Why women play the rough/risky game of AF? How can we get more?/Improve the AFLW? Any barriers?

BringBackTorps

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This account from an adult female, who is "brand new" to AF, of why she decided last Nov. to try AF is one of the most detailed I have encountered in the media -& is interesting.
She has done half marathons, but surprisingly found the fitness needed for AF challenging!

Of course, not all women are the same, & women will have a range of motivating factors.

What reasons do others in BF land think adult females want to try AF? It is a full body contact sport -totally foreign to probably 99.5% of female novices, & a bit scary!

How can clubs start a women's team, or attract more women, who might be considering giving AF a try - to take the daunting step to come to a club?
What type of marketing/advertising etc would be most effective for a community club?

And keep them interested in persevering (after being dumped in tackles, & stressing over the "impossibility"of mastering kicking)?

Hopefully, many women may also contribute their own experiences here!

(For nthn. states BF readers only, this thread can extend to recruiting methods for Jnr. girls also there are no big problems recruiting girls in the sthn. states now!. Also, would like to hear from Newcastle BDFL, people who have knowledge of their very successful women's AF league -12 teams in NRL heartland)

www.girls play footy. com/2017/03/have-a-kick-like-cass.html - NB: The Girls Play Footy domain has been taken over by spammers.
 
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jatz14

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Its a bit of a challenge, a bunch of mostly older men, trying to put themselves in the heads of younger women.

Based as much as possible on what I have heard/read women say, and as little as possible on what I think women are thinking.

1. The social aspect, particularly the extra oomph that comes from the size of Aussie rules teams, and the fact it is physical. Getting to talk about old `war` wounds and stories with people that have that shared experience.
2. That the expectations of footballers in football clubs is different to societies expectations of women generally. The imperative to shake it off and get up after a hit or injury seems just as strong in female footy as mens. They can play without making concession to expectations on them as women, they can be aggressive, physical, robust and get approval and applause.
3. The breakdown of what was seen as an either/or. Girls were feminine/pretty/girly therefore soft/gentle and definitely didn't do things like footy, or they were masculine/rough/butch and were tough/competitive. AFL is the expression of the possibility of being both.


Personally (this is the me thinking bit), I suspect in years gone by a lot of girls sat on the sidelines watching boys play around with a footy on the school oval, actually wanted to be doing it to, but felt unable to. The dam wall that has broken is that girls now feel it is acceptable to do their hair up nice, put on make up, be concerned about appearance, and play footy.

So for me, a lot of the change is not a change in women wanting to play, its a change in how society views women who wanted to play, so we are going from having pent up, un expressed desire to play, to a realised desire to play.
 

BringBackTorps

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Its a bit of a challenge, a bunch of mostly older men, trying to put themselves in the heads of younger women.

Based as much as possible on what I have heard/read women say, and as little as possible on what I think women are thinking.

1. The social aspect, particularly the extra oomph that comes from the size of Aussie rules teams, and the fact it is physical. Getting to talk about old `war` wounds and stories with people that have that shared experience.
2. That the expectations of footballers in football clubs is different to societies expectations of women generally. The imperative to shake it off and get up after a hit or injury seems just as strong in female footy as mens. They can play without making concession to expectations on them as women, they can be aggressive, physical, robust and get approval and applause.
3. The breakdown of what was seen as an either/or. Girls were feminine/pretty/girly therefore soft/gentle and definitely didn't do things like footy, or they were masculine/rough/butch and were tough/competitive. AFL is the expression of the possibility of being both.


Personally (this is the me thinking bit), I suspect in years gone by a lot of girls sat on the sidelines watching boys play around with a footy on the school oval, actually wanted to be doing it to, but felt unable to. The dam wall that has broken is that girls now feel it is acceptable to do their hair up nice, put on make up, be concerned about appearance, and play footy.

So for me, a lot of the change is not a change in women wanting to play, its a change in how society views women who wanted to play, so we are going from having pent up, un expressed desire to play, to a realised desire to play.
Many good points, agree with most of them.

Will we see (if these sports are heavily promoted, with "beginner"pathways) a lot of women playing RL, RU, roller derby, heavy contact martial arts, big wave surfing etc?
Will adult women's cricket (which also requires strength, if one is ambitious to be a top big hitter/fast bowler) attract big numbers wanting to play -which is a long established women's sport?
 
