Crows girls take flight as interest in SA female footy soars

MORE than 60 female footballers turned out to a trial at Football Park, hoping to snare the chance to play a curtain-raiser at the next Showdown. Find out how women’s footy is smashing barriers at all age levels.

6.2.2016.Women's football trial for potential Crows women's team in next year's 2017 competition. pic tait schmaal.

FEMALE Australian football in South Australia is experiencing an explosion in interest and participation ahead of the 2016 season.

It comes as more than 60 female footballers signed in for one of four trials conducted by the SANFL and the Crows to find two teams to play in an All-Star game at Adelaide Oval in a curtain-raiser for the Round 2 Showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide.

They will embark on an eight-week training block ahead of the match and later in the year have a chance to represent SA against New South Wales in a proposed curtain-raiser before the Crows and St Kilda game on June 5.

There is also the chance for female footballers from around the country to be drafted for an AFL exhibition game later this year following the ratings success last year’s match played under the banner of Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.

The South Australian Women’s Football League’s open-age teams will expand from 11 teams to 18 this year and overall, the amount of female teams will go from 20 to 59.

More importantly, there is now a clear pathway for girls to continue to participate in the game until they’re of open age, with teams starting as under-8s and having age divisions right through to adults.

In the past, girls could play in both teams — they still can, and many do — but were essentially kicked out by the time they turned 14.

SANFL football manager Adam Kelly said every plan the league had had surrounding the female competitions had delivered interest and results that had blown them away.

“Last year, across the metropolitan area in the under-age competitions, we had nine teams. This year, we’ve already had 41 teams nominate in combination between the SANFL juniors competition and the South Australian Women’s Football League’s under-18s,” Kelly said.

“So there’s significant growth there. That’s a strong indication of the interest.”

Courtney Roberts, 20, plays for Modbury and Sarah Allan, 18, plays for Salisbury. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Crows head of football David Noble said Adelaide would do everything it could to support the women’s game.

The club has recently entered in a partnership with AFL NT as the club prepares to put a tender in for the planned AFL national women’s competition in 2017.

Port Adelaide will also bid for a licence.

“There’s a real energy and excitement in the air,” Noble said.

“When you start new programs, there’s massive excitement.

“There’s lots of work to do, but the energy and vibe (around the women’s game) is really stimulating.

“It just goes to show that if you put something in place, the talent will come.

“We’re extremely excited about the project.

“It’s about the availability of opportunity for women to move into our sport, in a number of roles.”

One of South Australia’s most recognised players, Courtney Cramey, said she was revelling in the growth of the game.

She also believed the greater exposure through televised games had brought down some of the stereotypes of the game and made people appreciate female Australian football.

“Being part of the recent exhibition matches, it’s really what some girls grow up and want to do: to play on the big stage at the MCG,” she said.

“They have the same dreams as their brothers and their fathers had.

“I think the future’s looking bright and those dreams can come through now.”

Courtney Roberts, 20, who plays for Modbury in the local competition, said the game had finally realised that female athletes often had the same aspirations as their male counterparts.

Roberts and Sarah Allan, 18, who plays for Salisbury, were both part of the SANFL-Crows trial.

“It’s really exciting, female football,” Allan said.

“Everyone that I see go on about that game (the televised match) and how good it was.”