The AFLW will make history this Saturday when it hosts the competition’s first ever Sydney derby, when the Sydney Swans take on the GWS Giants at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
The clash will mark the first time elite women in AFL have played at the SCG, 141 years after the first men’s AFL game was played at the iconic Sydney ground.
At a breakfast event in Sydney on Wednesday morning to celebrate the occasion, General Manager of AFL Women’s Nicole Livingstone spoke about what it means to have women playing at the SCG, a venue known for its memorable Australian sporting moments.
“More often than not, people think only of men playing sport at the SCG. Now, it feels so funny to think that AFLW once wasn’t here,” Livingston said.
“If a girl dreams of playing at the SCG, she now knows that can be a reality. Importantly, there will be thousands of young boys blissfully unaware that wasn’t always the case.”
Livingstone spoke about the AFLW as the largest employer of female athletes in the nation, and the progress recently made to increase players’ pay.
“We are only six years old and we are continuing to make progress. We are also strengthening the pathways – we want everything offered to boys, offered to girls too.”
Season 7 of the AFLW is the first season to have all 18 AFL clubs in the competition, a massive milestone for the women’s game.
The AFL Commission’s Gabrielle Trainor said the game on Saturday is a momentous occasion for Sydney.
“After 141 years since AFL was first played at the SCG, elite women will step onto the turf to write their own history,” Trainor said. “It will show women and girls everywhere, this is a game everyone can play and everyone can enjoy at any level.”
Sydney Swans player Lisa Steane spoke about what it meant to be playing at the SCG this weekend against another Sydney-based team.
“Growing up in NSW, there wasn’t that much opportunity. And it’s true, you can’t be what you can’t see,” she said. “I start to get goosebumps thinking about it, playing at the SCG. I would never have even dreamed it.”
Nicola Barr, from the GWS Giants, said she was so excited to have two Sydney teams in the competition, and noted the increased professionalism of the game.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen has been the increase in professionalism. You’ve just got to come along to the game and see the talent and passion that is out there,” Barr said.
“The derby will be an incredible showcase of women’s talent in NSW.”