Blackfriars becomes Adelaide’s first all-boys school’s old scholars club to field a female football team

Blackfriars is set to become Adelaide’s first all-boys school’s old scholars club to field a female football team.

Aimee Van Der Hulst, Tella Wise, Suzanne Holliday, Lynne Neumann, Rebecca Pearson and Hannah Beale will play for Blackfriars Old Scholars’ inaugural women’s team. Picture: Matt Loxton

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Blackfriars is set to become Adelaide’s first all-boys school’s old scholars club to field a female football team.

The Hounds have entered a team in the Adelaide Footy League women’s division five competition and will play their inaugural game this Sunday.

Blackfriars president Michael Clarke says the team comprises partners, friends and family members of old scholars, as well as women living in the area.

“We had been trying to get partners and girlfriends and more of a female supporter base involved, which has always been a bit of a struggle being an all boys’ old scholars team,” Clarke says.

Blackfriars Old Scholars’ inaugural women’s coach Lachlan Sandford. Picture: Matt Loxton

“But we are really excited about the opportunity to give the girls a run and let them be involved in a club that wants to support them.

“It seemed like a good fit to move down that path and once we started to get expressions of interest, it kind of expanded from there.”

Clarke expects establishing a women’ team will attract new people to the North Adelaide-based club and hopes to tap into talent at all-girls schools, including St Dominic’s and St Mary’s.

“Every club needs to come up with some way of building a supporter base, consolidating the base it has got and get more people involved,” he says.

“The enthusiasm around women’s football is amazing and it’s an important step for the club.”

Inaugural women’s coach Lachlan Sandford, a Blackfriars old scholar, is looking forward to leading the team.

Blackfriars Old Scholars players Tella Wise, Hannah Beale, Rebecca Pearson, Aimee Van Der Hulst, Lynne Neumann and Suzanne Holliday. Picture: Matt Loxton

“Blackfriars had a ladies day last year to raise money for the Mary Potter Hospice and a few of the girls were saying how great it would be if they could play in a team,” Sandford says.

“We’ve had a lot of the players’ girlfriends, sisters and mums decide to jump on board because they’ve supported their sons and partners for so long in football and thought ‘why not we give it a go and then can come support us as well?’

“Our club is based on that family-type of environment where everyone is inclusive, no matter what type of skill or how old they are and everyone is made to feel welcome.”

Blackfriars plays its inaugural women’s match against Flinders Park at its St Dominic’s home (Park Two) this Sunday at 1pm.