Siren 45: Queensland footy (part 2), WBBL finals, Shontelle Stowers & more
A Women in Sport Collective
Today is November 24, 2020 and this is our 45th issue of the Siren Sport newsletter.
Wowzers.
If you’re a bit like us, you might be thinking, how can this most challenging of years have gone so fast? It feels a little like a frantic race to the end, to get through 2020 and hopefully have some reprieve over the festive season and summer in the hope that 2021 will be better. We all want the pain of this year to be over. But we also need to celebrate all the good stuff that has happened this year, particularly the women in sport wins and some of the things we’ve been able to achieve at Siren.
We never imagined launching a women in sport platform during a pandemic. But it hasn’t slowed us down! We’ve been able to still bring coverage of women’s sports, tell the stories we want to tell and start to work on new initiatives to support women in sport. It’s been a tough year, but we have a lot to celebrate and a lot to be excited about looking into next year and beyond.
The Siren team will be taking a well earned break over December to recover and recharge for 2021. We have one more week of our regular Tuesday newsletter and we’ll be bringing you some special editions in the lead up to Christmas. We’ll still be on the socials for you to connect with us but we’ll be in holiday mode!
Until then, we’re excited to bring you some more excellent content from our team and contributors.
In this issue
Gemma Bastiani and Kirby Fenwick are back with part two of the story of women’s football in Queensland—it’s another longread that you won’t want to miss. Mary Konstantopoulos has you covered for the WBBL finals and Brielle Quigley caught up with New Zealand Warriors centre Shontelle Stowers.
No More Backward Steps: the development of women’s footy in Queensland—part two
By Kirby Fenwick & Gemma Bastiani
Jade Pregelj was a star player in her teenage years. Image: Megan Brewer
Continuing our series on the growth of women’s footy in Queensland, here is part two speaking to the impact of Dee McConnell, Marlo Brack on the beginnings of a women’s state league, and the years leading up to AFLW.
WBBL06 Finals Preview
By Mary Konstantopoulos
We’ve arrived at the WBBL06 finals after a season like no other and expert Mary Konstantopoulos is here to deliver her preview.
A new look at coaching: Shontelle Stowers' answer to the pandemic
By Brielle Quigley
Shontelle Stowers breaks a tackle in her time at the Sydney Roosters. Image: NRL
While the pandemic was a road block for many athletes around the country, Shontelle Stowers tells Brielle Quigley about her answer to long distance coaching.
The internship is part of World Rugby’s mission to see women make up 40% of all coaches at the 2025 World Cup and is a huge step in the right direction to see more representation in coaching. We can’t wait to see what Alana does not only in this role but also in the years to come!
In case you haven’t already had your daily dose of ‘Fifteen Year Olds Absolutely Killing It’, allow us to introduce you to ice hockey superstar Olivia Last who is representing Australia phenomenally in Finland’s top women’s division. Sudden feelings of inadequacy aside (kidding… kinda), this young gun will be one to watch.
Mary Konstatopolous spoke to UC Canberra Capital’s Hannah Kaser about the all-too familiar reality of female athletes juggling full time work outside of rigorous sporting seasons. While the challenges of part-time athlete life are well documented, it is always so humbling to read about the sacrifices players make to improve the game for future gens. A must-read for this week.
Amanda Shalala from the ABC explores the reality of women playing wheelchair sports in a brilliant piece that features the stories of several women across different codes.
Okay but this video posted by the WBBL had us collectively crying from CUTE. Baby grace is the daughter of Melbourne Renegades’ Lea Tahuhu and Amy Satterthwaite, and there is absolutely no doubt in our minds that she is the queen of the hub!
Samantha Lewis expertly breaks down a recent report published by Football Federation Australia and it looks like gloomy news for the future of the Matildas if serious gaps are not addressed.
Jenny Sinclair spoke to netball legend Rosalie Jencke in an exclusive interview about the highs and lows of her illustrious career as a player and coach.
Things are heating up in the WBBL, with absolute powerhouse players making themselves known every round. Young gun Shyla Heal in particular has caught the eye of basketball fans everywhere, and the Opals rumours have followed suit. Either way, she is not one to sleep on over the coming years!
Brisbane Heat’s Charli Knott joins several young hub-based athletes in graduating from year twelve during very unusual circumstances! This article from Jessica Stewart at the ABC details the sacrifice and dedication Charli has put into completing her studies, all while training and playing with the best of the best. Congratulations to Charli and all other year twelve grads playing elite level sport, we are truly in awe!
More tone deaf sporting conversations have done the rounds this week thanks to a *certain* major newspaper, but luckily the WNBL had the perfect response. Call out culture has been making waves in the best way this year, and we love that women’s sporting leagues are refusing to let the bar drop any lower.
Basketball is a truly global sport & the Opals are ranked #2, as are our u19 women's team. The WNBL is in the top 3 leagues in the world & #WNBL20 features some of the best players on the planet. Let us know @theheraldsun if you need more reasons to watch the GF rematch tonight.Or perhaps we can shine the spotlight on the @WBBL and the @WNBL? https://t.co/ijKeaUSu37LadiesWhoLegspin @LadiesWhoLeague
Runner up
Congrats to all the cricketing rising stars who have also been completing their year 12 studies in the WBBL village! They have sacrificed so much to ensure we have some top cricket to watch this year and we love that they got this kind of love. Well done all!
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