NFL 2019: NFLW receives interest from 10 new teams for next year
Women’s football is flying high in one Melbourne league with 10 new teams gunning to join. These are the sides keen to make the league’s new three-division competition in 2019.
Northern
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Women’s football is booming in Melbourne’s north, with 10 clubs keen to join the Northern Football League for the first time next year.
NFL administrators said the league had experienced an “amazing” level of interest during 2019 and could welcome new teams from clubs including Hurstbridge, Reservoir, Thomastown, Wallan and Whittlesea.
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Watsonia, West Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Fitzroy Stars and RMIT are other potential new sides, with the NFL planning for a three-division competition.
“Whether they all get off the ground, time will tell, but at least it’s great they are considering it and looking to grow all areas of their club,” NFL chief executive Peter McDougall said.
“It increases their membership base and becomes more of an inclusive club. That’s great for the dynamic and the health of all our clubs if they are thinking that way.”
La Trobe University (VAFA) and Whitehorse (Eastern) have left the NFL, aligning with their men’s teams.
McDougall said the northern suburbs had traditionally been the strongest region of Melbourne for female football participation.
“Historically this has been a really strong region, prior to the AFLW competition taking off,” he said.
“We have runs girls footy or female footy for 11 seasons, so it’s not new to clubs of the north.
“It has been pretty successful out here for a lot of years. The AFLW competition has definitely helped give it a kick along.”
West Preston-Lakeside and Bundoora — teams established in the past two seasons — claimed NFLW premierships this year.
“When you look at it and think we had three divisions of women’s footy this year and we had three divisions of men’s footy,” McDougall said.
“Women’s footy was its second season with us for seniors. The men, it was their 96th.
“In 96 years you have got three divisions of men and in two years you have got three divisions for women. That probably tells a story.”
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McDougall said growth in junior girls teams had mirrored the rapid expansion of the NFLW senior leagues.
“That’s still growing at a good, healthy rate where we are starting to see a couple of divisions in the younger age groups,” he said.
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