Premier League: Women to main event massive derby clash
Women’s football will be given the platform a generation of top-quality players have earned on Saturday night when they main event FNQ Football’s biggest derby clash.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Women’s football will be given the platform a generation of top-quality players have earned on Saturday night when they main event FNQ Football’s biggest derby clash.
Edge Hill United’s Round 11 Women’s FNQ Premier League clash with Leichhardt has been moved to the prime time slot, the first of the year.
LAST TIME THEY MET: Macken seals comeback draw for Tigers
It will be the first of two straight games at Tiger Park to receive top billing this year, with Edge Hill’s Round 12 game against JCU Strikers to also be played under lights.
Edge Hill United president Terry McDonough said it was an opportunity to showcase the immense talent both teams possess in what is building up to be an incredible clash.
It also serves as the best advertisement for the strength of women’s football in FNQ in the lead-up to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
MORE SPORTS NEWS
NBL makes call on season start date
Faanana tryfest as Penrhyn seals first FNQ Rugby title
Cairns hockey grand final replays: NIGHT 1 / NIGHT 2
“We wanted to promote the women’s game, especially with the World Cup coming up, but they deserve it,” McDonough said.
“The women’s games will be a big one, both this and next week.”
The change in kick-off time means two of the six senior FNQ Football fixtures held at Tiger Park will be headlined by their all-conquering women’s team.
The Tigers have won the past two grand finals, and are undefeated so far this year as they chase a rare treble.
Edge Hill United has arguably been the strongest club for women’s football this past decade, with plenty of silverware heading to Tiger Park over the years.
It comes a week after Leichhardt’s clash with Mareeba was shifted from the regular 3pm slot to 5pm, just before the men’s Premier League contest.
18 BIG WINS IN THE WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE THIS DECADE
Earlier this year, a former premiership-winning coach at Edge Hill United, Ros Calvert, called for women to be given the spotlight it deserves.
Calvert, who was a player-coach of last year’s grand final winning team, was the only woman at a Football Queensland consultation meeting in July, and called out the competition’s treatment when FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci was in town.
“I think it has to start at the grassroots level, so what I spoke about in the meeting was, on a very basic level, let’s put the women’s games in FNQ in the premier timeslots,” she told the Cairns Post after that meeting.
“It’s a simple measure, I can’t see anything wrong with that. I don’t think the football community understands we feel second-rate and that we don’t have that buy-in or support.”
MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
Why Corica returned to Innisfail
‘We’re not afraid’: Fuse lit for massive Premier League clash
Nichol shows his worth as Stratford smash Coast
At the time, FNQ Football administrator Alex Srhoj disagreed with the assertion the women’s game was disrespected in the region.
Women’s Premier League games have generally been played before the men’s reserve grade.
That traditional format has been in place to ensure reserve grade players are fit and ready to back up for the men’s top grade.
The rise of women’s football in recent years has forced that view to be reconsidered.
Officials at various FNQ Football clubs have warned it couldn’t be done with every game - it could hurt the women’s game for a double-digit thrashing to be the centrepiece.
But with every top four clash this year being so hotly contested it’s made for the perfect opportunity to capitalise and challenge those conventions.
The Women’s Premier League clash will headline a full day of fixtures at Tiger Park, with several junior fixtures to be played at the Manunda earlier in the day.
THIS SATURDAY
Edge Hill United v Leichhardt
Games at Tiger Park, Manunda
1pm: Youth. 1st v 4th.
3pm: Premier Reserves. 2nd v 6th.
5pm: Men’s Premier League. 1st v 2nd
7pm: Women’s Premier League. 1st v 2nd
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
Originally published as Premier League: Women to main event massive derby clash