More than 500 girls just want to have fun when it comes to playing footy with their Crows idols
More than 500 schoolgirls participated in the Optus Crows Cup last week, a girls-only football carnival aimed at encouraging youngsters to give Australian football a go.
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When Crows AFLW star midfielder Ebony Marinoff was growing up, she was the only girl playing in a boys’ team.
Last week, Marinoff was amazed — and hugely excited — to be standing on the side of a North Adelaide oval watching on as more than 500 girls from across Adelaide primary schools participated in the Optus Crows Cup, a girls-only footy carnival.
“Me being there as a player with the Adelaide Crows women’s team, means they know there’s a pathway and we’re paving the way for those young girls … maybe when they’re my age, they might be full-time AFL athletes,” the 21-year-old, dual premiership player said.
“Back in the day, I played footy with the boys for a good 10 years, as the only girl in a team.
“Now, not only are there so many clubs that have all-women’s and girls teams from under age right through to women’s open, but to go out to a carnival with primary schools and see so many teams filled with young girls having an opportunity to play footy at such a young age, it’s just so great because I didn’t have.”
Marinoff said programs like this one were important because women of all ages now made up 32 per cent of all football participation.
The Crows Cup started in 2016 with 280 students and two carnivals. But there has been exponential growth in the event in line with the growth of the AFLW and this year the Crows will host more than 30 carnivals with 5000 girls involved from both metropolitan and regional schools.
A recent UniSA survey of more than 200 carnival participants found that 78 per cent of the girls felt more confident after playing footy, 70 per cent felt it was important to participate because it taught them new skills, and 92 per cent found it enjoyable.
Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs was also on hand to watch the Crows Cup and he said he was inspired to see the huge number of girls playing football.
“It was great to head out to North Adelaide and see so many girls running around and having fun with their friends,” Jacobs said.
“It was the first time a lot of the girls had played footy, so the Optus Crows Cup is a great way to introduce young females to the game.”
Marinoff agreed it was heartwarming to watch the growth of the game she loved.
“I’m only 21 and (women’s footy) has grown immensely in the last five years as such, it’s growing and it’s getting somewhere,” she said.
“I hope I can inspire the girls to not only play at their school level and be involved at Crows Cup level but to take something else away from that and go and join a SANFL local club and get involved at a competitive level.”
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