Women's Australian rules football
Women's Australian rules football (also known as Women's Aussie Rules or Women's footy) is a fast growing sport played in Australia, United States, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand 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.
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.
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.
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.
Debbie Lee is arguably the highest profile women's footballer in the country.
Clubs
| Club | Location | Founded | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick Women's Football Club | Berwick | 2004 | |
| Bellpost Hill | Bell Post Hill (Geelong) | 2006 | |
| Corio | Corio (Geelong) | 2002 | |
| Darebin Falcons | West Preston | 1990 | Official Site |
| Deakin Devils | Deakin University, Burwood | 1999 | |
| Diamond Creek Women's Football Team | Diamond Creek | 2002 | |
| Eastern Lions Women's Football Club | Wantirna South | 1999 | |
| Geelong Women's Sporting Club | Geelong | 2006 | |
| Hadfield Hawks | Hadfield | 2000 | |
| Melbourne University Mugars | University of Melbourne, Parkville | 1997 | Official Site |
| Melton Supergirls | Melton | 2003 | |
| North Ballarat Women's Football Team | North Ballarat | 2001 | |
| Parkdale Vultures | Parkdale | 1969 | Official Site |
| Parkmore Pirates | Keysborough | 2004 | |
| St Albans Spurs | St Albans | 1993 | |
| St Kilda Sharks | St Kilda | 1992 | |
| Sunbury Lions | Sunbury | 2002 | |
| Surrey Park Panthers | Box Hill | 1994 | Official Site |
| Yarra Valley Cougars | North Croydon | 2005 | Official Site |
- Coastal Titans
- The Hawks
- Innaloo Piranhas
- Melville Dockers
- Safety Bay Stingers
- Southern Thunder
- Sturt Women's Football Club
- Port Adelaide Magpies Women's Football Club
- Greenacres Women's Football Club
- Eagles Women's Football Team
- 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
- Eastlake Demons
- Tuggeranong Thunder
- ADFA Rams
- Belconnen Magpies
- Ainslie Kangaroos
- Riverina Lions
- ANU Griffins
Championship Events
Women's Football Australia are responsible for the annual Australian 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 and Queensland participated. Victoria has won the past 13 championships. 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.
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).
In North America
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/
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
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.
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.
In Japan
In Japan, Australian rules football is played in many universities. Women's footy is played by the Tokyo Geckos and Osaka Bilbies. As yet, there are no national championships in Japan for Australian-rules-playing women.
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.
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 the country. [1] There are around 300 players in the United States, 80 players in New Zealand and around 50 players in Japan. The number of players in Papua New Guinea is unknown.
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 Australian championships.
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.
See also
- List of Australian rules football women's leagues
- International rules football
- Rec Footy
- Kick-to-kick
- Australian rules football
- Metro Footy
- Women's sports