In 1902, Australian women were the first in the world to be given the right to vote.
In 1975, the United Nations convened its First World Conference on Women.
In 2010, Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
And we’re now just one sleep away from adding another momentous occasion to that list.
Tomorrow night Carlton and Collingwood will be the two teams to kick-start the inaugural AFL Women’s League at Ikon Park.
It puts into perspective just how quickly women’s footy has grown.
The Brisbane Lions AFL Women’s squad is brimming with Queensland talent, with just five of the 27 listed women coming from interstate and the majority having played in the QWAFL.
The Lions will play their first game on Sunday against the Melbourne Demons who are led by number one draft pick, Daisy Pearce.
The Lions in turn will be led by two-time QWAFL Best and Fairest Emma Zielke who says it’s a dream come true.
“I couldn’t be more excited, it’s an incredible feeling to be able to get out there on Sunday and wear the Brisbane Lions logo on our chest,” Zielke told lions.com.au.
While there are no wins or losses recorded just yet, the competition wouldn’t be able to go ahead without the exponential growth of women’s footy at grassroots level.
“I never expected this to happen when I first started playing footy about 10 years ago,” Zielke said.
“To have this pathway now for the younger girls and us girls that have been playing for fun in the past, it’s a massive achievement for the AFL and the clubs involved.”
There will be seven rounds of AFLW action with the grand final to be played in a marquee timeslot during the opening round of the 2017 AFL season.
By Josh Cheadle – @JoshCheadle20
