Women's Australian rules football

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Australian rules football Portal

Melbourne University Mugars player jostles for best position in a overhead Marking contest while tackled Darebin Falcons player lies down.

A scene of a tackle from a game.

Women's Australian rules football (also known as Women's Aussie Rules, Women's footy or in areas where it is popular, simply football) is a fast growing sport played in Australia, United States, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Canada and Japan.

The game, sometimes played with modified rules for women from the men's game but still a contact sport, is less brutal on the body than women's American Football, women's rugby league or rugby union, but has more contact than football (soccer) and is a fast-paced game involving both hand and foot co-ordination for players of all shapes and sizes.

[edit] Modified Rules

Darebin Falcons Player is wrapped up in a gang tackle by two Melbourne University opponents in the 2006 WVFL senior women's Grand Final. The field umpire (in orange) is about to signal "holding the ball" to penalise Darebin and award Melbourne University a free kick.

Some competitions, but not all, are played with modified rules.

The main rule differences in Women's Footy as opposed to Australian rules football involves modified tackling rules. Typically holding or slinging the player in a tackle is not allowed but subtle pressure is.

Another main difference is the size of the ball. A smaller ball to the men's version is often used to minimise hand injuries when catching (marking) the ball. As it is a contact sport injuries can occur at any time.

[edit] In Australia

In Australia, the main women's competitions are the Victorian Women's Football League and the Sydney Women's AFL. Football is not played with modified tackling rules; the same rules as men's football apply. The only differences to the men's game are shorter quarters and a slightly smaller ball is used.

Youth Girls Competitions now exist in Victoria and Queensland, providing a bridge from Auskick to senior football.

[edit] Clubs

[edit] Victoria

Main article: Victorian Women's Football League

[edit] Western Australia

Main article: West Australian Women's Football League

• Coastal Titans
• The Hawks
• Innaloo Piranhas
• Melville Dockers
• Safety Bay Stingers
• Southern Thunder

[edit] South Australia

Main article: South Australian Women's Football League

• Sturt Women's Football Club
• Port Adelaide Magpies Women's Football Club
• Greenacres Women's Football Club
• Eagles Women's Football Team

[edit] New South Wales

Main article: Sydney Women's AFL

• Balmain Women's Football Club
• Camden Power
• Eastern Bulldogs
• Newtown Breakaways Official Site
• Sydney University
• Wests Women's Football Club
• Macquarie University Kookaburas Official Site

[edit] Australian Capital Territory

Main article: ACTWAFL

• Eastlake Demons
• Tuggeranong Thunder
• ADFA Rams
• Belconnen Magpies
• Ainslie Kangaroos
• Riverina Lions
• ANU Griffins

[edit] Queensland

Main article: Queensland Women's AFL

• Bayside Bombers (Redland AFC)
• Beenleigh Buffalos
• Caloundra WFC
• Ipswich Eagles
• Kedron Lions
• Logan Cobras
• Morningside WFC
• Redcliffe Tigers [2]
• Southern Redbacks
• Toowoomba Cougars [3]
• Western Magpies

[edit] Championship Events

Women's Football Australia are responsible for the annual AFL National Women's Championships. In 2005, two teams from Victoria, a senior and an under-19s side and teams from the ACT, Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Defence Force and Queensland participated. Victoria has won the past 13 championships and surprisingly, in 2005 the Victorian U19 state side won the cup. In 2006, VIC Seniors 18. 7 (125) def Western Australia 2 .1 (13).

The armed forces in Australia are also involved in women's footy. Women's teams have competed in the Australian Services Australian Football Association Carnival, which is also run annually. In 2004 the first women’s Army Kangaroos team competed at the interservice level and won the championship defeating teams from both the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy teams.

[edit] Youth Girls Competition

Main article: Youth Girls Competition

Football Victoria also organises a junior competition with 15 teams.

[edit] All-Australian Team 2006

VIC Seniors: Michelle Dench (Melb Uni), Shannon McFerran (St Albans), Meg Hutchins (Deakin), Lauren Tesorilero (Yarra Valley), Janine Milne (Darebin). VIC U19's: Daisy Pearce (Darebin), Karen Paxman (Hadfield), Penny Cula-Reid (St Kilda), Moana Hope (Darebin), Lauren Arnell (Darebin). ACT: Kirsten Ireland (Riverina) ADF: Emma Hender (Eastlake) NSW: Talei Owen (UNSW/Easts) NT: Michaeline Brown (St Mary's) QLD: Katherine Pender (Centrals); Aastra O'Connor (Logan); Jo Butland (North Cairns) SA: Michele Reid (Greenacres) WA: Nikki Harwood (Melville Dockers), Krystle Rivers (Coastal Titans), Louise Knitter (The Hawks), Jodie White (Coastal Titans).

