Football's in the Family
- Avcol
- Oct 8
- 2 min read
L-R: Holly and Julie Davies; Sienna, Angela and Sophie Makwana
Cousins Holly Davies (Year 13), Sienna Makwana (Year 13), and Sophie Makwana (Year 11) are part of Avondale College's star Football 1st XI team, who recently helped to score a triumphant 3-0 win at the Grant Jarvis Tournament in Hamilton.
Paralleling their own sporting journeys, their mums - sisters Julie Davies and Angela Makwana (née Vujnovich)—were standout players in Avondale College’s top girls’ football team in the 1990s.
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Julie and Angela, what are your early memories involving football?
Julie: Our team at Avondale was pretty special. We won nationals five years in a row and dominated the Auckland champs. We were a tight-knit group of girls who loved the game.
Angela: And we had amazing coaches. Dean Low became like family—he actually came to both of our weddings and stayed in touch until he passed.
How does it feel watching your daughters follow in your footsteps?
Julie: It’s surreal. They’ve done what we did, and they love it just as much. Doing it together as cousins is incredibly special.
Angela: We are just so proud. We're always there at the sidelines supporting them, and seeing how close they are, it reminds me of playing as a young person and the friendships we forged. Some of the girls I played with are still my best friends today. Our daughters call them “Aunties!”
Girls, what’s it like playing alongside your cousins?
Holly: It’s brought us so much closer. Sienna and I started together, and Sophie joined last year. It’s such a cool thing—playing with people you love being around.
Sophie: I love being able to play alongside my family, in the game that makes me feel free.
Tell us about the Grant Jarvis Tournament win.
Holly: It was nerve-wracking! Obviously Sienna scored a hattrick, 3 goals, so we were all so happy about that.
Sophie: When the final whistle blew, I was in shock. I didn’t expect that result—it felt surreal.
Julie and Angela, is there a memory that stands out to you from your time in the team?
Julie: Probably the first nationals, winning on site at Avondale. The opposing team had won it three years in a row and we were very intimidated.
Angela: The place was totally packed. It was an absolute amazing experience then to win 1-0 on a penalty.
Girls, how has growing up with "football mums" influenced you?
Holly: They were always bragging about how good their team was! All the trips to Europe, and how amazing their coaches were. It makes me want to take in all these experiences as I know I'll remember them in the future.
Sophie: They've always told us to do your best and have fun. But also to push ourselves —our mums are competitive!
Sienna: They've won titles and now we've won titles. It’s cool just knowing we're following in their footsteps.
