The Western Bulldogs this week announced the Club’s first all-girls NAB Auskick Centre for the inner West of Melbourne, delivered in partnership with AFL Victoria, Maribyrnong City Council and the Western Regional Football League.

The Western Bulldogs Girls NAB Auskick Centre is the first all-female centre to be hosted by an AFL Club in Victoria.

The free, all-girls program will kick off at Victoria University Whitten Oval next Wednesday June 25th at 4pm – in the week leading up to the female AFL clash between the Dogs and Demons at Etihad Stadium on Sunday June 29.

Bulldogs Chief Executive Simon Garlick, State Minister for Sport and Recreation Damian Drum and Maribyrnong City Council Mayor, Cr Grant Miles helped promote the new Centre this week while visiting an all-girls footy clinic at North Footscray Primary School run by Bulldogs player’s Mitch Wallis and Emma Kearney.

Simon Garlick said today that the all-girls centre made sense due to the growing interest in women’s footy across Victoria.  

“We are seeing more and more girls want to get involved in footy – so it’s critical that we provide opportunities for these kids to play football in a friendly, fun and all-girl environment,” Garlick said today.

“3668 girls played Auskick in Victoria last year. The Bulldogs want to help grow this number by providing girls in the West with the opportunity to get involved in footy and stay involved in footy”.

Minister Drum said he was encouraged to see the growth in women's football in recent years, and pleased that had been taken to another level by the Western Bulldogs.

“Not only are the Bulldogs, along with Melbourne, an AFL club that plays an annual elite women's match, they now become the first Victorian club to set up their own all-girls Auskick centre to grow female participation at grassroots level."

"I congratulate the Bulldogs on the initiative and through the encouragement of role models like Emma and Mitch we hope many girls in the region join the Auskick centre and begin lifelong participation in sport."

Emma Kearney, Western Bulldogs midfielder called on all girls in the inner West to come and try out footy next week at Victoria University Whitten Oval.

“Come and  have some fun with your friends and start on a journey that could see you, just like me, pull on the Western Bulldogs jumper as part of the Club’s women’s team,” Kearney said.

To get involved in the Western Bulldogs All-Girls NAB Auskick Centre:

The program is FREE and each participant will receive six weeks coaching in AFL and a footy backpack full of goodies including their very own football.

Come along to the introductory session next Wednesday June 25 at 4pm at Victoria University Whitten Oval OR contact the Western Bulldogs on 03 9680 6189 or email glenn.balmforth@westernbulldogs.com.au

The statistics:

National Female Participation

Last year 169,000 women participated in AFL nationally.

Victorian Female Participation

From 2009-2013

  • The number of dedicated female junior/youth competitions has increased tripled
  • The number of dedicated female junior/youth teams has multiplied by nearly 350%
  • The number of girls playing in dedicated female junior/youth competitions has more than tripled
  • In 2014 there will be 188 dedicated female teams in Victoria across 26 competitions at junior, youth and senior level – an increase of 43 teams from 2013