Nasi goreng and a Bintang please. Settle into the sun bed, relax.
Flounce the cushions, roll the shoulders back and soak up the ambiance as you observe women’s sport meander along at a pedestrian pace. No media coverage, no fans. Might doze off….poke, poke.
HEY, WAKE UP!! You’re missing the renaissance of the female athlete.
Through the generations there have been many remarkable female high achievers in the world of sport; the likes of Margaret Court and Serena Williams (tennis), Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez (golf), Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson (basketball), Simone Biles and Nadia Comaneci (gymnastics), Katie Ledecky and Dwan Fraser (swimming), Anne Sargeant and Liz Ellis (netball). Legends all.
There have been thousands more…Anna Meares (cycling), Belinda Clark (cricket), Shirley de la Hunty, Marjorie Jackson…
Right now there is an amazing array of talent across the sporting landscape and around the globe.
In 1973 a publicity stunt dubbed ‘the battle of the sexes’ was held in Houston, Texas with former male professional tennis player Bobby Riggs (55) pitted against leading female player Billie Jean King (29).
That stage-managed event was won by King in three sets.
Early this year in Victoria local major-winning professional golfer Hannah Green won the TPS Murray River tournament, a field that boasted both male and female players. Nothing staged about that as the 2019 women’s LPGA Champion claimed the title by four shots.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Swede Linn Grant was a runaway nine-shot winner in the Scandinavian Mixed tournament at Halmstad Gold Club. She shot 24-under par over the 72 holes to beat compatriot Henrik Stenson and Scot Marc Warren on 15-under.
The only advantage for females in this format was having the tee boxes forward of the men.
Their iron play, generally, was exquisite. They might not hit the ball as far as their male counterparts, but they still give it an almighty whack and around the greens they were remarkable.
This comes at a time when Australia’s women’s cricket team – the Southern Stars – have also enjoyed an outstanding era. They do not have the power of the men, but technically the frontline batters are impeccable, the bowlers crafty.
And then there is Sam Kerr. Arguably the best female soccer player in the world. Perth’s own jewel who has shines so brightly for the Matildas and Chelsea.
In the last few years it has been Australian football, rather than the international game, that has begun to ride the wave; to attract some outstanding female athletes.
We are on the verge of Season Seven of AFLW and the league will expand to include teams from all AFL clubs. Interestingly, this is seen as a fledgling competition yet women have been playing the game for more than 100 years.
West Coast will enter it is the fourth season in the competition with version two of 2022 starting in August.
For the Eagles, whose application to be a foundation member of the AFLW competition was rejected, next Wednesday may be the most important day in its short history – other than the coming together of the list in 2020.
On Wednesday the Eagles will have a rare opportunity to access some of the most talented young players in the draft.
Unlike the men’s competition the AFLW player ballot is State based, so the Eagles have access to the best talent in WA, having the first three selections from this State and six of the first seven. It’s an exciting time.
After three testing seasons, all of them compromised to some extent, there has been as degree of attrition on the senior list. Now the club goes to the draft; just as it did to land Bella Lewis in 2020 and last year when the likes of Charlie Thomas, Courtney Rowley, Sarah Lakay, Emily Bennett and Beth Schilling were secured.
Those youngsters and the class of 2022 will join the likes of Emma Swanson, Dana Hooker, Aimee Schmidt, Aisling McCarthy and Belinda Smith in forging then way forward for the Eagles.
In time they will likely be lauded as club pioneers.
