AFL National Women's League

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (15:32): The inaugural AFL women's competition ended with the Adelaide Crows beating the Brisbane Lions by only one goal in what was a fast-paced and very impressive game. Though not represented on the scorecard, the Crows actually dominated the game throughout. Co-captain Erin Phillips gathered 28 possessions and kicked two goals and was rewarded for her outstanding efforts with the best on ground award.

The Crows were originally expected to finish on the bottom of the ladder but proved the commentators wrong when they made history by winning the premiership. The Crows only went down in two minor round games and seem to have bonded well as a team, despite half the team being based in Adelaide and the other half in Darwin. The grand final, played at the Metricon Stadium, exceeded crowd predictions by hosting 16,000 football fans.

The inaugural season has proved to be a great success throughout, with crowds and home viewership surpassing expectations indeed. The first game of the season, played between Carlton and Collingwood at Princes Park, had a turnout of 24,500, with fans having to be turned away from a packed oval. The first week, Adelaide football lovers packed the grandstands of Thebarton Oval to see the opening game for the Crows. While there have been many naysayers along the way, the AFLW season has been a success by any measurement.

Sceptics predicted a lack of public support, a lack of player quality and a lack of appeal for the modified game. The disbelievers have ignored the long and rich history of women's Australian Rules football, which started over 100 years ago. The largest turnout for a women's football match was in fact at Adelaide Oval in 1929 when 21,000 people turned out to watch the match to raise money for charity.

The sceptics are also oblivious to the transformation in Australian sport that has seen a real move towards the building of women's sport. In horseracing, cricket, soccer and netball, women's sport is increasingly attracting more public support as well as financial backing through sponsorship and broadcasting deals.

The introduction of the super league netball competition has seen the minimum salary for female netballers more than double, with Channel 9, I am pleased to say, taking the broadcasting rights. Last month, the pay of Australia's best female international and domestic cricketers increased 125 per cent, as a five-year deal between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricket Association was reached. At this year's inaugural Women in Sport mentoring event in Sydney, Australian Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell agreed that the path to success for female sports people has never been more possible. Campbell stated, 'Their dreams are becoming corporately viable and financially viable.' Of course, we certainly cannot pretend that we have reached equality in sport.

While in sports that have established women's competitions, women are starting to be recognised as legitimate employees, for the first season the AFLW players are only earning between $8,500 and $27,500, both of which are dramatically lower than their male counterparts and clearly it is unliveable as a sole wage. Most players now hold multiple jobs to make a living wage. We all need to watch this space to make sure that, as the expectations of players' time increases, so does their pay. Overall, however, players have viewed the first season of the AFLW as a great success, as they have had the opportunity to play a sport they love at the highest level, and they can be role models for future players.

Erin Phillips recounted the first game she played at Thebarton Oval when she ran onto the field with her three nieces. She said that she could see the excitement in their eyes and the excitement of young kids in the crowd, who she hoped that she could inspire to one day play the game at any level as well. Premierships Crows player, Talia Radan, recounted on the day of the first game that the six-year-old version of herself would have been excited to know that she would be able to play AFL at this new level, and she also hopes to inspire young girls and boys to do the same.

I congratulate the players and coaching staff on their fantastic success this season. You have been inspirational in your efforts and attitude towards the sport and its implication for future generations of sportspeople. I also congratulate those women who have influenced the creation of this league. The impact that this successful first season has had cannot be measured, and I look forward to the league's future achievements. I was very pleased to see that the concerns that Graham Cornes had for the breasts of female football players were unfounded.