The women’s Black Diamond AFL will be celebrated this weekend with an all-day extravaganza at No.1 Sportsground and Nelson Bay coach Lauren Cooper is excited to be part of it.
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“I think it’s great all of the women’s teams are all together and also the fact they can fill a full day of women’s footy,” Ms Cooper said.
“The fact we are playing Newcastle City in the final game of the day is an honour as well.”
Cooper was a player-coach for the Marlins in the inaugural year of the women’s competition last year.
She steered Nelson Bay to the women’s grand final but they were beaten by Newcastle City.
Cooper joined Nelson Bay with several years of AFL experience, previously playing for Gosford in the Sydney competition and also playing in Canberra.
She is sidelined through injury this year but hopes to be back on the field in 2017 and pushing for a place in the national women’s competition for 2018.
“To have a national league is pretty amazing; it gives the younger girls and even older players something to aspire to,” she said.
Cooper has been named assistant coach of the inaugural women’s BDAFL representative side to play AFL Canberra on July 10.
The all women’s BDAFL day on Saturday begins with Cardiff taking on Maitland at 9am and culminates in the grand final rematch between Nelson Bay and Newcastle City. All games will be streamed live on Bar TV.
The day will also spread awareness of domestic violence with all players encouraged to wear White Ribbon shoelaces.
The BDAFL has joined forces with the Run Against Violence campaign, spearheaded by Novocastrian ultra runner Kirrily Dear.
Dear is now based on the Central Coast at Bucketty and runs her own marketing and management company in Sydney.
In 2014, Dear ran 860 kilometres from Walgett to Forbes to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Along the way she found running was “a nice comfortable way for people to lead into an uncomfortable conversation”.
A documentary, Iceberg, was made from her experience and picked up by ABC.
The Run Against Violence program is doing a roadshow of BDAFL clubs and BDAFL Football Operations Coordinator Garry Burkinshaw said the partnership had been received well.
Run Against Violence will have a marquee at the ground on Saturday for anyone seeking further information.
Dear is now planning a 1300km run over 17 days from Broken Hill to Sydney, focusing on children who have experienced abuse.
