NEW Blue Kirby Bentley says the inclusion of a Sir Doug Nicholls Round within the AFLW would promote and recognise the achievements of Indigenous women in sport and the wider community.

Named as a priority signing in Fremantle’s inaugural AFLW squad, the former co-vice captain of the Dockers and most decorated Indigenous women’s player, joined the Blues as a free agent in October.

The 32-year-old made the move to Melbourne from Perth five months ago to take up the role of Reconciliation Action Plan Manager at the AFL – combining her love of Indigenous culture and football.

Sitting down with Carlton Media during her first week at the Club, Bentley said she’d love to see an Indigenous Round introduced to the AFLW fixture in the future.

“That would be the day, if we had an Indigenous Round – that would be so exciting," she said.

“Our roles as Indigenous women are completely different to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, so what we do and how we celebrate can be the same, but can also have a whole other meaning.

Bentley was a latecomer to football, not picking up the game until age 24. Despite that, she has managed to accrue myriad achievements in the sport, including being named in the initial 40-player All-Australian squad following her debut season in 2017. The 172cm utility said her accomplishments in football were important to her as she represented Indgienous women through the sport.

“Everything I do is a reflection of us and our people. As a female player and an AFLW Indigenous female player, it’s a great platform for us to lead the way and also change the way the girls experience it,” Bentley said.

Such has been Bentley’s influence in her community, that a round robbin tournament for 13- to 15-year-old Indigenous girls was established in her name – ‘The Kirby Bentley Cup’. She said the carnival had been significant in introducing girls to football.

“Having a Kirby Bently Cup which is engaging 13- to 15-year-olds is really important because it’s not about me and my future, it’s about being in a position where we can influence and impact the girls in our game and show them you can be a player, or even a coach or umpire or administrator,” she said.

Clarifying it wasn’t her idea to name the carnival after herself, she said the Footy Commission played a big role in its establishment.

“I think the Footy Commission thought with the AFLW competition starting it was a good time to see how many girls would be captured by the sport.

“A lot of our girls don’t play at clubs or in the WAFL, so it was a good pre-step for them. We had 300 girls play in that cup.”

Bentley grew up in a small country town, where she came from a netballing background. She played the sport for Western Australia from age 14 and the national league from 16 to 24. It was then that a reconnection with her sister drew her to football.

After making the move to football, Bentley played for East Fremantle from 2009 where she played in a winning premiership, then moved to Swan Districts before being signed to Fremantle’s AFLW side which she co-vice captained. An ACL injury sustained a State of Origin game at the end of 2017 ruled Kirby out of the second season of AFLW. 

Throughout it all, she said championing women in football had been an important cause for her.

“We do go through a lot of challenges and a lot of girls are still trying to find out who they are personally, regardless of their background, and the impact young girls can have in a positive way is really exciting,” she said.

“If these players, and not just ones at Carlton but across the board, can keep their feet on the ground and realise the opportunity that we have, and knowing what it’s doing for girls sitting in the grandstand and for their futures, that’s important for the game and what we want to achieve at Carlton.”