As the women’s Liberty A-League finals series kicks off this week, the league is celebrating an enormous win for women’s sports in Australia, becoming the most attended season of any women’s sport in the country’s history.
The record numbers exceeded the total attendance for the AFLW’s regular season and finals series last year.
On their socials, women’s sports advocacy group the female athlete project described the win as a result of “The Tillies effect.”
Over the weekend, Newcastle Jets beat Western United in front of a 3,000+ strong crowd at the Regional Football Facility in Tarneit, 25 km west of Melbourne.
Jets striker Sarina Bolden scored an impressive long-range goal to open the scoring, and converted a penalty to secure her second goal in the team’s 4-2 victory against Western United.
It’s the first time the Jets have won a women’s A-League finals game. Bolden, who only arrived in Newcastle late last year, was a star player on the Philippines’ national team. During a match against New Zealand at last year’s World Cup, she scored her country’s first-ever World Cup goal to deliver a historic 1-0 win.
After their win on Saturday night, Newcastle Jets coach Ryan Campbell praised his player’s resilience throughout the game.
“They’re doing the job of putting the club on the map and making sure that people know that it’s a necessity to have the Newcastle Jets,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Central Coast Mariners defeated Melbourne Victory in a penalty shootout, securing their first ever win in a finals series.
The semi-final showdowns have now been confirmed, with the Newcastle Jets playing against Premiers Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners facing Sydney FC. The Grand Final will take place on Saturday May 4.
Image: Instagram / @newcastlejetsfc