http://www.metromagazine.com.au http://theeducationshop.com.au A STUDY GUIDE BY © ATOM 2018. ISBN: 978-1-76061-178-1 FIONA HALL CONTENT HYPERLINKS 3 CURRICULUM LINKS 4 ACTIVITIES 10 WRITING ACTIVITIES 11 REFERENCES FEATURING CANDID INTERVIEWS WITH LEADING PLAYERS INCLUDING; SARAH PERKINS, DARCY VESCIO, ELLIE BLACKBURN, DAISY PEARCE AND, CAPTAINS, COACHES AND AFL BOSS GILLON MCLACHLAN The AFLW pioneers were given just eight weeks to prove to themselves, their club and society that they belong. Showcasing their own style of football, the AFLW players smashed stereotypes and inspired a generation of girls, changing Australian sport and society forever. The AFL Women’s competition is at the forefront of an extraordinary transformation that’s taking place in Australian sport. In a short season every win and loss is magnified. On top of their training and match day commitments, the players juggle work or study. It’s a very different life to an AFL player. ‘HEROES’ is a celebration of the inaugural season from its breathtaking opening night to its dramatic conclusion, showcasing the drama, passion and dedication of Australia’s first AFL Women’s competition. With exclusive access to the inner sanctum the documentary takes us into the dynamic world of Women’s AFL, and introduces 2018 © ATOM the new Heroes of the game. 2 CURRICULUM LINKS ‘HEROES’ can be linked to the following subjects in the personal style and evaluate the effectiveness of these Australian National Curriculum: texts (ACELT1814) Create literary texts with a sustained ‘voice’, select- • Year 9 and 10 Health and Physical Education ing and adapting appropriate text structures, literary • Year 9 and 10 English devices, language, auditory and visual structures and • Year 10 History features for a specific purpose and intended audience (ACELT1815) Relevant Content Descriptions for Health and Physical Create imaginative texts that make relevant thematic and Education: intertextual connections with other texts (ACELT1644) Analyse and evaluate how people, cultures, places, events, Evaluate factors that shape identities and critically ana- objects and concepts are represented in texts, includ- lyse how individuals impact the identities of others ing media texts, through language, structural and/or (ACPPS089) visual choices (ACELY1749) Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that pro- Create sustained texts, including texts that combine spe- mote their own and others’ connection to community cific digital or media content, for imaginative, informa- and natural and built environments (ACPPS097) tive, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challeng- Critique behaviours and contextual factors that influ- ing and complex issues (ACELY1756) ence health and wellbeing of diverse communities (ACPPS098) Relevant Content Descriptions for History (Depth Study - Popular Culture 1945 – Present): Relevant Content Descriptions for English: The nature of popular culture in Australia at the end Compare and evaluate a range of representations of of World War II, including music, film and sport individuals and groups in different historical, social and (ACDSEH027) cultural contexts (ACELT1639) Continuity and change in beliefs and values that have influ- Create literary texts that reflect an emerging sense of enced the Australian way of life (ACDSEH149) © ATOM 2018 © ATOM 3 ACTIVITIES BIRTH OF THE AFLW TIME CODE: 02:36 – 11:26 We see the anticipation and exciting reality of the first ever match for the AFLW in February 2017. After review- ing their first venue choice of Olympic Park, the AFL see a capacity crowd of 24,500 pack into Princes Park to watch history in the making, with many fans unable to see the match due to a lock out. As old rival Carlton and Collingwood clashed in this inaugural match, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan heads out- side the venue to apologise to disappointed fans who were unable to get in. • Note and discuss the range of emotions described by the various people involved in this inaugural match. • Why do you think the AFL underestimated how popular this event would be? • Read the following article by Chyloe Kurdas as a class, and discuss the reasons why the birth of the AFLW is so important for women across Australia: http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/18600147/ why-afl-womens-league-important-aflw • Extension activity: Research other female leagues of traditionally male dominated sports from around the world. What differences/similarities do you note in relation to the AFLW? FOCUS ON DRAFT DAY TIME CODE: 12:12 – 17:01 We meet Sarah Perkins, one of the key forwards in the VFL Women’s competition. We follow her experience on the AFLW Draft Day. Write a reflec- tion on: • Sarah’s experiences and feelings during and after Draft Day. • Reasons why she may have decided to play with Adelaide and her reception when she joined the Club. Refer to Adelaide Coach Bec