Article and photo courtesy of the Daily Telegraph
Article by Neil Cordy, photo by Gregg Porteous
AUSTRALIAN Rules has deployed a secret weapon in the battle for western Sydney. Girl power.
While Israel Folau is undoubtedly the AFL's most celebrated victory as it seeks to infiltrate rugby league heartland, the most important could be its success with women.
More than 28,000 participated in AFL in NSW last year, 10 times the number who took part in league.
Most of these are at school level as Aerial Ping Pong Inc exploits a natural advantage its sport has that makes it more appealing to mums and daughters - fewer collisions.
Nearly 17,000 girls were involved in Aussie Rules school programs in 2011.
Thirty-seven per cent of players in the AFL 9s NSW competition were girls; more than 8000 played introductory Auskick, which is even more accessible because there is no tackling at all.
And the challenger code has realised that one of the best ways to ensure its appeal to the women of western Sydney works is to employ them.
Half of the GWS Giants' employees, outside the football department, are women. Flaunting its female-friendly credentials is a strategy the AFL has already used with great effect to entrench its dominance in southern states.
There are now 11 teams in Sydney Women's AFL - the newest being the Penrith Ramettes. In next to no time, the AFL has established as many women's clubs in western Sydney as league: four.
Auditor Vanessa Geisler came up with the idea of forming a team in Penrith after a night out with some male AFL players last year.
"I went to the boys' awards night with some of the other girls and we thought 'Why don't we play AFL?'," Ms Geisler said. "We were joking how next year we'd be taking the boys as dates to our awards night."
"I come from an NRL family," teammate Melissa Howard said. "I never knew too much about AFL and never paid it too much attention. AFL was never really a major sport out here but then when I started talking to people who are involved with AFL they spoke so highly of it. I was impressed."
The Ramettes follow the league's first Muslim team, the Auburn Tigers, who debuted last year.
"One of the things we're trying to tap into in Greater Western Sydney is the diversity," said AFL boss Andrew Demetriou.
"That's what our game is about - inclusion. It's an egalitarian game, a democratic game. You can be tall or small; it doesn't matter what your religion is, you're welcome to play our game."
Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/afl-winning-the-war-in-the-west-using-girl-power/story-e6freuy9-1226295428140
Last Modified on 06/07/2012 11:25