AFL celebrates Women’s Round

An initiative of the Melbourne Football Club, the match between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will be the first time AFL clubs have competed in an AFL sanctioned women’s match.

The teams will be playing for the Hampson – Hardeman Cup which recognises Barb Hampson and Lisa Hardeman who were pioneers in the development the first national women’s championships in 1998 contested between Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT.

The teams were selected at the first Women’s Draft conducted on May 15. West Perth assistant coach Michelle Cowan will coach Melbourne while Port Melbourne assistant coach Peta Searle will coach the Western Bulldogs.

The annual Women’s Industry Luncheon will be held on Thursday June 27 at the Peninsula in Melbourne.

The 2013 Football Woman of the Year nominees will be announced and Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who founded Youth Without Borders, will deliver the second Jill Lindsay Oration.

Women’s Round follows the 2013 National Women’s Championships that were held in Cairns June 17-22. The thirteenth championships included eight teams across two divisions. Victoria won Division One defeating Western Australia while the ACT defeated the South Australia to win Division Two.

AFL National and International Development Manager Andrew Dillon said Women’s Round gives the football industry the opportunity to acknowledge women who are involved in the game as expert footy fans, administrators or players.

“Women play a role in the game on and off the field at every level.

“I look forward to the announcement of the Football Woman of the Year nominees and watching the exhibition match on Saturday where the best female football talent will be on show,” he said.

Key Women in Football stats