Goddard’s welcome speech for Sarah. © ATOM 2018 © ATOM 4 FOCUS ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF AFLW TIME CODE: 38:41 – 39:41 We see Darcy Vescio’s post her comment ‘WEN YOU LAUGH TOGETHA COS YOU KNOW UR GONNA SMASH THE PATRIARCHY’ to social media, and the response to this. As a class, read and discuss the following article: http://www. heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/how-darcy-vescios-aflw- debut-and-pregame-instagram-post-inspired-a-line-of-tshirts/ news-story/1e4a92bc635892f402097c5837399544 Darcy states: “That’s why I love AFL, because it’s a really ac- cessible sport and you can send really powerful messages in a really simple way.” • What do you think she means in the above statement? What motivated Darcy to post her comment? Were you surprised by the popularity and resonance of her post? Discuss. • Working in pairs/small groups, research the media coverage of the inaugural AFLW season. How were games covered? Compare and contrast positive and negative coverage of the games and the league itself. Were there any controver- sies, and if so, what were the reasons for these? • Working in small groups, discuss the following and share answers as a class: Given the enormous popularity of the inaugural AFLW season, do you think the AFL may consider any of the following in 2018 and beyond: - Extending the season from 7 weeks. - Increasing the number of clubs in the league - Changing the timing of the season - Moving key games to larger venues - Increasing media coverage Suggested articles to inform the above discussion: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/womens-afl/aflw-players-to-share- an-extra-500000-next-season-20171102-gzdoh3.html http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/aflw-fixture- 2018-blockbuster-to-open-second-season-20171026-gz- 9bs5.html TRAINING PROGRAM FOR AN AFLW PLAYER The women players we meet in ‘HEROES’ are certainly elite athletes, although they are semi-professional, as they have to juggle the demands of working alongside their AFLW training and playing commitments. • Working in pairs, research and prepare a training schedule suitable for a player in the AFLW. © ATOM 2018 © ATOM • Discuss the challenges of having to man- age work or study with training for sport at such an elite level. 5 PROFILES OF AFLW PLAYERS /COACHES Throughout ‘HEROES’ we meet several key figures within the AFLW. Working in pairs/ small groups, allocate students one of the following women and have them prepare a profile. Include relevant media coverage, as well as their direct experiences during ‘HEROES’ during their first season in the AFLW. Track the progress of their team, as well as their commenting on their own indi- vidual achievements and disappointments along the way. PLAYERS/COACHES TO FOCUS ON: DARCY VESCIO CARLTON (FORWARD) Darcy joined the Blues women’s team as a marquee player. The 23-year- old forward started playing footy when she was five, going on to win three VWFL premierships with the Darebin Falcons and representing the Victorian state team on two occasions. She is known for her clean hands and regularly puts herself in dangerous positions, making her a handful for opposition defenders. Vescio also works at Carlton as a graphic designer, and fittingly worked on the design for the inaugural Carlton women’s guernsey. ELLIE BLACKBURN WESTERN BULLDOGS (INSIDE MIDFIELDER) Ellie Blackburn is a rising star of the women’s game, an elite and fearless inside midfielder with agility and poise. Prolific ball-winner with a prodigious kick, Blackburn is regularly at the top of the stats sheet and one of the most influential players in the VFL Women’s competition. A four-time All-Australian at youth level, she is starting to make her mark in senior competition. Blackburn is a member 2018 © ATOM of the Club’s leadership group for the 2017 NAB AFLW competition. 6 SARAH PERKINS ADELAIDE CROWS (FORWARD) Sarah Perkins is an imposing forward who brings others into the game with her football smarts. Perkins joined the Crows as a Free Agent for the inaugural AFLW season after being overlooked at the draft by clubs in her native Victoria. A booming and textbook shot at goal, Perkins also works hard defensively. She has a strong influence on the playing group, and is loved by teammates and fans alike. BEC GODDARD ADELAIDE CROWS (SENIOR COACH) Bec Goddard has extensive playing and coaching experience both in the ACT and South Australia. Born and bred in Canberra, Goddard first started playing Aussie Rules in 1999 and has been pivotal in the growth of the women’s game. Her impressive playing and coaching career includes premierships at Eastlake Football Club women’s team. Her efforts to build the women’s game were recognised in 2015 when she was awarded AFL Football Woman of the Year. Goddard continued her work as a pioneer of the women’s game as the first coach of the Crows women’s team in their inaugural AFLW season.