[edit] In North America

Main article: Women's Australian Football Association

Leigh Swansborough of California began the USA women's league, organising teams to play in the inaugural women’s match in the US under modified tackling rules. The Orange County Bombshells and an all-comers team played in Kansas City in October 2003. The Bombshells ran out winners by 44 points.

There are now almost 15 women's teams across North America, including a team from Ontario, Canada. Modified tackling rules were dropped in 2006.

USA's women's footy can be found at: http://womensfooty.com/

[edit] Clubs

Current women's teams are:

• Arizona Lady Hawks (Phoenix/Tempe area)
• Atlanta Lady Kookaburras Official Site
• Baltimore-Washington
• Florida
• Minnesota Morrigans Official Site
• New York-New Jersey
• North Carolina Lady Tigers
• Milwaukee Explosion Official Site
• Orange County Bombshells Official Site
• Ontario Ravens (Ontario, Canada)
• Pacific Coast Highway (USAFL Nationals rep team)
• Portland Power
• Sacramento
• Seattle
• Valley Vandolls

[edit] Championship Events

The USAFL National Championships incorporated a Women's Division for the first time in 2005. The Atlanta Lady Kookaburras won the inaugural Women's Division.

[edit] In Papua New Guinea

In 2006, AFL-Papua New Guinea announced their first women’s team (Under 16s) to take part in the Australian national women's tournament.

[edit] In Japan

Main article: Japan Women's Footy

In Japan, Australian rules football is played in many universities. Women's footy is played by the Tokyo Geckos, the Irish Galahs (Gaelic football) and Osaka Bilbies. As yet, there are no national championships in Japan for Australian-rules-playing women.

[edit] Clubs

• Tokyo Geckos
• Osaka Bilbies
• Irish Galahs

[edit] In New Zealand

The Canterbury AFL played the first official Women's Football Match in New Zealand late in 2006. Women's Footy is a new sport in the country.

[edit] Clubs

• Eastern Blues WFC
• Girl Titans WFC
• Southern Storm WFC
• Northern Girls WFC

[edit] In Canada

The first ever women's footy game in Canada took place beetween two youth girls teams from shools.

[edit] Clubs

• St. Clements WFC
• Bishop Strachan WFC
• Etobicoke Kangaroos WFC

[edit] Participation

In Australia, a total of 18,609 girls and women played Australian rules football in 2005, and it is one of the fastest growing sports among women in Australia.^[1] There are around 300 players in the United States, 80 players in New Zealand and around 70 players in Japan. The number of players in Papua New Guinea is unknown.

[edit] International Competition

Rec Footy

As yet, there is no major international competition in Women's Australian Football, however International Rules Football provides the opportunity for a women's Australia women's international rules football team to compete against the Ireland women's international rules football team.

The US national women's team have plans to send a women's team to Australia for the 2008 Australian Football International Cup.

Papua New Guinea competes in the AFL Womens National Championships championships.

[edit] Related Games

Games of International Rules are also played by many women's leagues against Gaelic Athletic Association clubs. Recreational Football, a fully non-contact version of Australian rules football is also becoming popular amongst women in Australia and the United States. 9-a-side footy is a new emerging sport that comprises many woman's leugues.

[edit] Gallery

Players in action at the 2005 VWFL Division One Reserves Grand Final: Melbourne University MUGARS (black and blue) defeated the Darebin Falcons.

Melbourne University Mugars player jostles for best position in a overhead Marking contest while tackled Darebin Falcons player lies down.

[edit] See also

• List of Australian rules football women's leagues
• AFL Womens National Championships
• International rules football
• Rec Footy
• 9-a-side footy
• Kick-to-kick
• Australian rules football
• Metro Footy
• Women's sports

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Leagues and Federations

• Women's Australian rules football International
• Women's Australian rules football Australia
• Women's Australian rules football USA
• Women's Australian rules football New Zealand
• Women's Australian rules football Papua New Guinea
• Women's Australian rules football Canada
• Women's Australian rules football Japan

[edit] Video content

• Women's teams at the 2006 USAFL National Championships from YouTube

[edit] News pages

• Intro to Women's AFL
• Article on women's footy in the ACT
• Women in a league of their own
• Historic First All-Girls Club Competition Starts Sunday
• Article on women's football in North Queensland
• Aricle on women' footy in the USA
• Brave Aussie ladies like ewes to the slaughter in Ireland
• Women join in changing rules
• Transexual takes part in women's football match in Tasmania