Do you think there will ever be a female playing afl???

Question

I just read an article where a 14 year old girl has won the right to play footy for her local u14 team. Do you think there will ever be a time where a female will play in the AFL??

I know, I am opening myself up to all sorts of dumb, sexist, afl bashing answers, (if you are going to say something dumb, at least make it funny and dumb....) but I hope a few serious ones too!!)

Answer 1

haha.. warwick capper played for my junior footy club!

anywho, I don't think there will ever be any female AFL players but I'd say there may eventually be a WAFL (women's aussie footy league... and I guess the WA footy league would have to change it's name).

I think it would be similar to Basketball (and some other sports) where there would be 2 seperate elite comps.. one for the men and one for the women.

Answer 2

well they have a small female league but it sux that a footy club refused to put a female in the game

Answer 3

Women are moving into a lot of team sports that were in the male domain. In Canberra there is a nine team womens competition, compared to a six team first grade competition - although there are other grades.

I remember when my daughter started playing soccer in 1997, a few of my friends and relatives looked at me strangely. Now girls and womens soccer is the fastest growing sport in Australia - and she still plays.

And now she told me she is going to play in the womens basball league in summer to keep fit.

Also in the past, womens team sports were looked upon as being the domain of lesbians. That certainly isn't the case now as women want to play these new sports.

I think womens AFL will grow - in Canberra thet are taking a lot of players away from soccer but the two worlds will never collide

Answer 4

the girls have there own comp and i love watching them play its a strength thing woman dont run against men in the olyimpics so no they will never play with men.

Answer 5

Good one 'Dropkick Murphys'

Nah i don't think there will.

How many women Aussie rules competitions do you see around Australia compared to those that are played entirely by men.

There may come a time but i certainly would not predict it anytime in the near future.

Answer 6

If you can find a 7ft tall female to contest the men, then maybe.

lol Dropkick, that's a good,( but correct) one!

Answer 7

i agree with bones... i dont think any would be able to match it

im a guy and play footy and i defs wouldnt want to play with girls.

im not trying to be sexist so if i come across so, im sorry but i really think it is a mans game.

besides how many sports have men and women competing against eachother at the highest level. the only one i can think of is mixed doubles (tennis),  and we all know how bad to watch that is.



i think they would be so many issues and there would be double standards at the tribunal, free kicks etc.

im  for female umpires but. :)

Answer 8

AFL is a full contact sport played by men with optimum muscle ratios, such as Fraser Ghreig who I understand could bench-press 180 kilos. Could female players endure the likes of Fraser fending her off with a direct push to the chest, at full speed?

Even at a young age (18) men on average have significantly more muscle mass than women. This survey shows that at 18  it is 33 kilos v 21 http://j*p.physiology.org/cgi/content/ab... and this is just an average, not giant men (6 foot 2 is short in afl) with vastly more.

I don't believe that afl- which involves tackling and throwing to the ground, bumping and forceful contact through landing on each other and pushing each other, can have men and women playing together at an elite level

Answer 9

No, I don't think there will be. AFL is a man's domain, and while I think women should be a part of footy as trainers, board members, umpires, and journalists, I think it's best if men only play the game. I'm a female, so I'm not being sexist here, but I think if women competed against men in footy at the highest level, there would be too much controversy regarding tackling, and, well, basically just being rough. I'm all for women's only leagues though, I think they are a great initiative. I think Aussie Rules, at it's highest level, should be played by men only.

Answer 10

**I hope it's not something that happens.  AFL is a man's game and I think bringing in a female to play with the men would be terrible, it'd ruin the games.**

Answer 11

Yes, why not?

The females are trying to take over the game in all other formats so they may as well take over playing it as well. They are even dictating how the Footy Show is to be conducted. It's an all male sports presentation - presenting a male sport by an all male cast, for goodness sake.

I wish these birds with balls would stick to what they do best & leave us blokes to do what we do best!

Answer 12

Well, there was Warwick Capper!

Answer 13

No -not playing unless it's for Freo.  

I can see girls coaching perhaps.  And I certainly reckon there's roles for them as strategists/ assistant coaches - sometimes people who haven't played the game can think of things out of the square that traditionalists miss.

As for playing, in kick and giggle comps - yeah no worries ...

But at the elite level, it would be unfair to test the ingrained 'don't hit a girl' instincts against the blood and guts mentality that's required to produce a top team.  A split second hesitation in laying on a tackle because it may hit an offensive place is an unfair advantage.

It shouldn't happen and I don't believe it will.  There may well be an elite female competition one day though and that would be awesome ... give scragger a whole new meaning.

Answer 14

Very Good Question

In our local grass roots level comp we have the girls playing

( and whipping butt) against the guys

( she is a DAM BIG girl tho)

I have nothing against an all girls league, but I dont think guys and girls should play against each other, in contact sports.

Who would want to see a girl get crunched by a couple of guy opponents?

Just opens up to many issues..

Let the girls play against the girls, and the guys play against the guys.

Answer 15

There already is, she plays for collingwood. I think she is number 13.

Answer 16

Doubt it.  

Figure it this way - 16 teams, let's say 30 players per team, that's 480 player in the AFL.  Do you imagine there will be a female who could break into the best 500 players in Australia?  Will there seriously be a female who will have the speed, strength and athleticism to cut it, and be able to take the knocks?

Think on other lines.  Are there any female tennis players who would stand a chance in the men's draw, or golfers, or runners?  There aren't any, are there?

That's not to say there aren't any who could play a good role at a lower level, especially in the younger age groups, where the girls are generally bigger than their male counterparts.

Answer 17

are you crazy - NO !

Answer 18

maybe depends

Answer 19

no. there are womens afl teams just like there are womens national basketball teams and mens teams. women wont ever play in the mens teams.

Answer 20

never but some of the rules which are applied today are of female standards