Women’s sport: Our female sports stars hoping Matildamania draws new fans

Some of WA’s best female athletes have urged sports fans not to miss the opportunity to continue enjoying women’s sport now that the Matildas’ World Cup campaign is over. Australia was gripped by soccer fever as WA’s Sam Kerr led her team to a historic fourth place finish at the FIFA World Cup, in a perfect reminder that high-level sport can capture the public’s imagination regardless of gender. AFLW, WBBL, WNBL and the A-League Women will all start their seasons in the coming months and West Coast Fever will start their next netball campaign in March, meaning there are boundless opportunities for West Australian fans to embrace elite women’s sport. Fremantle Dockers vice-captain Ange Stannett believes female athletes around the country will reap the benefits of the Matildas’ success. “Their wins are wins for all women’s sport. If we see them getting the recognition they deserve it will hopefully open the eyes of a lot more people to what women’s sport is and the quality that is there,” she said. “It’s so inspiring to see other female athletes absolutely killing it on the world stage and being so visible, on TV screens and all the promos and marketing that’s gone into it as well. “I was over in Melbourne a few weeks back and every billboard was filled with Matildas. It goes to show that when the promotion is there and the marketing is behind it, what the result will be. It’s been incredible to see the response from the public getting behind the Tillies. It’s a big lift for all women’s sport.” One of the charms of female Australian sport is how close fans can get to their heroes. Basketball icon Lauren Jackson sat at a table after every WNBL game last season signing autographs and posing for photos with excited basketball lovers. Then there’s someone like Cortnee Vine who stole Australia’s hearts when she scored the Matildas quarterfinal winning penalty against France. Fans can still watch her playing for Sydney FC. Perth Glory’s Morgan Aquino said her peers have shown young girls around the country what is possible. “Every single player that is playing for the Matildas at the moment played in our league,” she said. “Whether that was last year, whether that was five years ago or currently, they’ve all come through our league. There’s about another 15 girls in the league at the moment who will be the next generation of Matildas.” But everyone is aware that amid the excitement, nothing is guaranteed and we’ve been here before. The first AFLW game at Optus Stadium in 2018 drew 41,975 people. Then more than 53,000 footy fans packed Adelaide Oval in 2019 for the AFLW grand final. It was a similar story for the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in March 2020, when 86,174 people flocked to the MCG. The women’s basketball world cup in Sydney last year was also played in front of bumper crowds, but convincing people who love attending big-ticket sporting events to attend regular season games remains a major challenge. West Coast Eagles defender Eleanor Hartill believes it is difficult for the public to maintain their passion if they’re not watching most games. “When games are happening every week, people often say they’ll go to the next one because everyone has busy lives. That makes it harder for them to follow,” she said. “The Matildas had the documentary and I know a lot of our team watched it. We got to know them as players and supported them because we felt like we had a relationship with them. If you can watch more, you get to know players and having that connection allows people to support a bit more.” West Coast Fever have led the way in this regard. They moved their games to RAC Arena and now play in front of huge crowds. Star goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler is a fan favourites and a marketer’s dream. The Jamaican understands her role in the sport and the importance of maximising that profile to drag fans through the gate. Fowler said big crowds had a huge impact on the players, too. “It’s one of the most inspiring things. I had the privilege of playing at the smaller arena but when we moved to RAC Arena, we had sold out crowds for numerous games. It makes a difference,” she said. “It shows how much people want to back netball and back female sport in general. It was risky moving to RAC Arena, but we believed in the product and the fans believe in it as well.” Money is the other issue. Sam Kerr earns $600,000 per year to play for Chelsea and has a $1million per year sponsorship deal. Other Matildas are also playing overseas and earning wages which, while nowhere near the insane figures men earn, have them earning significantly more than a normal job. Meanwhile, the majority of female athletes in Australia face having to combine their sporting careers with more traditional careers. Chloe Piparo worked as an accountant while playing for Perth Scorchers but recent changes have allowed her to become a full-time athlete. She said the public would see the difference as more women were given the chance to focus purely on their sporting endeavours. “This is the first year where we don’t have the pressure to have to work which means we can commit to cricket full-time. It’s huge,” Piparo said. “It takes off the pressure of having to juggle things. When you’re working, you’re not physically or mentally as prepared for training as you could be. “Now, it’s awesome. You can recover, relax and fill your cup so you are raring to go at training. We can do extras like meetings which are hard to fit in when you’re part time.” The other game changer is the ability for women to have families, then return to their sport. Perth Lynx guard Alex Ciabattoni didn’t want to wait until her basketball career was finished to become a mum. She gave birth to son Elijah in January and will return to the WNBL this season. As part of the WNBL’s Parental and Pregnancy Care Policy, the league will pay for her mum Kat to travel from Adelaide to help with Elijah when Ciabattoni is busy with basketball on interstate trips. “There’s no way I’d be able to play without that help,” Ciabattoni said. “Having someone to look after Elijah when I’m at training and playing once we get interstate is amazing. It also helps with something as basic as needing to get enough sleep to prepare for the game. “For a long time I just assumed that having a baby meant it was career over. But we’ve seen it happen with several players throughout the league and its showing what’s possible.” The soccer World Cup may be over but the opportunity they’ve created has only just begun. And Piparo is confident it will be looked back on as a critical turning point in Australian female sporting history. “It’s been amazing to see what the Matildas have been able to do for the country,” she said. “It was highlighted for me when I went out for dinner on Saturday and nearly every table was watching the Matildas. People were all interested in what the Matildas were doing, which I’ve never seen women’s sport do in this country.” WHERE YOU CAN WATCH ELITE WOMEN’S SPORT IN WA Fremantle Dockers, AFLW Season begins: Sunday September 3 v West Coast Eagles Home venue: Fremantle Oval Stannett’s West Aussie to watch — Gabby O’Sullivan: “A staple in the squad since the beginning. Her ability to bring other people into the game, play her role and do team-first things is why she’s a leader.” West Coast Eagles, AFLW Season begins: Sunday September 3 v Fremantle Dockers Home venue: Mineral Resources Park, Lathlain Hartill’s West Aussie to watch – Courtney Rowley: “A young player from Mandurah who is going to be an absolute star. She’s relatable because she’s done everything through the grass roots pathways.” Perth Scorchers, WBBL Season begins: October 20 v Hobart Hurricanes Home venue: WACA Ground, Perth Piparo’s West Aussie to watch — Chloe Ainsworth: “She’s a young talent who is a super skilful fast bowler. She has no fear.” Perth Lynx, WNBL Season begins: Friday December 3 v Sydney Flames Home venue: Bendat Basketball Centre, Floreat Ciabattoni’s West Aussie to watch — Amy Atwell: “An attacking and high scoring player who grew up in Perth and made it all the way to the WNBA. Every young player should want to be like Amy.” Perth Glory, A-League Women Season begins: Fixture TBA. Home venue: Macedonia Park, Balcatta Aquino’s West Aussie to watch — Hana Lowry: “An up and coming star, and unreal as an attacking midfielder. She’s been part of the under 20s Matildas teams and is knocking on their door.” West Coast Fever, Suncorp Super Netball Season begins: 2024. Fixture TBA Home venue: RAC Arena, Perth Fowler’s West Aussie to watch — Jess Anstiss: “An amazing player to watch. I love watching her bringing the ball down, and defending, when I’m on the court.”

Women’s sport: Our female sports stars hoping Matildamania draws new fans

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