s Mary Sandral, 15, a Hume League player, controlled the talk, and the direction of the game from centre-half back.

Ruckman, Dalgarno-Fixter, 16, toiled in the midfield.

"She was our most consistent player,” McPherson said.

“I think she rested for three minutes from four games, it was an amazing effort.”