For a sport as old as Australian football, it seems we've been a little bit slow in finding female role models for our up and coming female footballers.
I remember attending a school clinic at Melton South Primary School when I was in grade four. I was the only girl to participate in the clinic, but I was always the only girl doing most things related to football back then.
As a Richmond supporter, you could imagine my delight when one of my two favourite players, Dale Weightman (the other was Kevin Bartlett) arrived alongside western suburbs legend, Doug Hawkins to spend ninety minutes teaching us to kick, mark and handpass.
Being the only girl I was chosen, alongside my best friend and next door neighbour, Jeffrey Roberts, to have my picture taken with Hawkins for the local paper. My parents managed to track down an A4 sized print of the photo from the paper, and it remains, one of my most treasured possessions. It is a reminder of the day that I got to rub shoulders with someone that I adored, who inspired me and who I wanted to play like.
For those you not old enough to remember Dale Weightman, his nickname was - and still is - the Flea. He was a tiny but tough midfielder, unstoppable and was all over the ground. I imagine he was a bit of a pest to his opponents, so his nickname was rather apt. That day, he talked about the importance of understanding how the football operates and moves; to be able to judge its bounce and trajectory; to be able to predict where it will move and when. Even though I never owned a football when I was child, whenever I could find one, I had it in my hands. I practised the little ball handling drills that he showed me in that hour and half as often as I could. I taught my fingertips to read the play and see the ball for me.
I finally began playing community football when I was 21 - quite a bit later than most girls now. (Before that, Jeff and I, and all of our primary school mates spent as many hours a day as we could chasing around a football. We'd kick the ball all day, every weekend, and until it was dark and we could no longer see the ball. Sometimes we'd go inside and find a pair of Dad's thick socks and kick that around in a modified, indoor version of football).
In the 150 or so games that I've played in the Victorian Women's Football League since I made my debut under lights against Albion in 1997, I've warmed up using the exact same ball handling drills that the Flea showed me back in 1985. Why? I looked up to him and wanted to play like him. So I simply followed his lead.
At the time I don't think I ever really thought about the fact that I couldn't grow up to play for my beloved Tigers because I was a girl. I didn't realise how important it would have been for me to have an elite female player visit me and teach me about the game. Perhaps if a female footballer had have visited me that day, I would have been encouraged to join a junior team. I might have learnt that girls were playing junior football and that I could do so also.
In this year's Youth Girls survey, AFL Victoria asked Youth Girls which players in the Youth Girls and VWFL competitions were their favourites. The reason for this was to find out which female footballers our girls are inspired by and aspire to be like.
The results are still being collated, but what I can tell you is that there isn't a wide range of names presented. Around half of the respondents haven't answered the question, which suggests they don't have a favourite player at either level. At a senior level, some girls have said they don't know of anyone, or they've nominated the only player they know and said as much.
Something I am really trying to work on is providing Youth Girls, and all of the other young footballers growing up, with female role models. Victorian players Shannon McFerran (St Albans; pictured left) and Phoebe McWilliams (St Kilda; pictured right) are the Youth Girls Academy Ambassadors, and this year the Academy trained with the VWFL State Squad.
Over the coming weeks, we're going to profile some senior footballers here. They are all tremendous footballers and deserve to have their stories told. They all bring something to the game and are people from which we can learn from. So...read, learn, be inspired and aspire!
I remember attending a school clinic at Melton South Primary School when I was in grade four. I was the only girl to participate in the clinic, but I was always the only girl doing most things related to football back then.As a Richmond supporter, you could imagine my delight when one of my two favourite players, Dale Weightman (the other was Kevin Bartlett) arrived alongside western suburbs legend, Doug Hawkins to spend ninety minutes teaching us to kick, mark and handpass.
Being the only girl I was chosen, alongside my best friend and next door neighbour, Jeffrey Roberts, to have my picture taken with Hawkins for the local paper. My parents managed to track down an A4 sized print of the photo from the paper, and it remains, one of my most treasured possessions. It is a reminder of the day that I got to rub shoulders with someone that I adored, who inspired me and who I wanted to play like.
For those you not old enough to remember Dale Weightman, his nickname was - and still is - the Flea. He was a tiny but tough midfielder, unstoppable and was all over the ground. I imagine he was a bit of a pest to his opponents, so his nickname was rather apt. That day, he talked about the importance of understanding how the football operates and moves; to be able to judge its bounce and trajectory; to be able to predict where it will move and when. Even though I never owned a football when I was child, whenever I could find one, I had it in my hands. I practised the little ball handling drills that he showed me in that hour and half as often as I could. I taught my fingertips to read the play and see the ball for me.I finally began playing community football when I was 21 - quite a bit later than most girls now. (Before that, Jeff and I, and all of our primary school mates spent as many hours a day as we could chasing around a football. We'd kick the ball all day, every weekend, and until it was dark and we could no longer see the ball. Sometimes we'd go inside and find a pair of Dad's thick socks and kick that around in a modified, indoor version of football).
In the 150 or so games that I've played in the Victorian Women's Football League since I made my debut under lights against Albion in 1997, I've warmed up using the exact same ball handling drills that the Flea showed me back in 1985. Why? I looked up to him and wanted to play like him. So I simply followed his lead.
At the time I don't think I ever really thought about the fact that I couldn't grow up to play for my beloved Tigers because I was a girl. I didn't realise how important it would have been for me to have an elite female player visit me and teach me about the game. Perhaps if a female footballer had have visited me that day, I would have been encouraged to join a junior team. I might have learnt that girls were playing junior football and that I could do so also.
In this year's Youth Girls survey, AFL Victoria asked Youth Girls which players in the Youth Girls and VWFL competitions were their favourites. The reason for this was to find out which female footballers our girls are inspired by and aspire to be like.
The results are still being collated, but what I can tell you is that there isn't a wide range of names presented. Around half of the respondents haven't answered the question, which suggests they don't have a favourite player at either level. At a senior level, some girls have said they don't know of anyone, or they've nominated the only player they know and said as much.
Something I am really trying to work on is providing Youth Girls, and all of the other young footballers growing up, with female role models. Victorian players Shannon McFerran (St Albans; pictured left) and Phoebe McWilliams (St Kilda; pictured right) are the Youth Girls Academy Ambassadors, and this year the Academy trained with the VWFL State Squad.Over the coming weeks, we're going to profile some senior footballers here. They are all tremendous footballers and deserve to have their stories told. They all bring something to the game and are people from which we can learn from. So...read, learn, be inspired and aspire!
that's so true : )
ReplyDeletebut even if we'll never be as pro as males we'll always be just as passionate and determined to play footy as they r--woot chicks(Y)