Darebin Falcons Women's Sports Club

Our Vice-President and Head of Soccer Jasmine Hirst has been announced as a Victorian nominee for the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards - Local Hero. Yes - THE Australian of the Year Awards. Jasmine is a trailblazer, who established our junior girls' soccer program in 2011 with one team. We now boast over 30 teams from juniors to seniors, one of Australia's biggest programs for girls and women. She also spearheaded our young referees program to increase opportunities and recognition of female referees in Victoria. More info: https://lnkd.in/ggD4_6d7

Last week, Global Victoria partnered with the Colombian Embassy in Canberra, the Embassy of Australia to Colombia, and the AFL - Australian Football League (AFL) to host a successful cultural and sports diplomacy initiative. This event aimed to strengthen ties between Australia and Colombia and promote women's empowerment in sports. As part of our Global Victoria Women (#GVw) initiative, we brought together a group of talented Colombian girls and amateur athletes from Puerto Tejada who took part in a program that included training sessions with the AFL, cultural tours, and inspiring talks from industry leaders.   Our thanks to Sarah Styles, Director at the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, and Julie Boffa, Head of Australian Rules Football at Darebin Falcons Women's Sports Club who spoke about the #ChangeOurGame program. Thank you also to former AFL player, Joshua Kennedy for your inspiration, and Heidy Montes Garces for the words of wisdom, sharing your experience as a Colombian student studying at the University of Melbourne.   Facilitated by Global Victoria's Ema Lawrence with additional welcome remarks and support from Tim Kane, Director, DFAT Victoria State Office, and John Cardona, Director at the Australia Colombia Business Council, this initiative aims to foster stronger ties between Victoria and Colombia through cultural exchange and collaboration. #CulturalExchange #SportsDiplomacy #Collaboration

We were proud to host this conversation at our home ground, featuring former Falcons, about the incredibly positive impact of the LGBTQIA+ community on the AFLW league. With the help of Sequana, the Darebin Falcons can continue to be a club that proudly, fiercely supports girls, women and gender diverse people to play.

3 in 4 trans and gender diverse people have been treated unfairly because of their gender identity. Each silent gesture, every unspoken word, carries weight. So, think about what you’re really saying. Learn more at vic.gov.au/theunsaid. Thank you to Victorian Department of Families, Fairness & Housing for delivering this state-wide campaign to bring public attention to the discrimination that trans and gender diverse communities face.

As EOFY approaches, there's no better time to show your support for the Falcs. Through our fundraising partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation all donations above $2 to our Development Fund are tax deductible ✅ Your support will help continue to expand our Inclusion and Diversity programs for people often excluded from opportunities to play sport or participate in physical activities. Programs to date have included women and children in refuges for those fleeing family violence, as well as schools for children with disabilities. https://lnkd.in/gWzTDNbf

We're here to keep fostering women and girls so imposter syndrome is a long-forgotten feeling for female coaches. Great to see three Falcs featured, sharing their experiences and leading the way in male-dominated industry. https://lnkd.in/gy5iQQwe

📅 Join us for our annual Pride dinner, presented in partnership with Good Samaritan Inn - Melbourne on Wednesday 22 May. Our panel discussion, hosted by Jac Tomlins will explore welcoming trans and non-binary people to traditional women's spaces, and how this translates in both family violence refuges and sports clubs. You'll learn more about how we recognise the lived experience of our participants enshrined through our Gender Inclusion Policy and Good Samaritan Inn's Rainbow Tick accreditation. Get your tickets: https://lnkd.in/eN6xUXe2

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility and the Darebin Falcs are proud to be home to trans community members at many levels within the Club. We would like to take the opportunity to express our allyship with our trans members in our Falcs family. We are stronger when we listen and learn about people’s experiences. It takes courage navigating the serious barriers to their full participation in parts of society that many take for granted. Read our Gender Inclusion Policy: https://lnkd.in/g46pxu_4

🚨 WE ARE HIRING - Football Analyst 🚨 At the Darebin Women's Sports Club we are currently seeking a Football Analyst (Volantary Position) for our VFLW Program in Season 2024. This is a great oppoopportunity for someone who is looking to get into Coaching or the Sports Industry, by assisting our coaching staff on Match Days. We've gathered an exciting list with a mix of both experience & potential, led by our VFLW Head Coach Lache Walker. Are you the last piece in our puzzle? For more information or to express your interest in the role please contact our VFLW Football Operations Manager Kyle Povah at vflwoperations@falcons.org.au

According to the Office for Women in Sport and Rec, in 2022-23, just 15% of sports news coverage in Victoria was focused on women’s sport. We want to see a future free from gender norms and stereotypes for our girls of tomorrow. “We will continue to take every opportunity to influence positive change in the coverage of women in sports news, within our community,” affirms our President Jane Ryan. 🔗https://lnkd.in/g4MC9wu4