Van Tonder walks away as best player at end-of-season awards

Old Bens Ladies player Brogan van Tonder’s performances in the recently concluded Eastern Local Football Association (ELFA) Ladies Blue League prompted her teammates to elect her as their player of the season.

“I appreciate it,” she said during the club’s end-of-season awards on June 3.

“Old Bens will always be a family to me. I honestly think we are going to do well next season.”

She was the key figure in Old Bens’ title charge. The Rynfield-based club ended the season with nine wins, four losses and one draw, accumulating 28 points.

“In the beginning, it was difficult as it was a new team, but the girls had so much chemistry. We built on that. It was a good experience.”

Their season wasn’t without disappointments as they dropped points early but soon picked themselves up and began fighting for the title.

“We always had the fighting spirit and determined to win the season. Even when we lost, we knew we would win the next game. We were always there for each other, with the senior players motivating us,” said Van Tonder.

During the prize-giving, the players received awards and medals for their stellar work.

Coach Neil Griffiths said despite their poor form early in the season he was glad the ladies managed to pull through to win the title.

“It was a great season. We started with a loss, thinking we were in for the same season as previously. We went up from there. We made a couple of mistakes along the way. When we let ourselves down, we picked ourselves up, carried on and stayed on top,” said Griffiths.

One of the mistakes Griffiths is talking about was allowing second-placed Rovers FC to be within a whisker of the title. The Alberton-based club ended the season a point behind Old Bens, with nine wins, five losses and no draws in their 14 games.

But Griffiths’ charges showed their mettle by holding their nerves and sticking to their game plan, even when they found themselves on the back foot.

When asked how he kept the players motivated, Griffiths said: “Everyone pulled together. In one game, we were 3-0 down before half-time but ended up winning 4-3. It happened because everyone was doing their job on the field, fighting for the badge.

“We dropped off the top for two games but managed to claw our way back to win.”

Old Bens will campaign in the Ladies Gold League next season. They will lock horns with Luso Africa and former Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk’s club JVW FC.

Griffiths said they are ready for the challenge. “It’s going to be tough.”

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