Women's Australian Rules Football - History

History

Australian Football had been played by men for almost half a century before the first women's football matches were played. Public attitudes and sexism generally prevented women from participating in organised football. However both world wars were a great liberator for women; as the men fought in the war, women were often called to perform many tasks typically done by men, including spectator sports.

Records exist of a football side in Perth, Western Australia made up of department store staff playing as Foy & Gibson's as early as 1917. Matches played in Western Australia were also recorded in 1918.

Following World War I, an exhibition match in Melbourne was held to show that women could play what had previously been seen to be a man's sport. The first women's match attracted a large crowd and interest. The umpire wore a dress.

Archives also show a charity women's match occurred on Bassendean Oval in Perth, Western Australia, 27 August 1944. It is unknown whether the game had been played continuously in the state.

Beyond this and occasional matches over the years, women's football was rarely organised, until the formation of the Victorian Women's Football League in 1981 with four teams competing at open level.

It was in 2000 that the sport began to rapidly grow, with the number of registered teams increasing by a phenomenal 450%.

In 2005, the VWFL celebrated its 25th anniversary.

There are now about 120 women's teams across the globe. Australian Football is becoming more and more popular with women and girls, particularly young women. In 2006, 22 years was the average age of players in the VWFL.

The first ever full international was held between the USA Freedom and Team Canada in Vancouver on Saturday 4 August 2007 in front of a crowd of almost 2,500.

The VWFL set an Australian crowd record in the 2007 Grand Final held on 19 August at the Preston City Oval in Melbourne.