THE Limestone Coast is about to make history, with a women’s Australian Rules football competition to kick off tomorrow night.
The South East Women’s Football League is finally up and running, with a fully-fledged season, played for premiership points and a premiership cup.
The six-team competition will see all four major clubs in Mount Gambier represented – East, West, North and South Gambier – along with Millicent and a composite Mount Gambier All Stars team.
They will take to Vansittart Park tomorrow in a twilight competition, with three games to run concurrently from 5.30pm for the opening round of play.
The games will run in a similar format to the usual male competitions, with 18 players per side run over four quarters.
Each quarter will run for 12 minutes, with full scores kept to create the premiership ladder.
Five home-and-away rounds will be contested, with the grand final match to conclude the season on August 27.
That day will see the top two sides play off for the overall honours, with secondary games for third v fourth and fifth v sixth, providing each team six full games for the season.
For SANFL regional coordinator Ian Perryman, it is the culmination of months of hard work and the desire by many women in the region to embrace the game in their own right.
“It has been a pretty long process, with the first initial concept mentioned back in April,” Perryman said.
“We had a rego day at Frew Park which was well attended, a skill session early in June, then the final skill session where we split the girls into four teams for trial games.
“They didn’t hold back – they just want to get out there and do it as quick as they can.”
With each club currently having access to 21-22 players, Perryman said the working party was still open to a change of numbers tomorrow night, taking into consideration work commitments by those players involved.
“If we can run out with 18 players each side that would be great,” he said.
“But we have made provisions for less.
“For example, if the All Stars only have 16, West Gambier will run out with 16.”
Perryman said it was the first open women’s competition to be run in South Australia for full premiership points, with other leagues in the Adelaide region catering for school-aged players only.
“The Barossa and Gawler leagues have a nine-a-side competition, but they are for secondary-school-age students,” he said.
“This is the only open competition played for premiership points and a premiership cup anywhere in South Australia.
“I think the leagues, whether the Western Border, Mid South East or KNT, would be pretty proud, because there are girls from each of those leagues playing in this competition.”
Perryman said it was a great opportunity for women of all ages who wish to play the game, but also a boon for the region, which was recently well represented in the men’s state country championships, with the Murray South East team winning back-to-back flags.
“I think it is a great opportunity for our zone,” he said.
“Our zone is doing pretty well on field and with what we are providing for the footballers.
“This women’s competition is another feather in the cap for everybody, but particularly for the young women.
“We put the competition out there, but it was up to the people to give it a tick by wanting to participate and they have.
“Now, if we can get about 130 girls playing each week, I think we will have done all right.”
Tomorrow’s games kick of at 5.30pm with East Gambier facing South Gambier.
From there North Gambier takes on Millicent at 7pm, with the Mount Gambier All Stars and West Gambier rounding out the night from 8.30pm.
Entry to the public will be free.
Game-night programs outlining the teams, players and numbers will be available, with a gold coin donation requested.
Full catering is offered at the venue.
