Swans show way for women’s footy with WAWFL premiership

The women’s team defeated East Fremantle 7.1 (43) to 5. (35), their third premiership out of the past four grand finals.

The under-15 team also came away with a premiership and the youth colts were runners-up.

Swan Districts chief executive Tom Bottrell said the women’s teams had been impressive for about five years and produced three out of 16 AFL marquee players.

“Women’s footy is continuing to increase each year and they know they can have an AFL dream, we have definitely seen that in some of the talent we have got coming through with our youth girls as well,” he said.

“We have two of the star players, the AFL-drafted players and one of the former coaches worked for our V Swans program pretty much everyday so they are close to it.”

Bottrell said youth girls had the desire to play AFL after seeing their seniors drafted to play in the first Australian women’s league next year.

“I hear a lot of them say now when they were young, there was never a pathway for them to go down and now they see players get drafted and it is actually a reality now,” he said.

He said the AFL made the right decision to start with a few teams in the competition.

“The game is still developing so they should probably leave it at the same amount of AFL teams they have got for a few years,” he said.

“I do not think that WA can sustain two teams yet but there is certainly enough young talent coming through for that to happen in the next three or four years.”

Seniors captain and Fremantle marquee player Kara Donnellan said she was proud to have led the girls to a premiership win.

“To get the win is absolutely incredible, after everything the club has been through this year, both highs and lows and to come out on top was such a great reward,” she said.

“It makes it all worth it when you have so many friends and family and supporters there cheering you on.”