AFL Women's Competition is a game changer

Friday 3 February 2017

The first Australian rules women's football match took place in 1915.

Now 102 years later, history is about to be made as round one of the inaugural NAB 2017 AFL Women's Competition (AFLW) kicks-off.

On Friday, 3 February Collingwood play Carlton at Ikon Park and on Saturday, 4 February the Western Bulldogs take on the Fremantle Dockers at the VU Whitten Oval. The crowd for both matches is expected to be a large and enthusiastic.

Last year, on that other day in September, the exhibition match between the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons attracted around 746,000 viewers nationally.

The Doggies triumphed, but perhaps, even more memorable, was the moment the women sang the team song, replacing “sons” of the west, with “daughters.”

In a recent interview, AFLW forward Kate Tyndall said the Western Bulldogs have been training hard and are ready to “get out there and see what we can do.”

Joining her on the field will be Katie Brennan, who has just been named the Western Bulldogs’ inaugural skipper.

Western Bulldogs players (past and present) and other national league team representatives with strong Victoria University ties, include:

Ainslie Kemp - Melbourne FC, Bachelor of Sport Science (Human Movement)/Bachelor of Psychological studies and former VU Western Spurs
Alyssa Mifsud - Melbourne FC, VU alumna and formerly VU Western Spurs
Ashleigh Guest - GWS Giants, VU alumna and formerly VU Western Spurs
Bree White - Collingwood FC, formerly VU Western Spurs
Brianna Davey – Carlton FC, Education
Ellyse Gamble – Western Bulldogs, VU Sport Trainee
Kirsty Lamb – Western Bulldogs, Sport Science (Exercise Science)
Lauren Spark - Western Bulldogs, VU alumna
Nicola Stevens – Collingwood FC, Osteopathy
Sarah Lampard - Melbourne FC, formerly VU Western Spurs
Sarah Hosking - Carlton FC, Bachelor of Business
Shelley Scott - Melbourne FC, formerly VU Western Spurs
Tilly Lucas-Rodd - Carlton FC, Bachelor of Sport Management.