Regional female AFL players facing difficult pathway to pro-level
Australian rules football has becoming increasingly popular among women and girls in recent years since the advent of the AFLW. But there's still a long way to go for equality with male footballers in some regional areas, including for young girls who dream of one day playing professionally.
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00:0012-year-old Pippa Blackwell has big goals for her football career.
00:05Hopefully I play AFLW for Geelong because I go for Geelong.
00:09Pippa will head to Geelong this weekend to compete in the School Sport Australia Championships.
00:14Have a few days of school playing footy, what more can you want?
00:18She's the only girl, or boy, from South Australia's South East to be chosen for a state under
00:2212s team.
00:23I think some of the boys are a bit jealous but it's alright.
00:28The girls are happy for her so it's good.
00:30She doesn't get special treatment, nothing like that, she's got to make her own way so
00:34it's good for her.
00:35Pippa currently plays for the Bordertown Roosters.
00:38But girls can't play in mixed teams once they turn 14.
00:41Instead, Pippa's parents will need to drive her an hour away from home to train and play
00:45with the nearest under 16s team.
00:47I think people will do everything they can for their kids to help them out and see them
00:53achieve their best.
00:54Moves are being made to improve the opportunities for women's football in the South East but
00:58local sporting authorities concede there's a long way to go.
01:01Most clubs in the region don't have all female sides and only a few have female change rooms.
01:07It's a bit like that chicken and the egg, what do we have to build a team first for
01:10people to come or have we got the numbers there already?
01:13Pippa's hoping interest will continue to grow so the Bordertown Football Club can have its
01:17own girls team and facilities sooner rather than later.
01:21Dad's president so maybe I'll get him onto doing that.
01:24A goal to get behind.