Western Queensland’s first female only NAB AFL Auskick kicked off in style with over 30 plus girls converging upon Rockville oval to receive the very popular and talked about Pink NAB AFL Auskick gear, and they all will now participate each Wednesday afternoon very eager to have fun learning new AFL skills and while making new friends in the process.
Over the last 2 years female participation in the AFL has grown steadily with schoolgirl sides (both primary and secondary) all across the Darling Downs now participating in their very own inter-school football competitions, with school girls in Toowoomba, Dalby, Kingaroy/Nanango and Pittsworth all participating in their own mixed or girls only competitions. Numbers are also steadily increasing each year in the Darling Downs division of the state wide Carol Berry Cup competition and the Youth Girls Cup (secondary school girls). With this significant increase in participation numbers a pathway into these competitions and club football competitions is being created with the NAB AFL Auskick program introducing girls to the skills of the game and preparing them to participate in these competitions.
With the Girls only program now into its 2nd week the girls participating are having a blast trying to master the drop punt kick and the handball and attempting to get the ball to bounce back to them on the run. With the girls now excitedly getting ready to start playing games of non contact AFL between themselves it will be a fantastic next couple of weeks of the program for the girls with them now being a chance to show off the skills they have learnt in a game situation.
Such a positive turnout for this inaugural all female centre has the local AFLQ staff excited about the future of female participation in AFL on the Downs with plans already in place to capitalise on this interest in the sport by running more female only Auskick centres next year, a Gala Day Auskick carnival targeted at female primary school students and the expansion of both the city and rural primary/secondary school competitions.
Last Modified on 10/03/2010 14:54