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jatz14

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Many good points, agree with most of them.

Will we see (if these sports are heavily promoted, with "beginner"pathways) a lot of women playing RL, RU, roller derby, heavy contact martial arts, big wave surfing etc?
Will adult women's cricket (which also requires strength, if one is ambitious to be a top big hitter/fast bowler) attract big numbers wanting to play -which is a long established women's sport?
That's a big question, and we will not really know the answer until it happens.

With regards marketing, my take would be, if you are Ford trying to flog of your new model, your marketing is most effective on people who had already decided they wanted a new car, and liked Ford's. It has almost no effect on people who don't want a car, and do not like Ford's.

I play vets footy, and we constantly have young girls around the club. The girl who was around when I started is about 19 now, and a very good soccer player. She said 6 months ago she wanted to keep playing soccer and wasn't interested in footy. Her dad is now assistant coach of the women's team, and she is playing both.

AFLW marketing and exposure changed her mind in 6 months, but she wasn't a blank slate, she is a footy loving sports nut, it wasn't a tough sell.

AFL has large crowds with lots of families, lots of suburban and country clubs, lots of areas for young girls to interact closely with footy.

Even NRL do not have this to the same extent.

Of all the sports in the country, I think footy has the largest group of women who love the sport, and play sport, but do not play the sport they love.

This is the group AFLs marketing is targeting.

I think only cricket can approach the AFL in this regard.

Taekwondo can market all it likes, but without a group of women who love Taekwondo, or at least martial arts, but who do not practice it, it will only have marginal impact.

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Some parallels perhaps with why women choose to play in the LFL
http://grantland.com/features/legen...ns-lingerie-football-league-mitchell-mortaza/

Since graduating, though, Furr had felt adrift. She’d always defined herself by the sports she played, but after her college career ended, Furr was running out of places to compete. She tried semipro basketball, but her team was a barely functional disaster. She trained for triathlons and joined slow-pitch softball leagues, but she was never at home among the weekend warriors. She needed something, she says, “that would push me beyond my limits.”

She found it in football. And across the United States, dozens of female athletes, many of whom had considered themselves retired, were finding the exact same thing. They were thrilled by the game’s pace and intensity. “There was a void,” says Melissa Margulies, a former USC sprinter who had grown up playing volleyball and soccer and was now starring for the Los Angeles Temptation.

Others were discovering the allure of a violent sport that had long been off-limits to their gender. “It was amazing,” says Amber “Ambo” Mane, who’d wrestled on the boys’ team in high school and later joined the LFL’s Green Bay Chill. “I’d never been around that many girls who were all just as hardcore as I am.”
 

BringBackTorps

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Some parallels perhaps with why women choose to play in the LFL
http://grantland.com/features/legen...ns-lingerie-football-league-mitchell-mortaza/

Since graduating, though, Furr had felt adrift. She’d always defined herself by the sports she played, but after her college career ended, Furr was running out of places to compete. She tried semipro basketball, but her team was a barely functional disaster. She trained for triathlons and joined slow-pitch softball leagues, but she was never at home among the weekend warriors. She needed something, she says, “that would push me beyond my limits.”

She found it in football. And across the United States, dozens of female athletes, many of whom had considered themselves retired, were finding the exact same thing. They were thrilled by the game’s pace and intensity. “There was a void,” says Melissa Margulies, a former USC sprinter who had grown up playing volleyball and soccer and was now starring for the Los Angeles Temptation.

Others were discovering the allure of a violent sport that had long been off-limits to their gender. “It was amazing,” says Amber “Ambo” Mane, who’d wrestled on the boys’ team in high school and later joined the LFL’s Green Bay Chill. “I’d never been around that many girls who were all just as hardcore as I am.”
There are many disturbing elements re the LFL -very exploitative.

Any idea how many LFL players currently in the LFL?
Its ratings were initially strong, but I understand they have dropped considerably -amazing these women don't get paid.

How many hours in a professional pre-season training environment do you think the"average"LFL player would require to be competitve in the VFLW (I understand they are very fit, & the physicality of AF would not worry them)?
IIRC, two Aust. women had played in the LFL -& also played in the AFLW.
 

