With only three rounds remaining in the regular season of the AFLW, this weekend’s Pride round is pivotal as teams make their last dash for the finals and look to cement their place in the top eight.
That this round, which is important to so many fans and players of the women’s game, comes at such a meaningful time adds to its gravity and underlines the seriousness with which the issue of LGBTQ+ inclusion is taken within the sport. While rainbow flags, guernseys and socks will add colour and joy across all the grounds during round eight, the white-line fever will step up a notch – particularly for those teams currently sitting outside the top eight. It highlights the fact that for so many people in the AFLW community, LGBTQ+ inclusion is not simply a joyful gesture but deeply ingrained in the sport itself, inseparable from the on-field battles.
