Women’s football is celebrating its centenary- 100 years since its first recorded match- and 2015 is fast becoming a landmark year for women’s involvement in the game.
Over the last few years the Western Bulldogs have been leading from the front of the pack, driving these changes forward. Vice President Susan Alberti has been vocal in the push to gain recognition for the women’s game in Australia, “Women’s football is the fastest growing participation sport in Australia and around 50 per cent of AFL spectators are women so it is important to continue to appeal to Australians of all ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds on the merits of our wonderful game,” she said.
Just over two years ago, in May 2013, the AFL hosted its inaugural national
…show more content…
Both sides will face off in not one, but two curtain raisers throughout the season. The round 20 clash in August is set to be even sweeter, with Seven Network announcing in April that they will broadcast the game nationally.
The breakthrough follows a vow from league chief executive Gillon McLachlan that the AFL would be more proactive in supporting the historically neglected area of female football.
Change Her Game are a positive online movement raising the profile of women in sport, and Alison Smirnoff is right behind this progress, “The AFL, and some clubs, are really starting to talk about gender equality and the current lack of women in leadership roles. Historically the AFL has been a great leader in driving social change and supporting women in sport is no different,
“If young female footballers can see that the AFL are genuinely moving towards a national competition, it gives them something to aspire to. Likewise for women who are working and coaching at a grassroots level,” she said.
According to the AFL’s own research, women’s football participation has grown in the past year by about 15 per cent, estimating there are 195,000 participants. In Victoria alone female teams have grown by 375%, from 68 in 2010 to 255 this
…show more content…
It rebrands the game as not being a male sport; it will become, in the minds of young people in the future, a game that they’ll only ever know as a unisex sport.”
Michelle Cowan has waited a long time so see our game move in this direction. In 2004, at 21, she became Australia’s first female WAFL assistant coach and in 2013 she was the first senior coach for the Melbourne Football Club Women 's side. That year she became Football Woman of the Year and in 2014, AFL DSR Coach of the Year. “We are seeing more women get involved in the game now which is great, whether that be coaches, players, board members or administrators. It 's been a long time coming for many. From a player’s perspective, there 's an exciting future on the horizon for female