BringBackTorps

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I attended a public meeting last night, organised by The Wheeler Centre, with about 300 others, to discuss women's football, & the AFLW season.
On the panel were Darcy Vescio, Brianna Davey (Carlton players), Sam Mostyn (the AFL's first female Commissioner), Susan Alberti (Business woman & long time financial contributor to Vic. women's football), Angela Pippos & the Convenor.

Vescio stated that one of the "main appeals of football is you can do whatever you want, to get the ball. Its primal, almost like chasing a rabbit". This brought laughter from the audience, & a grin on Brianna's face. I assume she meant by this comment that you can run wherever you want on the field -no offside rule, players are not restricted to a certain position.
Brianna said a big appeal of football is "it is a game for all shapes and sizes, anyone can play an important role. Other sports, this is less possible, you might have to be a certain height".
Asked by the convenor if she would go back to soccer, Brianna said "No". When further pressed with the question of whether being offered a position with the Matildas to play in the Olympics, she again said "No".
Brianna also said the facilities at Carlton FC were much better for their AFLW players, than what the W League players were provided with by FFA clubs; & that the AFL seemed much more committed to female football, than W League clubs were to female soccer

Both indicated they would prefer the next AFLW to be a longer season, with a Finals' play-off system.

To a question to the panel as whether it would be better to play in summer evenings, & not during the day in the AFLW to avoid the summer heat/humidity, both seemed to nod their approval.
 
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Garlic muncher

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http://aflnswact.com.au/womens-afl-north-west-nsw/

AFL North West will launch the inaugural Women’s competition in the region this weekend, with four teams set to compete in the new tournament.

The Greater Bank AFLNW Women’s Competition will see Armidale, Inverell, Moree, and Tamworth fielding women’s teams for the first time
.

Moree only entered a mens team a couple of years ago, so pretty good to get a womens team up and running.
 

BringBackTorps

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http://aflnswact.com.au/womens-afl-north-west-nsw/

AFL North West will launch the inaugural Women’s competition in the region this weekend, with four teams set to compete in the new tournament.

The Greater Bank AFLNW Women’s Competition will see Armidale, Inverell, Moree, and Tamworth fielding women’s teams for the first time
.

Moree only entered a mens team a couple of years ago, so pretty good to get a womens team up and running.
It is amazing that AF women's teams are being created in the "barren for AF" Newcastle/ Hunter & NW NSW regions -but, AFAIK, in "very strong" sthn. NSW, only 1 women's team; & no junior female teams!
 

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Because men are not better than women and whatever men can do women can too.
 
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Of all the sports in the country, I think footy has the largest group of women who love the sport, and play sport, but do not play the sport they love.

This is the group AFLs marketing is targeting.
Exactly - try going to the soccer over in Europe, and you'll see just how ridiculously male-dominated the spectators are. In the AFL, it's not quite 50-50 (at least so I read), but it's close - so it makes absolute sense that girls growing up on a diet of footy would love to play if it's actually a question that's asked of them.
 

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Not sure where to put this,but thought this thread might be appropriate.

It is from Jemma Wong , the Marketing Manager behind "branding"the AFLW, and "...the marketing brains behind it all". Whilst it was acknowledged a female body contact sport was novel and possibly off-putting for some females, the marketing of female AF was designed to show"...empowerment, confidence and women conquering their limits...".
The AFLW's marketing plan was to"...align with companies who wanted to tell a story about equality".

The monies contributed by sponsors probably paid the costs of the AFLW in its first season -& this with Ch.7 & Foxtel not being asked by the AFL to pay for the media rights in Year 1. ( C.Wilson, The Age, wrote that some of the very high rating, 1,000,000+AFLW individual games, played when there was NO AFL competition, would attract TV rights for the AFLW, of c. $1,000,000 for EACH game!).

Wong states, re the AFLW commercial sponsors, "...and, like us, they see the mass potential of the AFLW to GROW THE GAME (my emphasis)".

