When calling the local radio station enquiring about possible football clubs to play for, the response given was; There’s no women’s football; you can either play soccer or go jogging.”
Sometimes an off-handed comment can transform a simple enquiry or indecision into fire-brimmed motivation.
And it’s possible that commentator may never know their casual comment was key to kick starting something spectacular.
SA sporting and media personality, Ken Cunningham, is that person, playing out like this…
Coming from a Murray Mallee farm, Gina Dutschke fancied playing football to maintain fitness.
With no internet and no clubs listed in the Yellow Pages, she rang the high-rating KG’s radio show on 5DN, seeking information about possible clubs.
The casual dismissal of her enquiry was delivered something like this: “There’s no women’s football; you can either play soccer or go jogging.” End of story.
Furious that a legitimate question could be treated with such dismissiveness, Gina Dutschke set about starting up women’s football from the ground up.
Meanwhile, Gina’s father had been listening to the show on the tractor and was mortified that his daughter had asked such a question on public radio.
If there was embarrassment, there was no need, because lots of other women heard that call, including the then Women’s Advisor to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Jenny Williams, a member of the legendary Williams football family.
“Jenny became our mentor,” recalls Gina, “helping create our constitution, booking the room for our inaugural AGM, and guiding us towards various media outlets.”
A mountain of media interest followed during which, in the absence of other options, she simply gave out her personal contact number.
More than 200 women called and ultimately the first season opened.
In 1991, following a successful 1990 SA-Victoria exhibition match featuring athletes from multiple sports, the SA Women’s Football League was finally established, some 150 years after the ‘frivolous’, charity fundraisers taking place.
The six teams of 1991 were: Southern CD Cougars, Edwardstown Eagles, Para Hills Panthers, Brighton Bombers, Hectorville Hawks, and the Thunderbirds.
Some men’s clubs accommodated the women, but it was reluctant support. Old uniforms were ‘gifted’ and access to the oval was given after everyone else had finished.
Costs to operate in the women’s league were beyond the women’s capacity to pay, so an appeal was made to the SANFL, which largely fell on deaf ears.
While Woodville West Torrens, West Adelaide, North Adelaide, Port and Sturt all responded, women’s football still ‘muddled along’ for a long time.
Some 20 years later the woman, Cheryl Cates, whom Gine Dutschke credits for saving and expanding the game, stepped into the leadership of the league.
Drawing on the reach of her husband Peter Cates, who was connected to the PAFC, a stronghold for the women’s league was finally in place.
The forerunner for the AFLW had been established. In 2024, there were 128 girls’ teams in Adelaide alone. The Adelaide Football League featured 56 women’s teams plus an U18s competition.
The Division 1 Best and Fairest Award is the Dutschke Medal.
