Incredibly in its first year, the Tiwi Islands Football League Women's Competition has established 7 women’s teams with over 300 women playing the 14-round season that began in August.
Not only are they kicking goals on the playing front, but over 30 women have completed the Foundation Coaching course, 6 women completed their Certificate 1 in Umpiring, and weekly there are 9 women coaching and 12 women umpiring.
After 14 rounds of football and a gripping finals series, minor premiers Muluwurri Magpies will take on the fourth-placed Tapalinga Superstars in the Grand Final on Sunday afternoon.
Travelling in weekly from Milikapiti, the Muluwurri Magpies against all odds finished as minor premiers, led by their Coach Bianca Daniels and key players Arthurina Moreen and Loretta Cook.
Tapalinga Superstars from Wurrumiyanga finished 4th on the Ladder. Led by Coach Andrea Puautjimi mother of Tiwi Bombers and Tapalinga Captain Kimberly Cunningham and sisters Jessica and Roberta Cunningham, the side is expected to be a tough opponent for the Magpies.
AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) hosted open forums in March to gauge interest in the competition and the first meeting attracted 50 women. During the follow-up meetings, the group agreed to competition rules, structures, and plans for the season ahead.
The expansion across the Tiwi Islands is linked to investment from AFLNT, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to increase participation of Indigenous women and girls in AFL, as well as youth engagement across the Northern Territory.
The committee is 100% run by women, including match day responsibilities, umpiring, and coaching, and plans are already underway for 2024, to bring the TIFL Women’s competition in line with the men’s during the dry season.
AFLNT Remote Development Manager, Danyon Smillie celebrates the achievements of the first season.
“This inaugural TIFL Women's season has had remarkable engagement with over 300 women taking the field, each club has shown enormous growth over the season with all teams training together and working towards making the league strong.”
“It’s with the support of league sponsor Tiwi Partners and community leaders like Mary Dunn and the effort she has put in on and off the field, regularly umpiring and officiating games that have made the inaugural season so successful.”
Victoria Canning Ranku Eagles player said, “Our first training session we had over 100 girls turn up, the competition is becoming huge, and this season has been amazing for the Islands.”
“It’s a close-knit small community, it’s like a religion here, everyone gets around it on a footy day the whole community comes down to watch the women play.”
First bounce is at 1:30pm at Stanley Tipiloura Oval (Wurrumiyanga) with ceremonies commencing at 1:00pm on the day. For fans wanting to travel to Wurrumiyanga to be a part of all the action, SeaLink has a scheduled ferry departing from the Cullen Bay Terminal, tickets and more information can be found here.