Gold Coast Stingrays girls leading the charge to the Sunbowl
“They were big guys but we were able to throw them around,” Neve Tomkins, 14, said of tackling 16-year-old boys. “It’s pretty empowering.”
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The game was already won when the Gold Coast Stingrays sideline exploded into rapturous celebrations.
It was a regulation sack of the opposition quarterback, with the result beyond doubt, but the moment was far more significant than a bystander could have guessed.
For the first time this season – and quite possibly for the first time in the 14-16 year old division’s history – a defensive line unit featuring three female talents had tackled a male quarterback for a loss.
American Football might be the only contact sport in Australia where males and females are not divided among gender lines at 16 years of age.
The girls are expected to give as good as they get, which is why their teammates were so ecstatic to see Lorilee Clifford, 15, Kaylee Tongakilo, 15, and Neve Tomkins wrestle their prey into the dirt.
“They were big guys but we were able to throw them around,” the pint-sized Tomkins, 14, said of the sack.
“It’s pretty empowering to know they’re bigger than us but that doesn’t mean they’re stronger – size doesn’t matter.”
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The three Stingrays Juniors have bonded over their love of Football and their shared battle to prove their worth to opposition teams who dismiss them because of their gender.
That battle used to include their own teammates before the girls’ fearless play earned their respect.
“Some of the other guys go easy on us because they think we’re just girls but we prefer it when they play hard,” Clifford said.
“I love playing defence, how you’ve got to tackle the boys, throw them on the ground and say ‘Ha! I beat you and I’m a girl’ – I love doing that.
“It’s challenging but it makes us better players and we like a little challenge.
“I’m always showing off my bruises to my teachers at school. They ask ‘Did that hurt?’ and I always say ‘Nah!’”
“On our team they see us as players,” Kaylee Tongakilo added.
“Our team is more like a family so they see us as their little sisters.
“We love showing the boys that we’re good and we’re here to play, we’re not just here to be cheerleaders.”
The girls will earn the chance to claim the Queensland State Title at 9am Saturday at Redcliffe Stadium when they take on Sunshine Coast Spartans.
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