Australian rules football is one of Canada’s fastest growing sports among women – and now there’s a team coming to Halifax.
Footy has traditionally been dominated by men, but the launch of a professional league in Australia this year has flamed the growth of female participation around the world.
The Halifax Dockers – the city’s only team – was founded in 2013, and has grown to a player base of about 20, most of whom are men.
But when Toronto-based club the High Park Demons planned to bring their women’s team for a match early next year, the Dockers saw the perfect opportunity to expand the sport to more Haligonians.
“Currently we only have a couple women,” Dockers player Myles Amirault said.
“We are trying to get some training sessions organised to introduce the game to some local women's rugby teams.
“Women across Canada love footy, and I know if they give it a try, women here will fall in love with it, too.”
Women now play the sport regularly in four provinces in Canada and the national team has made the final of the world championships on all three occasions – winning the 2014 title.
Amirault says it can be confusing explaining the sport to Canadians, so the best way to understand footy is to just join in for a training session.
“I explain it as a mix of soccer, basketball and rugby. It's a wide open game that has a position for every size of player,” he said.
“It's a fast game with the physicality and strategy of hockey.
“It’s also a game that appear far more complicated upon first seeing it. Many people say it looks like organised chaos, but once you understand what's going on its really not complicated.”
If you’re interested in trying Australian rules football with the Halifax Dockers, please email Jonah Scott at HalifaxAussieRules@gmail.com or call on 902-266-0000.
Last Modified on 22/02/2019 15:40