“It took a bit of convincing to get me on the pitch. Although my brothers played and my dad coached, when I was 10, I wound up one of the only girls playing in a boys’ team, which I didn’t love. In the Northern Territory, that’s still a problem. I played in boys’ teams with one or two girls until I started playing in the National Premier League Women’s at the age of 14. Funding up here can be hard to come by so often girls either move south to pursue further playing opportunities or they quit the sport altogether, which is a shame.
"The sport challenges me to be a better player on the pitch and a better person away from it. And since I’m in year 11 at school, it’s also nice to have a chance to get away from the stress of schoolwork.
"The biggest highlight of my footballing experience so far has been representing the Northern Territory on multiple occasions, including captaining the under-14s team at the National Youth Championships. Another highlight is coaching two all-girls MiniRoos teams this year, which allows me to give back and inspire young girls to continue playing.
"The grant has allowed us to buy new goals and equipment for our girls’ teams and to pay the registration of senior and junior players to encourage more girls to join, which has been great.”
Kelly Polkinghorne is an interior designer and mother of two who plays for Westside Grovely FC (about 35 minutes from Brisbane).
“I’ve always been sports mad but I really only got into football through my children. As the training time for my boys – aged nine and 12 – increased, I started thinking how fun it would be to play. This led to the club launching an over-30s Summer 6’s competition two years ago.
"I’m not a competitive player – it’s more a social thing for me, which is why we formed our masters team this year. It’s been great for my fitness but it’s also a fantastic way to make new friends and get involved in the local community.
"Our club, like many others, runs solely on volunteers so for me it was important to give back and support the club that we spend so much time at. Community spirit shines through when we get together to help the juniors or drive each other’s kids to games. As a single parent, I find a lot of joy and solace in the ‘it takes a village’ mentality of our club community.
"I’ve noticed a big change in the perception of women’s football in Australia since the CommBank Matildas made it to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 semi-final. A number of boys joined the club after watching them and we’ve certainly had an increase in the number of girls. It shows how important awareness of the sport is, especially women and girls playing the sport. That’s why I became a female football ambassador during the World Cup, which means I promote women’s football within the club and boost its presence on our social media platforms.
"The grant has given our club a huge boost, allowing us to put a number of initiatives into place. Playing in male kits can make players feel undervalued, so we’re continuing to invest in buying female uniforms for our teams to wear and we’re training female coaches to help increase female participation in the sport. It’s amazing how much of a difference sponsorship and funding can make for the next generation of players coming through.”
Retiree Sue McAdam is a mother of four and grandmother of seven who coaches for Doyalson Wyee Soccer Club, on the NSW Central Coast.
