Catherine Fox: Footy and women can and should mix - Women's Agenda

Catherine Fox: Footy and women can and should mix

The footy finals season is beginning and women are flocking to games around the country, but you still can’t find many of them in the ranks of one of our biggest and richest sporting sectors.

A new comprehensive report on women in the AFL was released by Richmond football club, and partners the Australian Sports Commission and Australian Football League, a couple of weeks ago but didn’t exactly attract lots of attention.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Richmond is chaired by Peggy O’Neal who last year became the first female president in AFL/VFL history.

Participation numbers for women and girls are massive in sport, the co-authors of the report Dr Pippa Grange and Paul Oliver note. Women win sporting medals internationally and are a growing part of AFL football in many ways. But they are not really a part of the public story of the sport – “a story told by men”.

This mismatch has certainly become the focus of more debate in recent years.

But for all the talk about getting more women into sport in Australia, the sector as a whole is failing to tackle the lack of women in its ranks and falling behind other industries which are not only acknowledging the need to change but are taking action, according to Gender equity – what it will take to be the best.

Using about 60 interviews with people working inside the club and in the wider AFL and sports sector, the report found a high degree of cynicism from men and woman about change.

The findings make it sound very much like the heads are starting to engage with the problem but the hearts aren’t really in it yet.

In fact, the report notes that “to date, no collective group in AFL has truly been prepared to prioritise this agenda above many others shouting for attention, and no one has been willing to stay the course and ‘lean in’ to the potential discomfort of change.”

Of course it’s not all bad news. There is a slow level of awareness this is a genuine concern for AFL clubs.

“The conversation in football is slowly starting to shift from a ‘what to do about women’ debate nested in problems and women’s rights, to a debate about the cost of not including female talent if the sport wants to remain competitive in a dynamic, fast paced entertainment industry” the report found.

Given the love of competition in sport, this desire to win and compete is something nearly everyone interviewed agreed on, and so the most likely lever for change.

The discussion about women in the AFL may have shifted, but the research found reluctance to give women a ‘leg up’ because of the potential for backlash.

Although numerous forums have launched in recent years to support and celebrate women in the AFL, they tend to portray women as swimming against the tide or as pioneers rather than succeeding in their own right. It was noted this has not gone down well with many of the women in the sector.

Men interviewed for the research were not antagonistic towards improved gender equity but tended to be passive about taking any action –  and there was a sense that women were expected to fit in to the existing culture rather than to examine how to change the system.

Many talked about the grit and aggression needed to take on senior roles in the AFL but there was  little recognition that a different and more modern style of leadership could be a better alternative the report found.

It’s not as though sports bodies around the world haven’t tackled some of the barriers that exist for under-represented groups, as the research points out.

The ‘Rooney Rule’ was brought up by several interviewees as a good example of affirmative action. The rule comes from American Football and is named after the Rooney family – owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate when filling a head coaching position – or be penalised financially.

The NFL moved from 70% black players but only 28% in coaching position to now having 12.5% black  head coaches.

Transparency of recruitment processes and open applications helped it to succeed – and a version of it would help women into senior roles in the AFL several respondents suggested.

Most participants also supported the Australian Sports Commission’s new governance principles for funded NSOs which set a 40% target of female directors on sporting boards by 2015.

The report has detailed suggestions for change in culture, structure, and the way the business is operated and lead.

Clear measurable goals are needed along with affirmative action, education, better flexible policies and practices, more diverse career paths for women and even some women’s facilities in the player’s rooms at the MCG would help.

A Male Champions of Change group for the AFL was also recommended along with promoting diversity in the story and branding of the sport.

As with most organisations that take action on improving the number of women in their ranks, leadership is vital, the research concluded.

“It was made very clear throughout the project interviews that the impetus for change on gender equity cannot be left just to women. Men have a crucial role to play in helping to lead change in sport and society by promoting the message and value of gender diversity in their organisations, and providing opportunities, support and mentoring for women leaders.”

Hopefully this will be the first of many steps to legitimise and mainstream the role of women in such a powerful and iconic part of our society.

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