Eastern Region Women’s Football League: Growth has been staggering but must be managed carefully

The increase in participation in the Eastern Region Girls’/Women’s Football League has been impressive over its three years but it needs to be ‘steady as she goes’ says the competition’s administrator.

Organised women’s footy might have taken off a little slower in Melbourne’s east than it did in the Northern Football League and the Victorian Amateur Football Association but, if recent and continuing growth is any indication, that head start is well on the way to being completely swallowed up.

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Vermont celebrates a goal late in the final quarter of last year’s grand final win over Mount Evelyn Picture: Hamish Blair

With the NFL and VAFA women’s programs well-established, the Eastern Region Girls’/Women’s Football League threw its hat in the ring three seasons ago.

Clubs from the Eastern Football League and the former AFL Yarra Ranges embraced the concept and, this year, things are booming.

The competition will feature action in some 17 grades, ranging from under-10s to seniors.

At the senior level, there will be a Premier division and Division 1 competition this season.

Eastern Region female talent and competitions co-ordinator Jessie Mulholland said hopes had always been high for women’s footy in the east but the rate of growth and buy-in from clubs had exceeded all expectations.

“We just can’t believe the amount of growth,” she said.

“Off the back of the AFLW (AFL women’s competition), we thought there would be growth. But it’s been incredible.”

Donvale coach Clint Martin and Tina Liu after last year’s Division 2 premiership win. Picture: Hamish Blair

But such rapid growth comes with problems attached, the chief of which is the pressure on ground availability and adequate changeroom facilities at venues.

“Look, it’s a good problem to have,” Mulholland said of the rising participation rate.

“A lot of the clubs have two grounds and lot of the clubs that have brought in a new team have two grounds available and extra changerooms.”

Clubs have embraced the women’s game to such a degree that Mulholland said she was fielding inquiries about the possibility of introducing under-11s, 13s and 15s to fill the gaps between the existing under-10, 12, 14 and 16 competitions.

While thrilled that clubs were showing such enthusiasm and had some pretty lofty ambitions, Mulholland said steady growth — footy’s ‘just take it one week at a time’ — would be the key to the long term success of the competition.

“We’re looking at one more year of growth before we start looking at that,” she said. “We’re probably looking at a new division in each age group.

“With the AFLW continuing to grow, another four teams introduced this year and another four next year, it will just keep getting bigger.

“A lot of conversation we’ve had with the clubs they are saying the positivity it (introducing women’s and girls’ football) is having on their club.

“Clubs should be thinking ‘if we haven’t got a team, why not?’.”

Mulholland said the league was holding off on finalising the fixture for the coming season as many girls will not decide whether to play footy this year until after Easter and the book hadn’t yet closed on new teams entering for the season, which will start in late April.

Vermont’s Annaliese Carroll kicks under grand final pressure from Mount Evelyn’s Skye Johnston Picture: Hamish Blair