While the country celebrates the end of the second AFL Women’s season, come September there will be another reason to celebrate.
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September 28 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first women’s football match in Victoria, which was held at Ballarat’s Eastern Oval.
According to a Ballarat Star article at the time, about 120 women from the Khaki Clothing Factory in Melbourne travelled to Ballarat for the game against the Lucas Girls, which was also a fundraiser to go towards a “suitable entrance” to the Avenue of Honour.
The paper reported hundreds of people at the train station and even more lining the streets to welcome the opposition team’s arrival.
The match attracted more than 7000 spectators and raised £330, and according to a report in The Courier, the display did not disappoint.
Both teams are said to have thrown themselves into the game from the moment the whistle sounded with the Lucas Girls “showing more dash”, but the Khaki Girls having the upper hand in terms of experience.
The match report said some of the players displayed considerable aptitude and pace, with the visitors more inclined to kick the ball along the ground.
The Khaki Girls had the advantage of a strong wind in the first quarter, with play largely directed to the south wing, and led with just a point scored at the first break.
In the second term, Lucas registered a goal and a behind before the visiting side scored its first goal just before the halftime siren to again lead by a point.
In the third quarter, the Lucas Girls levelled the scores with a behind and prevented their opponents, with a wind advantage, from scoring.
And in the final quarter the Lucas Girls overwhelmed the opposition with two goals and four points while keeping the Khaki Girls scoreless.
The home team defeated the visitors by 16 points with the final score, Lucas Girls 3.6. 24 d Khaki Girls 1.2. 8.
Melbourne-based historian Belinda Ensor is working with filmmaker Joel Checkley to make a short documentary on the game and hopes to complete the project before the 100th anniversary.
Anyone with connections to the historic game can contact Belinda Ensor on 0400 231 772 or email belinda@tinyempirecollective.com
TEAM LISTS
Lucas Girls: L Rayworth (captain), C Ware (vice captain), M Rogers, P White, L Jacoby, E Todd, E Jones, A Thornton, D Williams, D Jones, D Harris, E Price, D Thompson, A Halfpenny, D Scarlett, B Bastin, C Lynch, R Mounsey, C Stewart and A Bussett.
Khaki Girls: E Morgan (captain), F Storr (vice captain), M McIntosh, V Mansfield, S Whittock, H Peacock, M Woodford, N Burton, V Hagblom, D Proctor, R Wadeson, C Lack, R Noak, E Ruffin, C Parry, B Smith.
