Women warm up for kick-off
THE TSLW season begins this weekend, with a better and more exciting series expected after the boom in women’s football in the past 12 months.
AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone, who was on hand to help launch the local season, said the growth of female football had taken even her by surprise. “Women’s football right across the country is thriving,” she said. “And in Tasmania there was extraordinary growth as well.”
BURNIE might have pulled out of the TSL competition but a youthful women’s side will be itching to represent the region with pride this year.
The TSLW season begins this weekend, with a better and more exciting series expected after the boom in female football in the past 12 months.
The Dockers have lost some senior players from last year and will rely heavily on a group of teenagers who impressed at the TSLW under-18 development series, but star Emma Humphries is looking forward to leading from the front when the side gets its chance after an opening round bye.
Humphries returned from her second AFLW season with Melbourne only this week, and believes the exposure the women’s game is now getting will benefit locals chasing their own football dreams.
“Now they can see a pathway, they can see their idols playing on TV. They haven’t been able to do that before, it has always been men or boys on TV,” she said at yesterday’s TSLW launch.
“It will be great to help the local talent out, there is that word on the street that Tassie footy isn’t going too well at the moment but we have put a lot of time into game development at AFL Tas.
“Definitely there’s a heap more pathways. Obviously girls can start in Auskick and move up to junior footy and senior footy. Those pathways weren’t there two years ago.”
AFL’s Head of Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone was on hand to help launch the local season, and she said the growth of female football had taken even her by surprise.
“Growth in women’s football right across the country is thriving,” she said. “What we saw last year was extraordinary growth, and in Tasmania there was extraordinary growth as well.”
“For the 2018 season there are 86 community teams that are female teams.”
Launceston and Glenorchy meet in a grand final rematch on Sunday. The Blues won the premiership last September and although they will be without AFLW draftee Daria Bannister, their list is strong.
Clarence heads to the Twin Ovals to take on Tigers in the other match, the Roos lifted with the addition of AFLW draft hope Loveth Ochayi and Lizzie Stokely.