Fitzroy is keeping it all in the family with the appointment of Mick Symons to the role of Senior Womens Coach, to lead the Fitzroy-ACU team into its first season with the VAFA.

Mick, who played for Box Hill under 19s in the VFA and for Surrey Hills, is also the father of Will Symons, who burst onto the Fitzroy senior scene last year with some eye-catching games, up from the very successful Under 19s side.

I have a long connection with Fitzroy through Wills eight seasons with the club Mick said.

After assisting Tim Bell with the Under 19s and Monty Stuart and John Ryan with the Colts, Im keen to get involved with the development of the Fitzroy-ACU womens team./p>

Mick has coaching experience in soccer and cricket and assisted with premiership winning Colts teams with the Fitzroy Junior Football Club.

I bring a strong focus on skill development and want to play a part in helping to build the Royspresence in the fast growing womens competition,Mick said.

Mick played his junior football at Surrey Hills in the Eastern District Football League, captaining its Under 18s team and also earning a senior call up whilst still in the Under 18s. At Surrey Hills he played alongside Michael Coates, a Fitzroy winger from the 1980s.

He went on to play in the Box Hill Under 19s in the VFA until he had to retire early after repeated head injuries and concussion.

Micks move to soccer for Melbourne University saw him represent the university at five intervarsity tournaments. He also played district cricket for Melbourne University through the 1980s.

Mick has coached Alphington junior soccer teams for several years, and Edinburgh Cricket Club junior cricket teams for six years. In 2016 he assisted Tim Bell with the Under 19s in a number of voluntary roles.

Mick will work closely with Jo Hogan, who has been doing an incredible job overseeing the pre-season schedule for the Fitzroy womens squad and will continue in the Women 2 coaching role.

The exciting news from the VAFA in relation to the Fitzroy-ACU Women 1 team is that they will play in the Premier division in the first year of their womens competition, along with the other existing VWFL teams who are coming across to the VAFA - the first three rounds of Premier will see Fitzroy-ACU, AJAX, SKOB Saints and Brunswick Renegades play each other, starting on 8 April.

After round three, the top four teams from the other six divisions will be elevated to Premier and the remaining 32 teams (including the Fitzroy-ACU Women 2 team) will be divided into four divisions of eight teams based on region.

The draw will be developed after Round 3. Well bring you more news as we have it. It is expected our womens teams will play on a Saturday this year.