These "points of difference", cf other female team sports, are also reflected in the linked article directly above on 26.5.17.
An adult female player is quoted "...They do want to get it now (ie the ball, overcoming fears of being tackled/bumped/pushed/flattened into the ground -my words). They're not scared. They can take it. It's wonderful to see the confidence grow".
There have also been comments from adult female AF players, reported elsewhere, that they, using their exact words, "feel empowered"by playing AF.

Thus, the AFL has tried to make a "negative" (females having pain inflicted on them/inflicting pain on their opponents/almost certainty of occasional injuries,on a huge oval, with a very complex skill set using hands & feet, playing the novelty of a female body contact game) into a "positive". Females will feel empowered, & confident, & conquer their limits, if they can summon the determination & courage that is necessary to play the bruising game of AF.
This provides AF with the crucial "point of difference" cf other female traditional team sports. (Of course, individual female sports, requiring courage, are female jockeys/ horse racing, big wave surfing, aerial skiing, & MMA/boxing etc. It will be interesting to see if female contact RL & RU, the only challengers to AF, can increase their participants from their very small current nos.).

To my surprise, I noticed the AFLW received quite strong coverage & support from the Sydney-based ABC; and even some support from the Sydney-based SBS -who, obviously, provide slavish support for soccer, & very little for AF. The above AFLW themes probably resonated with their female management.

www.bandt.com.au/marketing/not-simply-mirroring-mens-comp-afl-womens-marketing-guru
 
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jatz14

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Not sure where to put this,but thought this thread might be appropriate.

It is from Jemma Wong , the Marketing Manager behind "branding"the AFLW, and "...the marketing brains behind it all". Whilst it was acknowledged a female body contact sport was novel and possibly off-putting for some females, the marketing of female AF was designed to show"...empowerment, confidence and women conquering their limits...".
The AFLW's marketing plan was to"...align with companies who wanted to tell a story about equality".

The monies contributed by sponsors probably paid the costs of the AFLW in its first season -& this with Ch.7 & Foxtel not being asked by the AFL to pay for the media rights in Year 1. ( C.Wilson, The Age, wrote that some of the very high rating, 1,000,000+AFLW individual games, played when there was NO AFL competition, would attract TV rights for the AFLW, of c. $1,000,000 for EACH game!).

Wong states, re the AFLW commercial sponsors, "...and, like us, they see the mass potential of the AFLW to GROW THE GAME (my emphasis)".

Thus, the AFL has tried to make a "negative" (females having pain inflicted on them/inflicting pain on their opponents/almost certainty of injuries,on a huge oval, with a very complex skill set using hands & feet playing the novelty of a female body contact game) into a "positive". Females will feel empowered, & confident, conquer their limits, if they can summon the determination & courage that is necessary to play the bruising game of AF.
This provides AF with the crucial "point of difference", cf other female traditional sports (Exceptions being female horse racing, big wave surfing, aerial skiing -& contact RL & RU, should the latter increase their adherents from the very small current nos.).

To my surprise, I noticed the AFLW received quite strong coverage & support from the Sydney-based ABC; and even some support from the Sydney-based SBS -who, obviously, provide slavish support for soccer, & very little for AF. The above AFLW themes probably resonated with their female management.

www.bandt.com.au/marketing/not-simply-mirroring-mens-comp-afl-womens-marketing-guru
Watched a women's game on the weekend where a player broke her leg. There was none of the 'women shouldn't be playing, it's to tough' talk there would have been 10 years ago.



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Watched a women's game on the weekend where a player broke her leg. There was none of the 'women shouldn't be playing, it's to tough' talk there would have been 10 years ago.



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Hope she is ok, it is a bit concerning IMO, and BTW I say the same about men's, i personally feel that the head over the ball mentality which pervades footy can be over the top, I much prefer players to have a bit of a look, IMO does not mean for one second they are cowards.

Jonathan Brown is touted for courage, to me some of his running with the flight of the ball is stupidity , taking out friend and foe alike.
 
I'd add to this thread by posing the question "Why do men like playing Aussie Rules?"

My daughter started playing juniors a few years ago. My grandmother played for a small town on the Murray River in the 1940s. Both have similar reasons, and many are already mentioned.

It's a fun game for all shapes and sizes. My daughter is well over 6 foot, already. Grandma was a nippy forward pocket.

