History was made on July 23rd, as our state's new female football networking group, Our Game Network - Victoria was officially launched.
A sold out crowd packed into the Royal Brighton Yacht Club to connect, network and build relationships with other members of the football community.
Our Game Network - Victoria's aim is to unite our football family to share ideas, celebrate the game, learn, and continue to challenge gender biased attitudes which exist in sport. The group strongly aligns with Football Victoria's (FV) Strategic Plan 2019-2022 which set the ambitious strategic objective to reach 50:50 gender equity by 2027.
Hosted by Andrea Swain, Football Victoria's (FV) Women and Girls Manager, the night was headlined by a lineup of inspirational guest speakers who entertained, shared their experiences and discussed the ongoing need to grow women's and girl's football.
The event was launched to coincide with last week's #OneYearToGo Campaign, celebrating what is an exciting and pivotal time for female football as we begin the countdown to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New ZealandTM 2022.
Former Commonwealth Bank Matildas stars Melissa Barbieri and Tal Karp discussed their journeys and the influence networking and mentoring is having on the next generation.
We were also privileged to have Dr Brent McDonald (Victoria University), Radmila Dyson (Officer City SC), Andrea Blair-Dempsey (Phillip Island SC) and Joanna Charaktis (FIFA Assistant Referee) present, who all formed the 'Leading the Change' panel.
The group spoke in-depth about the Change Makers Program and the positive influence it was having within Victorian Clubs, changing attitudes and implementing gender equity across all areas of football.
For those in our community unaware of the Change Makers project, it is an innovative collaboration between FV, Victoria University and Clubs. The aim is simple - to empower Clubs to achieve 50/50 participation across all areas of football.
Karen Pearce, Executive Manager Equity, Growth and Inclusion also addressed the room, discussing Legacy 23, the importance of community engagement and the vast impact Club's can have when uniting to drive positive change.
Overall more than 110 guests attended, making the night a spectacular success. We look forward to hosting the next Our Game Network - Victoria event, if you would like more information email communications@footballvictoria.com.au or become a member via the link below.