“We Did It Ourselves!” – Sydney Women's Australian Football League
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“We Did It Ourselves!” - Sydney Women’s Australian Football League – The First Decade (2000-09) “We did it ourselves!” 10 Years of Women’s Australian Rules Football in the Harbour City. The Official History of the Sydney Women’s Australian Football League 1 Editor – Lancelot Yu & SWAFL ©2009 “We Did It Ourselves!” - Sydney Women’s Australian Football League – The First Decade (2000-09) Table of Contents Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 The Beginning .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Atmosphere of the Early League ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 The Very First Game ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 The start of some early traditions and early infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 6 The Start and Rise of the Newtown Breakaways ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Expansion / Contraction - The middle years of the league .............................................................................................................................. 8 Foundation of St. George – a long time in fruition ........................................................................................................................................ 9 The start of the Bondi Shamrocks................................................................................................................................................................. 11 2009 Season ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 The Future .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Other aspects of the league in the last decade (umpires, the website, youth girls, securing our own home ground) ..................................... 13 Grand Final Records .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 League Awards.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Perspectives of the Game (Stories told by the participants) The Current Players .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 The Past Players ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 The Umpires ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 The Coaches ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 37 The Administrators ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 45 Presidents of the League ............................................................................................................................................................................ 48 SWAFL Clubs Participation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 48 League Ladders for the last decade ............................................................................................................................................................. 49 State Football and All-Australian Representation ....................................................................................................................................... 53 SWAFL 10 th Anniversary Celebrations and Team of the Decade .................................................................................................................... 57 Premiership Photos ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Club Statistics ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 64 Front Cover Photo Top: 2000 – The very first match: Two matches are held on a half field at Monarch Oval, Macquarie Fields with 9 a side football. Front Cover Photo Bottom: 2009 Grand Final – the two most successful clubs in the league: Newtown and Wests slug it out once more in the grand final. Kaya Lyons is tackled by Tracey Farrugia and Cassie Lees. Back Cover Photo: Regardless of what club you play for, once the game’s finished - it’s the friendships you make that count. Players from various clubs gather for a photo at the 2009 SWAFL Presentation Night. 2 Editor – Lancelot Yu & SWAFL ©2009 “We Did It Ourselves!” - Sydney Women’s Australian Football League – The First Decade (2000-09) Title of this history booklet The title was taken from the theme of Lucy Burgmann and Yvette Andrews “Top 10 Reasons why I love SWAFL” speech at the SWAFL Presentation Night celebrating the first decade of the football on 12 September 2009. Foreword by the editor Lancelot Yu This history booklet which briefly captures the last ten years of football, can only offer a brief glimpse of the proud history of the Sydney Women’s Australian Football League (SWAFL). It’s the story of a niche women’s sport that those who have / currently play in it are passionate about the sport as part of the overall number one football code in Australia. As the only indigenous football code, all of us as players, officials and administrators are guardians of the game to ensure the growth for future generations to come. The history booklet reflects on the past, so as to understand where we are going – we need to know where we came from. The funny stories of the PVC posts would be a revelation to today’s players who turn up to play on one of the best football fields in Sydney, which the male footballers now use when their grounds are closed by rain. Some of the struggles in starting up a club are also discussed which would not be unfamiliar to those currently involved in administration and show that it’s not all bed and roses behind the scenes. This booklet isn’t about the ball-by-ball or match-by-match account of each season but gives enough information for the casual reader to enjoy a brief summary of the seasons past. The contributions from past and present players, officials and administrators have been extremely valuable in understanding the early origins of our league as well as providing much needed laughter and humour to this otherwise dry publication. I cannot emphasis enough the thanks to our past and present league presidents and committee members who have put in numerous unpaid hours in running the league as well as setting up the strategies that have ensured that SWAFL now plays on grounds that are as equal if not superior to many men’s club grounds in Sydney. Regardless of club affiliation, we are united by our love of “footy”. Enjoy as we celebrate ten years of the best game in the world! 3 Editor – Lancelot Yu & SWAFL ©2009 “We Did It Ourselves!” - Sydney Women’s Australian Football League – The First Decade (2000-09) The beginning Stimulated by the success of the Sydney Swans who had made the Grand Final in 1996, Aussie Rules interest exploded at all levels of the game including women’s football. In 1998 Yvette Andrews contacted the NSW AFL about female participation in the sport but never heard back from the official body. So with her good friends; Patrice Ladson and Evonne Lukas after having a kick around with the Sherrin and they believed that there was potential and viability for a women’s league. Thus leading to the momentous day on 8 th March 1999 when the Sydney Women’s Australian Football League was inaugurated at the Western Suburbs Australian Rules Football