Participation boom takes junior representative programs to capacity

CONTINUED investment in female grassroots football is helping create opportunities that did not exist for previous generations of Geelong players.

For the first time, Football Victoria Geelong has reached parity between its male and female representative programs, fielding a full contingent of girls’ teams from under-10 through to under-16.

The growth has been made possible through investment from association members and ongoing corporate support, helping ensure talented players can access representative football regardless of their financial circumstances.

Female football development liaison Sharon Gibbons said access to higher-level competition should not depend on a family’s ability to pay.

She said corporate backing played a crucial role in removing financial barriers and giving players the chance to progress as far as their talent could take them.

“It’s so important to have that investment to make sure that everybody has that opportunity to play, no matter what their social standing,” Gibbons said.

She said participation in girls’ football had surged since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, driving growth both on and off the field.

Each girls’ representative team now has at least one female staff member, whether as a coach or administrator.

Gibbons said Football Victoria Geelong viewed female role models as an essential part of the pathway.

Demand has become so strong that the program is now operating at capacity – a challenge she describes as both frustrating and exciting.

“We were scraping together old girls’ teams a few years back, and now we’re getting to the point where we have to turn girls away, which is devastating,” Gibbons said.

“We just can’t keep up with the demand.”

Since 2019, Football Victoria Geelong has partnered with GeelongPort to help keep girls involved in the game.

GeelongPort general manager of organisational development Samantha English said the organisation is proud to support the community.

“One of our core values is ‘because we live here too’ and I think it’s really important that we connect and contribute back into the community, particularly in these sports for young girls,” English said.

“The growth in this area has been phenomenal, and we’ve been really proud to be supportive of the growth they’ve had and the success they’ve had in this area.”

Teams from under-10 through to under-16 will wear the GeelongPort logo on the front of their kits, including at the Country Championships in June and the Shepparton Cup in October.