FANS WILL GET A KICK OUT OF WOMEN’S AFL
WOMEN’S footy will be celebrated at Riverway Stadium tonight as the Northern Beaches Suns and Curra Swans take the field for a charity match in support of the Townsville Women’s Centre.
The Women’s Centre offers a safe place for women and children when in need of counselling for domestic violence, sexual assault, health, homelessness, and emergency financial assistance.
Supporters are being encouraged to bring a gold coin donation to be gifted to The Women’s Centre, while food and drinks will be available.
The honours are split between Northern Beaches and Curra so far this season with one win apiece and both teams were keen to get the upper hand tonight while also supporting an important cause.
“We want to build up women’s AFL and we want to be there as a team for the women in the community as well,” Swans co- captain Rosie Cianciullo said.
Suns player Stacey Neil added: “It’s a good game playing the Swans, so it’ll be a good one to watch … we’re hoping to get as many people down there as possible.”
Female footy has grown in leaps and bounds in Townsville this season with Curra joining the competition which means every senior club has a women’s team.
Cianciullo, who moved to the Swans after three years with University, said it was exciting to see so many women and girls enjoying the sport.
“A few of us decided to move over to the Swans to just help build women’s footy in Townsville and it’s been going fantastically. We’ve got a great bunch of women and the club is amazing,” she said.
“We’re quite close as a team and the players have all picked up some new skills that they definitely didn’t have at the start of the year.”
Neil joined the Suns this season after moving back to Townsville from Victoria and she encouraged more new players to come along for a kick.
“It’s the best thing you’ll do,” she said. “It’s good to see more women getting out there. We really need to get the word out more because a lot of people don’t know that there’s women’s AFL up here.”
Tonight’s action at Riverway Stadium kicks off at 6.15pm with the topof- the- table clash between Hermit Park and Thuringowa before the Suns and Swans charity match at 7.45pm.