Girls’ AFL booming in southeast, twice as many new Frankston league juniors are female
GIRLS footy is booming across Melbourne’s southeast, with twice as many girls as boys signing up to play in the Frankston league.
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GIRLS footy is booming in the southeast with two girls for every boy signing up to play in the Frankston league.
The Mornington Peninsula league is also kicking goals with a new club set up to meet huge demand for girls’ games.
Frankston and District Junior Football League operations manager Pauline Pawsey said 1015 girls had signed up for the current season — compared to 753 in 2017.
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“New girls this year are double the number of new boys,” Ms Pawsey said.
She said the success of the AFLW and an increase in the number of age groups on offer had helped boost interest from junior girls.
It’s a similar story with the neighbouring Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League.
President Andrew Souter said numbers had more than tripled in the past three years with 900 junior girls signed up for the 2018 season.
“In 2015 we had 285 girls playing. That figure grew to 426 in 2016 and 647 last year,” Mr Souter said.
“This year we there was so much demand we started a new club — Southern Power — to give all those girls who wanted to play a spot on a team.”
A decision to play under the same rules as the junior boys and specialised training to reduce injuries was making the sport more appealing, he said.
“We noticed an increase in concussions and other injuries that were due to incorrect tackling and bumping in our league, particularly around girls’ football,” Mr Souter said.
“We got tackling coach Malcolm Bangs to come in and show the girls how to go for the ball and since then we’ve had almost zero injuries.”
The surge in numbers has meant club facilities across the region are stretched.
Both leagues have had to bring in portables to cater for the girls and the increased number of teams.
There are 16 clubs in the Frankston league including Bonbeach YCW, Carrum Downs, Carrum Patterson Lakes, Chelsea, Devon Meadows, Edithvale-Aspendale, Frankston Dolphins, Frankston Rovers, Karingal, Keysborough, Langwarrin, Mordialloc, Mornington, Mt Eliza, Pines and Seaford.
The Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League has teams in all age groups across a range of clubs including Balnarring, Moorooduc, Mt Martha, Beleura, Crib Point, Pearcedale/Baxter, Red Hill, Rosebud, Sorrento, South Mornington, Southern Power and Tyabb.
It has also taken on three U18 girls teams from the Frankston league — Frankston Rovers, Mt Eliza and Seaford.
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