Milestone day for Hunter Youth Girls
By Jack McAnespie
With six junior clubs being represented (Cardiff, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastle City, Singleton, Warner’s Bay) by girls aged 12-15, many of the participants experienced match day for the first time.
The day was designed to be all about the girls, with female umpires controlling play across every match.
AFL NSW/ACT Regional Coordinator Craig Golledge, commenced the day with a presentation and a welcome, before competition got underway.
“The region has been very strong in past years with great results in the various schoolgirls competitions, so it has been a major priority for AFL NSW/ACT and Newcastle JAFL to get this competition off the ground,” said Golledge.
“We look forward to not only this season but the future growth of female football across our region in years to come.”
The competition got off to a flying start, even before the opening bounce, with each participant given newly designed guernseys to wear on the day, thanks to a grant organised by State Female Football Manager, Libby Sadler.
The AFL NSW/ACT development team used the occasion as a, “come and try day,” in an attempt to promote the expansion of Australian Rules Football, not only in the northern regions of New South Wales, but also for young girls and women.
Mr. Golledge was also proud to announce that Australia’s newest and most exciting retail travel franchise, italktravel has agreed to sponsor the competition for season 2014 and 2015.
AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Craig Bolton expressed his elation regarding the success of the day, along with AFL NSW/ACT’s new partnership with italktravel.
“We are very excited to have the italktravel brand working in partnership with AFL NSW/ACT in such an exciting venture,” said Bolton.
“Female participation is a major priority within our organisation and community support and partnerships like the one developed with italktravel is highly valued.”
Any youth girls or women who are interested in playing AFL, or seeking more information, are encouraged to contact their local club, or Craig Golledge at craig.golledge@aflnswact.com.au.
