Talking Footy

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."

Xman wrote:

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."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/a ... 6295428140

Raiderdave wrote:

Xman wrote:

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."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/a ... 6295428140

well VFL is a game for girls so it isn't surprising

but I see it says 17K were in schools programs & 8K were fudgekick participants ... so they had a 30min training session .... once

meaning only about 3K actually played games
same as RL

so nothing to see here but more VFL BS
carry on

King-Eliagh wrote:

Recently my work employed a cheerleader as our secretary. I for one think its pretty cool the NRL employ professional female dancers. I doubt the AFL employs as many women as the nrl.

King-Eliagh wrote:

Shut your piehole. AFL fans would go berserk on fireworks and cheerleaders. I know our beaussie loves the fireworks so he'd prob be chuffed if they introduced it.

King-Eliagh wrote:

They'd love it. And the AFL comp has heaps of padding, prob more than league what with the banners being made all week by the cheersquads and then taken onto the ground with a different saying each week. They eat it up.

King-Eliagh wrote:

The cheerleaders play a small part in the game too and they're scantily clad because thats how most dancers are when they dance. You overtly 'politically correct' folk like cos prob expect em to do the splits in jeans and a trenchcoat. Our cheerleaders are fantastic and very much into the game. On my secretary's first day of work she went straight to the sports pages which are jam packed with nrl to see if her team had won.

Women, they love the nrl and the nrl employs em.

Fireworks, well the children love em and many adults too. Me? Not that interested in them but each to their own.

Children and fireworks lovers, they love the nrl and the nrl caters for them.