Online petition rallies behind Casey McElroy, the “unregistered” woman who played footy with men

The SANFL is under fire for banning a South-East woman from the local women’s league for six weeks because she played for a men’s reserve side.

• Nat von Bertouch: Should women play sport in men’s teams?

Former Australian Diamonds’ netball captain Natalie von Bertouch has leapt to the defence of female footballer Casey McElroy, who played in a men’s B-grade game in the South-East last month.

The SANFL charged McElroy for playing unregistered for Padthaway Football Club in its reserves side on May 25. She was also slapped with a six-week match penalty that will apply to the 2020 Limestone Coast Women’s Football League’s eight-game season.

In an exclusive column for The Advertiser , von Bertouch said McElroy’s penalty was unnecessarily harsh.

Casey McElroy, 27, has been banned for six matches for playing football in a men’s team in the state’s southeast. Photo: TAIT SCHMAAL

“It seems to me that Casey’s punishment doesn’t fit the crime and it’s obvious that with this severe penalty, the SANFL is sending a very loud message: ‘Don’t anyone do it again’,” von Bertouch said.

McElroy, who plays for the Kybybolite Tigers women’s team, is devastated and considering her options. She has until Thursday to respond to the SANFL. An online petition through change.org has condemned the six-week ban as “grossly excessive”.

Former Australian Diamonds’ netball captain Natalie von Bertouch.

“We stand by the decision of the Padthaway Football Club and Kingston Football Club in letting Casey play in the men’s B grade competition last weekend,” the petition stated, which by yesterday afternoon had garnered almost 1000 signatures.

Padthaway was hit with a $1000 fine and a further $1000 suspended, by the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League, earlier this week.

Though the club knew it was breaking league rules by playing McElroy, it wanted the match against Kingston to go ahead. Padthaway was thumped 10.11 (71). to 1.7 (13).

SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson described the incident as “unprecedented”, given that McElroy’s decision to play exposed herself, her teammates and the opposition to insurance risk. He said the sanction was determined by the football department after they went through due process and the six-week figure was arrived at after that.

“What’s very important is SANFL’s duty of care and there are a lot of players who play football and we need to ensure that all regulations are in place for the benefit of players and that everyone’s protected and in this case, that was compromised,” Mr Parkinson said. The Advertiser readers are split on the SANFL’s decision. One reader wrote: “Did anyone die? Why any penalties? She has the right to take a risk … football has lost the plot.”

Casey McElroy, 27, has the support of her family, including dad Bradley, 52, and grandfather Jeffrey, 81, after she was dealt a six-week ban from playing women’s football because she played in a men’s team in May. Photo: TAIT SCHMAAL

Another reader worried about the future of country football: “The bigger issue here is the decline in country football … the regional areas are declining in population and football should, or will become more about participation than winning and losing. Well done, Casey. You have taken ‘one’ for women’s football but the times are changing and before long, the clowns in charge will realise the demise of country football is unceasing. Let females play if they want to and are prepared to accept the associated risks.”