QuickKick AFL Canberra Australian rules program encourages over-35 women into sport

It took her six-year-old son joining the local AFL competition for her to even consider playing. After watching him on the sidelines for a season her sister-in-law found the information for an AFL masters initiative called QuickKick, and the rest is history.

QuickKick is a free program for women over the age of 35 who want to learn how to play Australian rules.

Founded by the AFL and financially supported by a Sport Australia grant, the clinics are entry level and take place two evenings per week.

Rebecca is one of the 112 women who have already registered for the initiative, going with her sister-in-law whenever she gets the chance.

For Hurrell, it just made sense to play the sport when she was already practising with her son as he also learns the skills.

"Often we're going down to the oval because the kids want to kick a ball and practice," she said.

"As a woman in her early 40s, it was just nice to be able to do these things with my children."

Hurrell has thoroughly enjoyed the experience since deciding to join, especially the judgement-free atmosphere.

"It has just been great to get together with women of a similar age group and learn new skills. To not be intimidated by not knowing, being really comfortable in learning something new and not feeling like you have to know the rules is great," Hurrell said.

"It's all about learning and learning together. So that's been great and it's all about fun, doing something new."

ACT development officer for the Masters QuickKick initiative Andi McGee had big aspirations for the program, the clinics just the beginning.

"Our real target is to build a local competition here in the ACT that is made up of teams of over-35-year-old women that can play in a similar way to how the AFL masters men have set up a competition here in Canberra," McGee said

"We're also going to put together an ACT women's team to go to the national carnival at the end of the year in Adelaide."

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When asked if she would think about participating in these competitions, Hurrell was clearly excited by the prospect.

"Yeah, I definitely have an interest in that. It's just trying to prioritise time to be able to be involved in it, that's the challenge. It's definitely something I want to be involved with," she said.

For women like Hurrell, clinics like QuickKick are the door into the world of playing AFL they need; a fun program with like-minded participants, all supporting each other to do something that they enjoy.

Round 12, first grade, Saturday: Tuggeranong Valley v Ainslie, Greenway Oval, 11.25am (men), 2pm (women). Queanbeyan v Belconnen, Aulich Park, 1.15pm (men), 3.45pm (women). Sunday: Gungahlin v Eastlake, Gungahlin Enclosed, 1.15pm (men). Friday 7pm (women).

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