Vescio stated that one of the main "appeals of football is you can do whatever you want, to get the ball. Its primal, almost like chasing a rabbit".

Bang on. Not much more exhilarating than competing shoulder-to-shoulder with your opponent, with that chaotic oval ball throwing in some luck.

It's fun being part of a team - there's space to avoid clicks in an Aussie Rules club, but in netball, basketball, etc, if you don't get along with the Big Dog, you get frozen out.

People also play Aussie Rules for pride, to represent their community and because people are there to watch them. People come to watch football. Family. Friends. Teachers from school. People from the footy club you respect. You want to play in a way that makes them proud. I probably wouldn't have played if my parents didn't come cheer me on and talk about the game afterwards.

There's probably a thousand more reasons, but these are probably the three main ones for my daughter and grandmother.
 

BringBackTorps

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I'd add to this thread by posing the question "Why do men like playing Aussie Rules?"

My daughter started playing juniors a few years ago. My grandmother played for a small town on the Murray River in the 1940s. Both have similar reasons, and many are already mentioned.

It's a fun game for all shapes and sizes. My daughter is well over 6 foot, already. Grandma was a nippy forward pocket.



Bang on. Not much more exhilarating than competing shoulder-to-shoulder with your opponent, with that chaotic oval ball throwing in some luck.

It's fun being part of a team - there's space to avoid clicks in an Aussie Rules club, but in netball, basketball, etc, if you don't get along with the Big Dog, you get frozen out.

People also play Aussie Rules for pride, to represent their community and because people are there to watch them. People come to watch football. Family. Friends. Teachers from school. People from the footy club you respect. You want to play in a way that makes them proud. I probably wouldn't have played if my parents didn't come cheer me on and talk about the game afterwards.

There's probably a thousand more reasons, but these are probably the three main ones for my daughter and grandmother.
It would be appreciated if you could advise the exact years your grandmother played, for what team, names of opposing teams, & approx. no.of games that her club was involved in.
Were the games in WW11, & promoted as fundraisers?

Anecdotally, your observations c. female AF appear to be correct:-
.females like the fact there are c. 20 other females in a team -easier to make friends, less chance to be the lonely "outsider"in a clique, find "kindred spirits".
.jnr. females (similar to boys) like being watched playing AF by family/friends etc.
The no. of spectators, per player, is FAR higher in AF than any other female jnr. sport
 
It would be appreciated if you could advise the exact years your grandmother played, for what team, names of opposing teams, & approx. no.of games that her club was involved in.
Were the games in WW11, & promoted as fundraisers

Sadly, my grandmother is longer with us, and all she told me was that she was a goal sneak who liked kicking the winning goal. She preferred to talk about Essendon than herself. I don't even know if it was a mixed team or a women's team. I got most of the info above out of Pop, who is also sadly passed away.

She wasn't the only woman of her generation to play. I reckon I've spotted team photos of the women's team in the community centre in Dumbalk from the same era (Gippsland) and also one in either Eskdale or Mitta (north eastern Vic).

Women playing footy is as old as footy.

And by the bye, its Aussie Rules. Not Australian Football, or AF.
 

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Sadly, my grandmother is longer with us, and all she told me was that she was a goal sneak who liked kicking the winning goal. She preferred to talk about Essendon than herself. I don't even know if it was a mixed team or a women's team. I got most of the info above out of Pop, who is also sadly passed away.

She wasn't the only woman of her generation to play. I reckon I've spotted team photos of the women's team in the community centre in Dumbalk from the same era (Gippsland) and also one in either Eskdale or Mitta (north eastern Vic).

Women playing footy is as old as footy.

And by the bye, its Aussie Rules. Not Australian Football, or AF.

Good story about your grandmother....it certainly surprised me that women's footy was played before the 80s

BTB, the official name of the game is Australian football (AF being an abbreviation obviously), has been for 100 years...hence the "Laws of Australian Football", the "Australian Football League" etc. "Aussie rules" is a nickname that I'm pretty sure originated in NSW
 

BringBackTorps

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Sadly, my grandmother is longer with us, and all she told me was that she was a goal sneak who liked kicking the winning goal. She preferred to talk about Essendon than herself. I don't even know if it was a mixed team or a women's team. I got most of the info above out of Pop, who is also sadly passed away.

