Albion Rovers have some ambitious plans for the future and female participation is at the forefront of the plans for the club.
A new committee has come on board at the Rovers, who are clear in their focus where they want to take the club.
Vice-president Enver Ibrahim said there had been a shift and they were keen to develop as a proper female program as a club.
“We’ve always had girls at the club and we have a history of a strong female presence,” he said.
“It has not been celebrated enough. With a new committee and new group running the club, we want to shape what we want the club to be.
“Junior development and having that pathway into senior female football is part of that.”
Ibrahim said the goal eventually is to have a 50-50 participation rate between males and females, as well as having that on the committee. He said they were getting closer to that on the committee.
They are keen to put a female sub committee together to ensure the program gets the support that it needs as well.
“It’s very challenging to try and change football after so many years of it being geared towards men,” Ibrahim said.
The club had four junior girls teams this season and were hoping to increase that by at least one next year.
The club didn’t have a women’s side this year, but they are hoping that it will change as well.
The Rovers did have a women’s side before Covid halted that momentum.
Ibrahim said if they weren’t able to get a women’s side next season, they would continue until they did.
“That’s our priority right now,” he said. “To build a senior women’s team for next year.
“It is difficult to start from scratch and start from the bottom.
“It’s the first step to have that pathway.”
Ibrahim , who is also a junior girls coach at the club, said many teenage girls leave the sport and they wanted to ensure that they can try and reduce that by having a senior women’s side.
He said ideally they were looking for some players with a bit of experience but have put things in place to ensure any female who wants to play, can get an opportunity.
The club has partnered with an academy to help introduce the game to new players as they try to get as many female players to the club as possible.
“I think it’s a difficult proposition to have inexperienced players in the senior side,” Ibrahim said.
“If they have played AFL or basketball and a level of athleticism we can teach them basic skills.
“For someone who has never touched a football, we can have them in the academy and with three or four months intensive training to take them to the next level.
“It gives the basic fundamentals and an opportunity to develop and then become part of the team at a later stage.”
The club is also focused on trying to get more female coaches involved as well..
Details: info@albionroversfc.com.au
