NewsBite

National Women’s League: Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs part of historic eight-team women’s football league

THE AFL has officially announced the eight teams to take part in the inaugural National Women’s competition.

Eliza Sewell
4 min read
June 15, 2016 - 9:40AM
Ebony-Rose Antonio playing for Melbourne in an exhibition game against the Western Bulldogs last year. Picture: Michael Klein
Ebony-Rose Antonio playing for Melbourne in an exhibition game against the Western Bulldogs last year. Picture: Michael Klein

THE AFL has officially announced the eight teams to take part in the inaugural National Women’s competition.

AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said “our game will never be the same” in unveiling the eight clubs including Collingwood, Carlton, Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide, GWS and Brisbane.

“This day has been a long time coming,” he said.

“The number of women and girls playing club football has doubled over the past five years, as record growth year-on-year has seen female participation reach 25 per cent of the total number of Australians playing our indigenous game.

“Our CEO Gillon McLachlan calls it a revolution and it is.

“A fully fledged national competition where the best women in the country will grace AFL grounds, wearing AFL club jumpers, representing immensely proud and passionate tribes.

“The establishment of a national women’s league will provide a platform to inspire young girls to reach for the stars and provide another avenue for fans of Australian football to enjoy.”

Fitzpatrick said 13 “outstanding” submissions were received from clubs but only eight licences granted for the inaugural season.

The clubs that missed out — North Melbourne, Geelong, Richmond and St Kilda — have received provisional licences and will be granted entry into future seasons, as early as 2018.

WHAT THE CLUBS ARE SAYING ...

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Bulldogs chief executive David Stevenson said: “We are genuinely thrilled to be part of the inaugural women’s competition, for the club, for our fans but mostly for the young women who now can realise their dreams of being professional footballers,” he told the club’s website.

“The club has a genuine commitment to creating an elite program for our female athletes, focusing on performance, innovation, experience and growth — and today’s announcement allows us to continue our leadership role in women’s football.”

ADELAIDE CROWS

Crows chairman Rob Chapman said the announcement is a landmark moment for the club and sport in general.

“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new era for everyone in the Crows family and footy fans across the country,” Chapman said.

“We have been one of the loudest and most passionate voices in advocating for a national women’s league and have long demonstrated a commitment to gender diversity.

“It is fantastic that girls and young women can now aspire to play for the Crows and realise their dream of a career in football.”

BRISBANE

Lions chief executive Greg Swann said winning an inaugural licence for the AFL National Women’s League season was a great day for everyone at the club.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of such a huge day in footy history,” Swann said.

“Women play a massive role in our code, and across our State — we saw it as an absolute must that our club have a women’s team from the start.

“There is so much talent across Queensland, we are really excited to get to work on developing a team that will do us proud in this great new national competition.”

Daisy Pearce in action against Brisbane. Picture: Getty
Daisy Pearce in action against Brisbane. Picture: Getty

MELBOURNE

Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson said the National Women’s League was an exciting opportunity for the club to build on its long-term support of women’s football.

“We are proud to be one of the inaugural clubs in the National Women’s League,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“The Melbourne Football Club takes great pride in our history of supporting women and girls who play football.

“We believe that women and girls should be represented and respected at all levels and areas of the game and the National Women’s League will play an important role in achieving this goal.

“We look forward to fielding a team in the competition in 2017 while continuing the work we do at all levels of female participation.”

CARLTON

Carlton president Mark LoGiudice said the Blues are excited and passionately committed to integrate a women’s team into the football club.

“We understand the significance of being a women’s league foundation club and we are extremely honoured to have secured a licence for the inaugural 2017 AFL National Women’s League.

“As a club, we strive to be leaders in gender equality and as a result of this licence, we will continue to focus on providing pathways and opportunities for women in all areas of our great game.

“Our geographical location means we have a vital role to play in developing AFL at all levels and across both genders.

“We are proud to be building a more diverse football club as we know the more diverse we are, the more we will grow.

GWS GIANTS

Giants chief executive David Matthews said the decision was a watershed moment for the game and for female athletes in New South Wales and the ACT.

“This is one of the most significant announcements in the game’s history and certainly one of the most important things the GIANTS will ever do,” Matthews said.

“We’re pleased our bid has been vindicated and our commitment to the promotion and development of female sport has been recognised by the AFL.

“We are in the unique position of having a proven track record when it comes to building a club from the ground up.”

NORTH MELBOURNE

Kangaroos chief executive Carl Dilena said missing out won’t deter the club from its desire to grow women’s football and create female talent pathways.

“While the decision is disappointing, we maintain our strong commitment to women’s football and will continue to look at the bigger picture when it comes to development of players and staff,” Dilena told the club’s website.

“We will continue to push ahead with our award winning women’s programs via The Huddle and break new ground with our Next Generation youth academies in Tasmania, Melbourne and Wyndham.”

WEST COAST

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the Eagles were disappointed to be overlooked as one of the inaugural licencees for the National Women’s League but the club respected the decision.

“The AFL has indicated that they will work with us on a specific plan to develop talent and prepare for entry into the competition as early as 2018.

“We understand there will be specific regions for us to focus on to develop participation and talent. We look forward to working with the AFL and putting the plans and programs in place to join the competition as soon as possible.”

More Coverage

Battle for best talent heats up
Eliza Sewell
Who is the best player in the AFL?
More related stories

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/national-womens-league-carlton-collingwood-melbourne-and-western-bulldogs-part-of-historic-eightteam-womens-football-league/news-story/ae2be7ee1af8e02675852d912190cafb