She wasn't the only woman of her generation to play. I reckon I've spotted team photos of the women's team in the community centre in Dumbalk from the same era (Gippsland) and also one in either Eskdale or Mitta (north eastern Vic).

Women playing footy is as old as footy.

And by the bye, its Aussie Rules. Not Australian Football, or AF.
Do you know the name of the Club your grandmother played for on the Murray -or could find ascertain other family members; & an approx. date in the 40's?
For the old photos of historic women's teams in Eskdale or Mitta, where are these photos on display eg pub, General Store?
Info. appreciated, as historians are very interested c. women playing in distant eras.

NoobPie, there is, on the Footy History Forum, in Jan. 2017 a history of women's football in Aust. -many teams started in WW1 (but in the 20's, support was withdrawn for women's teams).
 

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AFL has large crowds with lots of families, lots of suburban and country clubs, lots of areas for young girls to interact closely with footy.

Even NRL do not have this to the same extent.

Of all the sports in the country, I think footy has the largest group of women who love the sport, and play sport, but do not play the sport they love.

This is the group AFLs marketing is targeting.

I know someone has quoted this already, but I think it probably sums up the single greatest answer to the OP. People (men and women) are often drawn to compete in sports they watch. AFL has been targetting women as a demographic for some time from a viewing perspective. Just as more people would get off the hill and compete in motorsport if someone offered them the money required, women just needed the opportunity and the means to play the sport they were already watching.
 

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The ABC Morning TV News program reported today that the WA Govt. has become the first State Govt. in Australia to require Govt. schools to allow female students, if the students wish, to wear shorts or long pants to school ie part of the standard female uniform, not just on PE/Sports'days. All the other Schools require a dress as the standard uniform on non-sports' days.

The program quoted an expert, who said studies have shown that if girls were allowed to wear shorts/pants, they are usually more physically active at lunch times/breaks etc (The program also said girls who wear dresses with long tights underneath, often find the latter can become uncomfortable/sweaty).

The program quoted a letter of complaint from a WA female student who said she wanted to do kick-to-kick AF at lunch time -but felt inhibited because she had to wear a dress.

Thus we should encourage all schools to allow girls (if they wish) to wear shorts/long pants as part of the standard uniform. Girls should have the right of the time-honoured tradition to enjoy the fun of kick-to-kick -the quintessential Australian culture & pastime.

I would like the AFL to campaign heavily on this issue of attire - with both State & private schools.

Furthermore, I would like the AFL to promote state-wide (around Aust.) school female kicking contests (distance/accuracy/both feet) across each primary & secondary school age group. A state public & private school champion, across each State & age group, would be selected. They would then all be flown to an AFL Preliminary Final or Grand Final to determine the ultimate National female kicking Champion. School girl AF would be given a massive boost -which would also TURBOCHARGE more Club female regd. nos.

It is inevitable that the AFL will come into "conflict" with some schools, in areas where insufficient Council grounds are available. The AFL will request Club access to school sports' grounds on the weekends, when the schools are not using them; ditto, during the week after school, for Club jnr. AF training (No entry into any buildings is reqd., except for toilets).
The dispute will also involve the rent charged -community Clubs cant afford Commercial rates, but will request Council Not-For-Profit rents.
C.Wilson The Age 6.9 wrote, pointing to the inadequacy & scarcity of grounds in some parts of Syd.,that Mclachlan said it's "almost the biggest challenge facing our game"; & he also said he "would not accept turning kids away".
J.Stenholdt AFR 7.9 wrote Commission Chair Goyder said "there's a tsunami of women who want to play the game".

The boom in female AF is VERY likely to continue, & is already creating problems for AF community Clubs to find sufficient space for the burgeoning nos.(both game day & training). There is already a scramble occurring in parts of Melb., & parts of Syd. Eastern suburbs.
 
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The ABC Morning TV News program reported today that the WA Govt. has become the first State Govt. in Australia to require Govt. schools to allow female students, if the students wish, to wear shorts or long pants to school ie part of the standard female uniform, not just on PE/Sports'days. All the other Schools require a dress as the standard uniform on non-sports' days.

