Siren 67: a different kind of visibility, softball history, trade wrap & more
A Women in Sport Collective
Yesterday, a number of women were recognised in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for their service to sport and active recreation and we wish a hearty congratulations to all of them.
We know that women serve sport in ways that often go unrecognised, without celebration and sometimes without gratitude. They work to make sport better, and we recognise that ongoing work. We see it, celebrate it and are eternally grateful for it.
See the women who have been recognised for their dedication to sport this year.
Awards like these are also a time to reflect.
Governor-General David Hurley, who oversees the awards process, announced that this year in the order’s general division, 44 percent of honourees are women, “the highest ever percentage of women” (source: The Age). We are slowly seeing more women recognised. But there is still room for growth. We need more women across all the categories, and we also need more celebration and recognition of the work done by people in diverse communities and from different lived experiences. We can all play a role here. For a start, look at how you might be able to nominate a woman for next year. It’s easier than you think!
Another point of reflection is how awards like this can cause great conflict for honourees and future nominees. Earlier this year Dr Indigo Thúy Willing, someone whose work we love and greatly respect, decided to hand back her OAM.
Dr Willing is not alone in making this step. Others have also reflected on what this, and other awards, mean as we decide what we stand for. We support this stance and the dialogue it drives. We need these discussions, we need to look at our history and what we value.
We also need to celebrate the people who are deserving of being celebrated. We can do both. For those women who have been recognised for their work in sport this year, congratulations, we are thrilled for you and thank you for all you do to make sport more equitable, inclusive, safe and successful.
But let’s keep the discussions going to drive the change we need to keep celebrating the women who deserve to be celebrated.
In this issue
Today we are incredibly excited to share the first piece from our new round of Emerging Sports Writer Program participants, in conjunction with Football Victoria. Lauren McIntosh shares the unusual way she was exposed to women’s sport—particularly women’s football—which now sees her playing the game. Kirby Fenwick brings back her five moments in sporting history series, this time looking into softball’s history in Australia. Gemma Bastiani recaps the AFLW trade period, with thanks to sponsor WARF Radio. And Official Siren Collaborator Mary Konstantopolous shares an interview with Australian Opal Katie-Rae Ebzery.
If you’re opening this newsletter as it drops, you still have time to register to hear Kasey Symons present a lecture on women in sport media coverage during covid-19 at an online event for the Hawthorn Library at 1pm AEST. The talk highlights the work we did in collaboration with Swinburne University in 2020 on the coverage of women in sport.
Gemma had the privilege of speaking with The Significant Others—Hester Mary Brown and Mardi Dangerfield—about the AFLW trade period. You can check it out on Instagram!
Bending the narrative: how film & TV makes women’s sport visible
By Lauren McIntosh
Emerging Sports Writer Program participant Lauren McIntosh shares the unusual, yet valid avenue through which she was exposed to, and grew to love, women’s sport.
Five moments in the history of softball you may not know about
By Kirby Fenwick
This past Sunday—June 13th—was World Softball Day, and what better way to celebrate the sport than by exploring its rich and fascinating history!
AFLW 2021 Trade Wrap
By Gemma Bastiani
Presented by WARF Radio, it’s time for a comprehensive recap of the 2021 AFLW trade period, which saw a number of high profile players traded.
Siren Collaborator
Katie-Rae Ebzery talks about the Tokyo Olympics, her role in the Opals leadership squad and visibility for women’s basketball with Siren Collaborator Mary Konstantopoulos.
A huge achievement indeed! Congratulations to Julie Fitzgerald!
In other netball news, there’s a new CEO in town! Kelly Ryan will take charge of Netball Australia in July. Ryan spoke with Jenny Sinclair from Netball Scoop about her priorities and netball’s opportunity to think outside the square. Ryan also chatted with This Netty Life and answered some fan questions.
First among the new CEO’s challenges will likely be how to make netball a more welcoming place for Indigenous Australians and the lingering conversation around West Coast Fever and those salary cap breaches.
Could men's netball be the answer to growing the sport's reach and commercial appeal?
It’s the news we’ve been excitedly waiting for and it’s here. The NRLW will be expanding!
The expansion is extra special for Parramatta Eels fan and Siren collaborator Mary Konstantopoulos
What a squad!
Australia's Hockeyroos name Rachael Lynch in Tokyo Olympics squad
Evonne Goolagong Cawley ‘lucky’ not to have become member of the stolen generations
W-League deserves better in new soccer TV broadcast deal
The Matildas are playing another friendly this week. Here are all the details and where you can watch.
Setting a new world record? Kaylee McKeown is doing it at 19 years of age.
Runner Up
Footy icons supporting footy icons. How good was it to see Daisy Pearce head down the slide for the Big Freeze?