Tablelands region sees more girls, women playing soccer

Our junior players say the likes of Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter, as well as better female facilities, has seen more and more girls players sign up for ‘the beautiful game’ across the Southern Tablelands.

The popularity of girl’s soccer is on the rise in Tablelands as the stunning success of the Matildas and role models like Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter are fuelling young players.

The region has seen a massive 17 per cent increase in female participation with 410 female players signing up to the sport.

Southern Tablelands Football Association football manager Craig Norris is thrilled by the rise in participation, saying that now “nearly a third of participants are female.”

Supplied Editorial Increase in women and girls playing soccer in Tablelands Region.

Out of the 1243 total players registered this year, 410 were women and girls and 337 were under 18 - a 17 per cent increase from 2019.

The numbers reflect a national and international rise over the last few years, which the world soccer governing body, FIFA, has supported by approving $1 billion in investment in women’s soccer over the next four years, and by choosing Australia and New Zealand as co-hosts for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Senior player and under-16 representative coach, Michelle Grigg, said: “The prevalence of women‘s football in recent years is evident in the popularity of the Matildas and the growth of professional leagues of women in football.”

“The likes of Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter or my favourite Matilda, Elana Kennedy, on the telly, and on your chocolate bars, does change the perception in society of women playing sport, and it becomes more normal,” she said.

Evelyn Yeadon loves hitting the pitch.

Ms Grigg, who moved to Goulburn in 2019, started playing in primary school and remembers begging her dad for months to sign her up for soccer.

“He wasn’t keen for his daughter to play back then,” she said.

“Having women coaching other girls, but also boys is really important.

“I love to see boys and girls watching the Matildas and the W-League and celebrating women football players for the skills they too have”.

For 14-year-old Evelyn Yeadon, besides being a fan of the Matildas, said what really encouraged her to play was the prevalence of women soccer players in the family.

“My nan, mum and aunty all played soccer growing up, so I wanted to as well,” she said.

Already very committed and competitive, Evelyn plays in Stags under-15 boys, Stags FC - Youth League Colts mixed under-18s, and the Under-14 girls’ representatives.

She said she saw herself pursuing a career in soccer like her idols.

16-year-old Breea Waters kicking goals.

Living in regional and rural areas means less people to play against and currently there are even less women and girls.

This is why there are mixed soccer teams with set numbers of boys and girls, or just boys teams where a few girls join, Ms Grigg said.

“I was fortunate in playing in the early leagues for young girls, as that wasn’t the norm for other people,” she said.

“Down here (Goulburn) they are moving towards it, earlier this year they had an all girls competition.”

Breea Waters, 16, started playing when she was four and said she was pleasantly surprised there were a number of girls’ teams in Goulburn, as opposed to her experience in her hometown Gunning, in the Southern Tablelands.

“Barely any girls played and if they did, they were in the boys team,” she said.

“I think there needs to be more girl trainings and opportunities, while still being able to play with boys in rural areas.

Now she plays in the NPL Womens in Canberra - the highest competition offered in women‘s football in the ACT and surrounding region - for Gungahlin United FC club. She also plays under 17 girls’ representatives.

Breea describes playing soccer as “freedom.”

“It’s good for your mental health and you have fun and meet heaps of new people and learn all these different things,” she said.

The Graham Coe Pavilion is nearly complete, named in honour of Southern Tablelands Football Association (STFA) founding member.

To help fuel participation numbers, clubs are building more infrastructure to help make all players more comfortable, including introducing female changing rooms.

This month, Cookbundoon Pavilion, now known as the $572,884 Graham Coe Pavilion, is due to be completed and will include six changerooms, a function room, officials changerooms and public amenities.

Goulburn Mayor Bob Kirk said “this upgrade to provide essential facilities such as change rooms for our female players was overdue.”

Mr Norris also called the changerooms for girls and women a “game changer.”