VAFA denies gender bias as women's football clubs express frustration

Victoria's largest amateur football league has come under fire from multiple clubs over its handling of women's competitions this season, with players and administrators claiming the women's competition is being treated as secondary.

The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) has strongly refuted allegations of gender bias, but several clubs have expressed disappointment and frustration with the league's management of the women's competition.

Disputes over finals eligibility

Fitzroy Football Club and St Mary's Salesian recently released public statements expressing disappointment over separate incidents that affected their finals campaigns.

Fitzroy was initially told it had made the finals, but the league later declared an earlier season game between St Kevin's and Kew "abandoned" due to an ineligible player, and recalculated the match ratio for the teams, putting Fitzroy outside the top four.

The club said it was "bitterly disappointed" not just with the decision, but with the league's communication with clubs.

"To say we are frustrated with the decision is an understatement," Fitzroy said in its statement. "We're incredibly proud of their season and all they have achieved. The same cannot be said for the VAFA's handling of this matter, and it goes to a concern that this premier women's competition is not being as well run as it should be."

Fitzroy president David Leydon said the club took great pride in playing in the premier women's division, "a very prestigious competition" that has taken them a long time to get into.

"And to have that ripped away from us courtesy of an arrangement that we were unaware of until after our last game, I was heartbroken," Leydon said.

Rule changes and communication breakdowns

St Mary's Salesian won an important preliminary final but were later disqualified after a player was ruled ineligible for finals.

The St Mary's player had only played two home-and-away games instead of the required three, following a rule change that year.

The VAFA changed the requirement to three games at the start of the season and updated its website, but St Mary's claim the platform used to run fixtures and team lists, PlayHQ, still stated the old eligibility requirement for division two women's finals as two in-season games.

The VAFA said it sent out a reminder ahead of the finals through its portal to all clubs, and that member clubs presented and voted on any rule changes each year.

Allegations of gender bias

Multiple women's players across various VAFA clubs said they were not aware of the finals eligibility rule changes this year.

"I think if it was like at least some of the men's teams got s*** locations and times, it would be slightly more understandable, because I know that obviously the council plays a big part in that [and] in getting access to grounds at certain times. But it just looks like flat-out discriminatory," a player from a premier women's side said.

A source who has worked in senior administrative roles across different VAFA clubs said the league was "very under-resourced" and lacked a clear strategy for the women's competition.

VAFA response

The VAFA strongly refuted any "any gender bias" in applying the competition rules.

"This is not a gender-based issue," it said. "The matter is about the VAFA Rules pertaining to the playing of an ineligible player. We have the example of stripping reigning Premiers Uni Blues of all their points and fining them $22k for playing ineligible players in their Premier Men's team in 2022, so there is clearly no gender bias when it comes to applying the Rules of the VAFA competition."

VAFA CEO Jason Reddick said he was in touch with Fitzroy on the Sunday of round 18, the final home-and-away round, both over the phone and in writing.

The VAFA looked into the matter and released its findings on the Friday, the day before the finals series commenced.