Our Commitment to Girl's and Women’s Football 

At Waverley Blues, we are proud to offer a sustainable girls’ and women’s football program, with clear pathways from Auskick to Junior Girls and through to Senior Women’s football. This program is vital in ensuring we are a true community club, aligned with the values of equality, fairness, and opportunity for all. We understand that clubs thrive through diversity and choice, and our goals and commitments to women’s football reflect this:

• We treat all teams equally, with no differences between female and male teams.

• We aim for equality across our coaches, committee, officials, and players.

• Equity is reflected in every aspect of the club—venues, game times, uniforms, food, and social events.

• All players are welcomed and have a football club for life.

Our Women’s Football Program

1. BUILDING PATHWAYS FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN

We believe in creating strong pathways for girls to grow in the game, from Auskick, progressing through Junior Girls football, and leading to our Senior Women’s team.

At Waverley Blues, we’ve integrated the Auskick program into the club, ensuring a seamless development pathway. To attract young players, we run AFL clinics at local primary schools, introducing girls to the game early on.

As girls transition to high school, they can explore their own sports choices. For many, this is their first experience with AFL football. We have strong partnerships with sport coordinators at local secondary schools—Avila College, Mount Waverley Secondary College, and Huntingtower—aimed at promoting football and our club to students.

 2. DEVELOP SKILLS AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GAME

Auskick is focused on learning the basics of football in a fun and supportive environment, and we’re seeing more girls start their football journeys here each year.

We engage with local schools to attract new players and host footy clinics to help girls build their skills. Once they join, players are assigned to a team based on their age. Each team has a dedicated coach who conducts weekly 90-minute training sessions, with matches played on Sundays. These sessions help players:

• Improve fitness and develop football skills
• Increase knowledge of the game
• Build relationships with teammates
• Develop important life skills like communication, leadership, resilience, and teamwork
• Our more senior teams (U18s and above) begin pre-season training before Christmas, allowing for maximum development and learning.

 3. HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

“PREPARE TO PLAY”

• The Prepare to play program aims to increase durability, improve recovery, reduce injuries and improve the athletic performance of females playing football

• The program achieves this through effective warm-up and cool down at training and also warm up pre-game.

SALT - SPORT AND LIFE TRAINING

The Waverley Blues have joined the SALT program that seeks to transform club culture and provide a range of age and gender oriented education sessions young people.  Some of the sessions for girls are:

• Empowered (for Girls)
• Team First Leadership
• Becoming a Woman of Influence (Female)
• Wellbeing and Mental Health
• Core Values and Leadership

 4. GIRL’S AND WOMEN’S COACHING PATHWAYS

As we build player pathways, we are also developing coaching pathways for girls and women at Waverley Blues. Our Senior Women’s players are involved in coaching and mentoring Junior Girls teams and assist with AFL clinics at local schools. This not only prepares them for future coaching roles but also equips them with leadership skills they can use at work and in the community.

Women’s Football History at the Waverley Blues

The Waverley Blues fielded an under 16 Youth Girls side for the first time in season 2016, where we had two players finish 1st (Riley Hall) and 3rd (Amelia van Oosterwijk) in the League Best & Fairest awards. 

In 2017 we launched our first ever Senior Women's team with players playing from ages 16 to 35+. Led by inaugural coach Chris Goldstraw the team made it to the Grand Final in their first ever season - an amazing effort for a team that have never played football before.  

In 2018 our Women’s team made the Finals again, whilst our u14s girls side also had a successful for season together, with Abbey Cerovac 3rd place in the League best & fairest awards.

In 2019 AFLW Draft we had three ex players drafted.  Gemma Lagioia (pick 8 Western Bulldogs), Amelia van Oosterwijk (pick 62 Western Bulldogs) and Emily Harley (pick 93 Richmond).

2021 our Abbey Cerovac won the u16 League Best & Fairest with Hannah Konstanty in 4th place.  A wonderful achievement in a shortened season.

2023: Senior Women's football returned under coach Clint Martin, with the team finishing 3rd in Division 2.  Abbey Cerovac was the club Best & Fairest.

2024: Our Under 14 girls were the first girls team to ever win a Premiership.  Cate Deayton capped off her Premiership Year being named equal Best & Fairest & Jessical Adams from our Under 16 girls was Equal 3rd Best in Fairest in the Eastern Football Netball League.  Abbey Russell was named Captain for Senior Women's Division 2 Team of the Year, Renee James, Stephanie Peacock & Emma White also named in the team. 

If you are interested in playing or helping out in anyway please contact: waverleyblues@efl.org.au

Training for our senior sides will begin in November and Juniors after Christmas, please keep an eye out for this information on this page and our Instagram Page or Facebook page for more info.

Games & Training are currently played at both Mt Waverley and  Pinewood Reserves.