AUSTRALIAN Football League (AFL) officials and the Black Diamond AFL are exploring the possibility of starting a women's competition in 2015.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
AFL NSW/ACT regional manager for the Hunter Coast, Simon Smyth, said interest from women in the game was increasing.
That was evidenced by the success of the AFL's "come and try" day for girls in June, as well as the Cardiff club's annual Chick Kick.
"Cardiff have held their Chick Kick for a couple of years now and it has proven to be very popular with numbers increasing each year," Mr Smyth said.
"We also had 18 players at our 'come and try' day in June, so the interest is certainly there."
The Central Coast and Newcastle currently hold youth girls competitions for under 18s and under 15s, respectively.
"Both youth girls competitions have been very successful and the introduction of the women's competition will create a pathway for these girls to continue to play AFL," Mr Smyth said.
Officials hope the proposed women's competition will consist of multiple teams from both the Central Coast and Newcastle.
It's envisaged that they would become part of existing Black Diamond AFL clubs.
"We believe that we can get a minimum of four sides which will enable us to have a competition," Mr Smyth said.
"We understand that we may need to have an amount of flexibility around the structure and the Black Diamond AFL board have indicated a willingness to accommodate this," Mr Smyth said.
"We also believe that the inclusion of a women's side within an existing Black Diamond AFL club structure is the best model for all parties."
There are currently just three women's competitions in the NSW/ACT - AFL Sydney, AFL Canberra and AFL Broken Hill.
There will be "come and try" events organised over the next few months locally to gauge interest and give those interested players the opportunity to experience the game.
■ To play women's AFL in 2015 email simon.smyth @aflnswact.com.au
* Garry Burkinshaw is football operations manager for the Black Diamond AFL.