28 April 2023
The ADF Women’s All Stars AFL put together a complete four-quarter performance to defeat the NSW Police Blue Heelers at the curtain raiser for the AFL’s Anzac round match at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
The All Stars team kicked 19.12 (126) to 1.0 (6) to take the Anzac honours from a spirited Blue Heelers.
All Stars coach Lieutenant Commander Elisabeth Quinn said the team demonstrated the Anzac spirit through their camaraderie, effort and will to win.
“While the victory was an entertaining exhibition of football, the synergy, mateship and esprit de corps were the most pleasing aspects of the event,” Lieutenant Commander Quinn said.
Despite fielding a young team that featured 17 new players in the squad, the All Stars put everything together on game day.
Corporal Montana Dove and Flying Officer Atlanta Boland provided the run from half back. This was capitalised on by the midfield, including Private Jamie Tabb and Signaller Celine Moody, who were able to win in the contest and get first use of the ball, while Leading Seaman Stephanie Went conducted a scoring masterclass.
In the lead-up to the match, Brigadier Rebecca Talbot, deputy AFL patron for the ADF, said the team’s goal was to draw on the Anzac spirit to develop the ADF’s soldiers, sailors and aviators.
“The match was the culmination of months of both on and off-field discipline, team work and a desire to compete at the highest levels,” Brigadier Talbot said.
Both teams visited the Australian War Memorial (AWM), which included a personal invitation from AWM Director Matt Anderson to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
“The teams fully embraced the opportunity to come together for a range of leadership, character development and teamwork activities in which everyone could draw upon the Anzac spirit,” Brigadier Talbot said.
Lieutenant Commander Quinn said generating a supportive environment was key to driving performance.
“The coaching philosophy was to create a program that makes women feel included and accepted, regardless of their football talent,” Lieutenant Commander Quinn said.
“The positive environment we create in the program aims at excelling our players, on the football field, in their roles within Defence and throughout their private lives.”
The clash between the ADF Women’s All Stars and the NSW Police Blue Heelers was the second since its inaugural launch in 2022.
