AFL names women's league teams

Thirteen football clubs put in a bid to have a side play in the women’s league, with eight being successful.

The league will include marquee clubs like Carlton and Collingwood, along with women’s football pioneer clubs Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.

The Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows and expansion club the GWS Giants make up the remainder of the eight-club league.

Peel Thunderbirds league coach Mark Fenton said the door was now open for Thunderbirds players to join the highest level of football.

“There will be a lot of maneuvering going on from now until the league opens – a lot of lucrative contracts will be offered to players, so women have a real chance,” he said.

“It’s now the Dockers’ job to maintain WA’s top talent and get them playing at home.”

A number of Thunderbirds could be up for AFL selection.

Kira Phillips, Georgia Perry, Tayla Bresland and Demi Okely have all experienced state level football, and will be the hottest targets coming out of Peel.

Kayla Bradshaw could also join the highest level, while Peel youth girls products Courtney Hodder, Sabreena Duffy, Kate Bartlett and Ebonee Hardie could also be in contention.

The West Coast Eagles also put in a bid for an AFL women’s team, but fell short of the Dockers.

“The Dockers must have put in a really strong bid to get the team, because I know the Eagles were doing a hell of a lot of work to secure a spot,” Fenton said.

“But starting out with just one WA team has its positives – it’s going to be a really strong side.”

Like the Eagles, Geelong, Richmond, North Melbourne and St Kilda were also unsuccessful in their bid for a team. 

All five teams have been given provisional licences and could join an expanded league in 2018.

Fremantle’s bid for a side included partnerships with Curtin University and the City of Cockburn. 

Players in the Dockers’ women’s side could be offered jobs within the football club or scholarship education through Curtin.

WA Football Comission chief executive Gavin Taylor said the selection was highly deserved recognition for Fremantle’s commitment to female football in Western Australia.

“This growth and development has been strongly supported by both of our AFL Clubs and for Fremantle Football Club to receive a licence for the 2017 competition is terrific recognition of this,” he said.

“The WA Women’s Football League has also provided a great competition for female football development and the WAFC has invested in opportunities for elite players to participate in talent academies, which has all resulted in a very strong talent pool in our state.”

Fenton said the right promotion techniques and television broadcasts would see women’s football numbers increase dramatically in the coming years.

“Putting Carlton and Collingwood in is the right start. They’re the draw-card clubs and will bring more supporters to the games,” he said.

“Now more young girls will see the sport on television and start it from a young age, which will allow them to know the techniques and fundamentals before they reach state-level competitions.”

Numbers in women’s football in WA have already doubled over the past two years, and the AFL expects a further 250 clubs to join in at country and state levels by the 2017 season.

The yet-to-be named competition will be played in February/March next year.