Women's Australian rules football

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

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

The rucks reach for the ball after the umpire (in orange) has balled it up. Taken at the Grand Final of the Victorian Women's Football League, Division 1. Melbourne University MUGARS (black and blue) def. Darebin Falcons.

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.

Rec Footy

The goal umpire signals a goal with two white flags, while the field umpire makes his way back to the centre of the ground for the next ball up. Taken at the Grand Final of the Victorian Women's Football League, Division 1 Reserves.

The official women's ball used in all competitions in Australia, the United States, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. In some games in Japan a Sherrin ball is used. In the Victoria anual metro vs country match, a pink sherrin ball is used.

The field positions.

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

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 and a player can be hardly tackled.

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
• Mellvile Dockers
• Safety Bay Stingers
• Southern Thunder
• Ballajura Blues

[edit] South Australia

Main article: South Australian Women's Football League

• Sturt Women's Football Club
• West Adelaide
• Goodwood Saints
• North Adelaide
• 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 Official Site
• Camden Power
• Eastern Bulldogs Official Site
• Newtown Breakaways Official Site
• Sydney Uni Gold
• Sydney Uni Blue
• St George
• Manly-Wahrringah
• Wests Women's Football Club Official Site
• Macquarie University Kookaburas Official Site

[edit] Australian Capital Territory

Main article: ACTWAFL

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

[edit] Queensland

[edit] South-east Queensland League

Main article: Queensland Women's AFL

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

[edit] Cairns League

Main article: Cairns Women's AFL

• North Cairns Tigers
• South Cairns Cutters
• Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldog Babes
• Shine Lawyers City Cobra's
• Manunda Hawks
• Cairns Saints

[edit] Northern Territory

• St Marys WAFC
• Southern Districts Football Club
• Waratahs WAFC
• Nightcliff-Fannie Bay Tigers
• Darwin Buffaloes
• Wanderers WAFC
• University WAFC
• Banks WAFC

[edit] Tasmania

Site

[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.

For the 2008 Australian Football International Cup there will be a women's division with the United States, Australia, Papua New Guinea and probably Canada sending teams. This competition will be run every 4 Years.

[edit] Youth Girls Competition

Main article: Youth Girls Competition

Football Victoria also organises a junior competition with 15 teams. The Football Victoria Youth Girls Competition is an Australian rules football league for girls aged 13 to 17 in Victoria, Australia. Some teams are associated with particular secondary schools and as of 2005 at least one has been associated with a "seniors" team from the VWFL (Melbourne University), while others are community-based. All teams to date are based in Melbourne, which is Australian rules' football's leading centre. The Competition is co-ordinated and promoted by Football Victoria's Female Football Development Manager.

[edit] All-Australian Team 2006

VIC Seniors: Michelle Dench (Melb Uni), Elizabeth Skinner (Melb uni) Shannon McFerran (St Albans), Debbie Lee (St Albans) Meg Hutchins (Deakin), Lauren Tesorilero (Yarra Valley), Janine Milne (Darebin). Tarryn Gooding (Lalor) 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

There are over 15 women's teams across North America.

[edit] United States of 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.

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
• 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 Canada

The first ever women's football game in Canada took place between two youth girls teams from schools. Canada has now two senior clubs. one in Ontario and the other in the Toronto area.

[edit] Canadian Clubs

• Toronto
• Ontario Ravens Official Site
• St. Clements WFC
• Bishop Strachan WFC
• Etobicoke Kangaroos WFC

[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. It is unknown the nuber of players but it could likeliy be 200.

[edit] Clubs

[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 Football is a new sport in the country. The number of players is around 100.

[edit] Clubs

• Eastern Blues WFC
• Girl Titans WFC
• Southern Storm WFC
• Northern Girls 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, 100 players in New Zealand and around 70 players in Japan. The number of players in Papua New Guinea is unknown but likely to be by 200, and in Canada the number of players is likely to be about 80.

[edit] International Competition

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

Rec Footy

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Women's Australian rules football

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
• Touch Aussie Rules
• 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] Photo Content

• Photos from Newsphotos (Page 3)

[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