It would be fitting if the Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club was able to field a senior women’s team in this its 50th year – and there is every indication it will do exactly that.

With about a month to go before the launch of the AFL South East Women’s Football League, club spokesman Paul Wright is confident of getting the numbers to put a team on the park.  Last year about 10 women answered the club’s call for expressions of interest, and women are turning up to weekly training sessions. It’s also likely the club will elevate a couple of players from last year’s under-18s.  Given that other clubs have had last-minute player registrations to get them over the line, it’s looking very good for the Dolphins.

Paul says the interest in and growth of women’s footy in the past few years has been “amazing”, and has obviously been boosted by the launch of the AFL women’s competition.
“We used to have a couple of girls playing junior footy in our mixed teams and it went from that to a fully-fledged under-18 side and an under-13 side last year. Our under-13s won the Grand Final and our under-18s got pipped by a couple of points in their Grand Final.

“This year we’ve got under-18s, under-15s and under-12s – so we’ll have girls across the whole spread of age groups, which is incredible going from three or four girls playing in mixed comp a few years back.”

For the Dolphins, a stand-along junior club that formed in 1967 when Frankston entered the VFA, developing a senior women’s team – and potentially a senior men’s team down the track – is a natural progression.  “We had two girls’ teams last year and we’ll have three this year across all age groups, so the natural extension is to develop a senior women’s team.  It keeps the fabric within the club; otherwise the players splinter off and you lose that connectivity.

“It’s the same for our boys - they get to the under-17s or under-18s and there’s nowhere for them to go. What we’re trying to do is build that pathway for them.”

Age and lack of experience are no barriers – the Dolphins already have a 32-year-old who is returning to the game after a few years, and Paul expects other clubs will have players who are fairly new to footy.  “So for anyone who hasn’t played before or hasn’t played for a long time, I think it’s open to all abilities.”

If you’re interested in being a part of history, email [email protected] or visit www.fdjfc.com.au for more details. Pictures: Gary Bradshaw