AFL Northern Territory is excited to launch the NT Women and Girls Action Plan which strives for equal participation and representation by 2030.
The NT has had significant growth in the women and girls space, leading the national average for participation. Currently, women and girls make up 37.8% of all registered football participants which is well ahead of the national average of 19.9%. At AFLNT 53% of our staff in leadership positions are held by women.
With the support of the Power and Water Corporation, the Women and Girls Action Plan was recently launched, where AFLW/ NTFL Umpire Emma Stark and NT Talent Manager Shannon Millar shared their football journey alongside special guest AFL Hall of Fame Member and pioneer of women’s football, Debbie Lee.
The plan highlights significant accomplishments the NT has made in recent years.
In the 2022/23 season, every TIO NTFL club now has opportunities for women and girls to play football.
The Tiwi Bombers, Banks Bulldogs, and Jabiru Bombers each introduced a team in the women’s competition. With Jabiru making finals, having the best and fairest player and newcomers Banks Bulldogs winning the women’s division 2 grand final.
Waratah, Nightcliff Tigers, and Palmerston Magpies have a girls team in every age group from U10’s through to senior women’s football. While, Southern Districts have ten dedicated women and girls teams across all ages, higher than the number of men’s and boys teams at the club.
For the first time in 2023, Darwin-based NAB AFL Auskick centres will offer an all-girls option, allowing more girls a chance to thrive in Auskick and kick-start their football journey.
In regional areas, due to incredible support from the community. The Barkly Australian Football League in only its second season of having a women’s competition will expand to 5 teams, playing full field and 16 a-side matches. Significant strides are also being made by the Tiwi Islands Football League to launch a women’s division this season.
Debbie Lee, National Women and Girls Action Plan Lead praised the work already done “The fabric of footy is built by the work of the community. It was great to spend a few days in the NT as it allowed me to get a greater understanding of the number of initiatives and experience the excitement of women and girls football in the community. It is outstanding what has been achieved and the number of opportunities available to women and girls Territory wide”.
Whilst there is a lot to celebrate when it comes to women and girls in football in the NT there is still work to be done to ensure we reach our aim of 50/50 parity across all facets of the game by 2030.
The plan includes a focus on:
- Leadership positions within clubs. Currently, less than 30% of senior leadership positions on club committees are females.
- Female coaching programs such as “She Can Coach” to increase the number of women and girls coaching junior, youth, and senior football, both male and females
- Increasing the number of female umpires
- Increasing the investment into infrastructure. Currently, very few venues across the NT have facilities that are female-friendly.
- New and innovative ways to enable even more women and girls to become involved in our game.
The Women and Girls Game Development Action Plan aims to address these gaps through initiatives and programs to develop the confidence, knowledge, and skills of all women and girls involved in the game at every level and educate clubs to foster safe and inclusive environments to enable everyone to thrive.
Head of AFLNT, Sam Gibson said "It was great officially launch the Women and Girls Action Plan which will continue to drive opportunities for women and girls across all aspects of football in the NT. This is a key priority of AFLNT’s and one that is being embraced by all stakeholders across the NT which is fantastic”
Click here to view the Territory's Women and Girls Action Plan and opportunities for women in football across a range of initiatives.