As women’s football continues to evolve and gather momentum, Carlton will make a serious bid to secure a team in the inaugural 2017 national competition.
With a rich history and multicultural heritage, the Blues are determined to strengthen their club values and field a women’s team next year, with CEO Steven Trigg stating, “the more diverse we are (as a football club), the more we grow”.
It was announced yesterday the women’s football league would kick off its two-month season in February and finish up in March, with teams to be based in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
As more details surrounding the competition come to light, AFL clubs have now also been invited to apply for one of the eight licences – there’s no doubt it will be a fierce bidding war!
With the Blues striving to become leaders in gender equality and promote women’s involvement in footy (at all levels), Trigg believes fielding an all-Blues women’s team only reinforces the club’s position on this issue.
“We aim to be leaders in gender equality, and so our efforts in establishing a women’s team and a pathway for female footballers is also very real,” Trigg said.
“We’ve implemented a number of initiatives across the Club, including broadening our ‘Women of Carlton’ program to all female members, created a new partnership with the Northern Football League to help develop young female footballers, and we continue to have an ongoing relationship with AFL Victoria and their women’s programs.”
VIDEO: Women's Academy trains at Carlton
To help the Blues with that work, and to create a comprehensive bid, the Club has also recently employed Lauren Arnell. Arnell is an elite female footballer and brings a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to create a successful women’s team. From facilities to corporate partners, Arnell’s expertise plays a vital role in understanding the needs of fielding a potential side.
The deadline for AFL clubs to submit their bids is Friday 29 April.
Want to know more about Lauren Arnell? Stay tuned to Carlton Media for the inside story on her career and her ambitions to pull on the Old Dark Navy Blue guernsey.
