The culmination of 14 weeks of work was on show at Peppercorn Park in Bairnsdale last Friday night when the East
Gippsland under 15s Girls Football Academy and the Wellington under 15s Girls Football Academy played a competitive match.
The East Gippsland Football Academy has been running for 14 weeks, with a session every two weeks under the guidance of academy coach Tom Crellin and academy coordinator Dave Matthews.
The Wellington Football Academy is coached by Daniel Mizzi.
The East Gippsland Academy worked with local clubs in the East Gippsland area, schools and parents with 20 girls from Orbost, Paynesville, Swifts Creek, Bairnsdale, Lindenow and Lakes Entrance attending.
The academies were developed to create opportunities for girls to play all-female football in the local area, of which options are currently extremely limited.
At present, girls are eligible to play mixed leagues including Auskick at under 11 and 13 level (East Gippsland League).
When transitioning from mixed teams there is no clear pathway from U13s to all-female football which starts at under 18 level only (Bairnsdale).
“Club-based options include applying to play under 13s as an overage player or joining the Omeo League under 16s (mixed) or Bairnsdale under 18 (girls only),” Matthews said.
“As a result, many girls are simply lost to football and end up playing netball, basketball or no sport altogether.
“This gap needs to be filled by the establishment of an all-female under 15 team, one that captures those girls transitioning out of mixed football and that are now looking to play in an all-female team of which there are limited options available at present.
“The academy is free; the facilities are first class, while the girls who have attended seem to be enjoying training in a set-up that is all-female.
“The academy is being done with a view to establishing an all-female under 15s side out of Bairnsdale in season 2026, one that captures girls from the East Gippsland area playing against other sides who are within reasonable geographical proximity to Bairnsdale.”
By game time last Friday night, 28 East Gippsland girls suited up for the game, and 25 from Wellington, which is well
beyond expectations and reinforced demand for all female football in the area which is high.
“The game was played in great spirits in front of strong support from families and friends,” Matthews said.
“For many it gave them a taste of female only football as opposed to mixed football which was what most of them have played up until this point.”
In the future it’s hoped that a pathway can be created beyond under 13s towards an all-girls under 15s competition.
“Critically this isn’t about taking girls away from clubs, it’s about helping girls to progress beyond 13s mixed football,” Matthews said.
For the record East Gippsland won the game, 50 points to 21.
That brings an end to the East Gippsland Academy for 2025 with the focus now turning to the establishment of an under 15s
Girls League in 2026 which at this stage is likely to be combined with the Sale and District League to keep travel time to a minimum.
Purely from an East Gippsland perspective, numbers reflect strong demand for female football which is set to grow as pathways are developed.
