CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE HISTORIC CLASH ONLINE
LIVE FROM 3:25PM, SATURDAY 14 JANUARY
It’s been a long time coming and Fremantle head coach Michelle Cowan says she won’t be downplaying the importance of Saturday’s pre-season clash with the Adelaide Crows at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
Even if she stresses that the result isn’t important.
“Women have been playing footy for 101 years now and on Saturday our girls get the opportunity to put on a Fremantle Football Club jumper,” Cowan said.
“Saturday is historic as it’s the first game officially wearing an AFL jumper in a pre-season competition, so it’s a pretty big day. It will be a profound day for the girls and an incredible day for the football club as well.”
With round one against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday 4 February squarely in her sights, Cowan sees this weekend’s clash as an important chance to test her troops ahead of the inaugural AFLW season.
“Adelaide’s a great team, and I know and have coached a number of girls in the opposition,” Cowan said.
“But I’m pretty sure they’ll be similar to us, and just wanting to do their best to get in shape come round one.
“The game is just about taking the opportunity to have a look at where we are at with our education, the training and the coaching of the girls.
“I’ll be looking at trying out a number of girls in a variety of different roles.”
The game will be played with most of the same rules as a regular season AFLW game. It will be just the second ever played under the new 16-a-side format for women’s footy.
The only difference on Saturday is Fremantle and Adelaide will be allowed an unlimited number of players on the bench, while the limit is six in the regular season.
At least for Cowan, the format will be familiar after coaching Melbourne during last year’s exhibition game against the Western Bulldogs on 3 September.
“It opens up the field a fair bit, with a lot more free-flowing play and less stoppages,” said Cowan about the new format.
“Apart from a handful who played in that game, Saturday will be a first for most of the side.”
For Freo’s Gemma Houghton, the whole day will be a first.
A standout performer at a Fremantle talent identification day, Houghton will be making her Aussie rules debut after coming into the game from basketball.
“It’ll be her first game ever,” Cowan said.
“So it’ll be exciting to see how she goes."
While a number of Freo fans will miss seeing the historic day in person, the game will be streamed live online via the AFLNT’s youtube channel, with the broadcast commencing from 3:25pm WST with bounce down at 3:30pm.