The program quoted an expert, who said studies have shown that if girls were allowed to wear shorts/pants, they are usually more physically active at lunch times/breaks etc (The program also said girls who wear dresses with long tights underneath, often find the latter can become uncomfortable/sweaty).

The program quoted a letter of complaint from a WA female student who said she wanted to do kick-to-kick AF at lunch time -but felt inhibited because she had to wear a dress.

Thus we should encourage all schools to allow girls (if they wish) to wear shorts/long pants as part of the standard uniform. Girls should have the right of the time-honoured tradition to enjoy the fun of kick-to-kick -the quintessential Australian culture & pastime.

I would like the AFL to campaign heavily on this issue of attire - with both State & private schools.

Furthermore, I would like the AFL to promote state-wide (around Aust.) school female kicking contests (distance/accuracy/both feet) across each primary & secondary school age group. A state public & private school champion, across each State & age group, would be selected. They would then all be flown to an AFL Preliminary Final or Grand Final to determine the ultimate National female kicking Champion. School girl AF would be given a massive boost -which would also TURBOCHARGE more Club female regd. nos.

It is inevitable that the AFL will come into "conflict" with some schools, in areas where insufficient Council grounds are available. The AFL will request Club access to school sports' grounds on the weekends, when the schools are not using them; ditto, during the week after school, for Club jnr. AF training (No entry into any buildings is reqd., except for toilets).
The dispute will also involve the rent charged -community Clubs cant afford Commercial rates, but will request Council Not-For-Profit rents.
C.Wilson The Age 6.9 wrote, pointing to the inadequacy & scarcity of grounds in some parts of Syd., Mclachlan said it's "almost the biggest challenge facing our game"; & he also said he "would not accept turning kids away".
J.Stenholdt AFR 7.9 wrote Commission Chair Goyder said "there's a tsunami of women who want to play the game".

The boom in female AF is VERY likely to continue, & is already creating problems for AF community Clubs to find sufficient space for the burgeoning nos.(both game day & training). There is already a scramble occurring in parts of Melb., & parts of Syd. Eastern suburbs.

Yes the new State Government pushed this before the Election- They are concerned about the drop off by females involved in sport in their mid to late teens. They would like every young female to play some sport or another.
Overall about 1 in 5 young people around Oz get involved in physical activity.
Very very interesting news coming out of some parts of Sydney. Does this correctly indicate our game up there is making headway against the opposition in certain areas.
 

BringBackTorps

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Jan 5, 2017
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Yes the new State Government pushed this before the Election- They are concerned about the drop off by females involved in sport in their mid to late teens. They would like every young female to play some sport or another.
Overall about 1 in 5 young people around Oz get involved in physical activity.
Very very interesting news coming out of some parts of Sydney. Does this correctly indicate our game up there is making headway against the opposition in certain areas.
WS has c.155 community AF teams -nos. have doubled since 2012.
Club AF in Syd.'s sthn. suburbs still has very low nos. -but is also growing off a low base. Maroubra, St George & Camden are the only "strong" Clubs there. In other middle class areas, it is experiencing good growth (still a long way behind soccer, which is growing everywhere -& dominates in most schools in Syd.).

Has the WA Govt. stated specific ways in how it will achieve its goal ie "females (mid to late teens) to play some sport or another"?
 
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TWLS

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Jul 19, 2015
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WS has c.155 community AF teams -nos. have doubled since 2012.
Club AF in Syd.'s sthn. suburbs still has very low nos. -but is also growing off a low base. Maroubra, St George & Camden are the only "strong" Clubs there. In other middle class areas, it is experiencing good growth (still a long way behind soccer, which is growing everywhere -& dominates in most schools in Syd.).

Has the WA Govt. stated specific ways in how it will achieve its goal ie "females (mid to late teens) to play some sport or another"?

The new Govt has announced today a big increase for Cycleways funding - 100 million over 4 years - The program will link up important gaps from the previous govts plan, and new routes.
Perth is ideal for Cycling and sits on a mostly flat sand plain.
As far as I can tell that announcement for the schools was just about it. The Premier comes from Sydney and I thought well whats is going to happen to our game over here but not to worry the Treasurer still pulls the boots on for Aussie Rules. (Masters)
They came good on the new stadium deal so it turned out alright.
 
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