FOOTBALL is a rough and tumble game and up until 2017 it was always boys and men who played the Australian Rules game – with perhaps the exception of backyard footy or street footy in the days when it was safer for kids to play in the streets.

Today, we (AFLW) recognise the countless women who have paved the way for progress in this sport.

Their hard work and dedication have made it possible for women and girls to pursue their dreams and aspirations at all levels.

Football has made incredible progress in developing the game for women and girls and the AFLW continue to take significant steps forward .

There are now more than 70,000 women and girls participating in community footy.

That's up 65 percent since 2017 when ALFW was introduced.

There are nearly 29,000 girls playing Auskick.

That makes up 23 percent of total participants.

There are 24 former AFLW players that are now in AFL or AFLW coaching roles.

There are more than 2500 female community coaches, which is up 36 percent from 2019.

More than 2000 women are involved in community football umpiring.

The number of women on the umpiring panel for AFLW Season Seven also increased by 53 per cent.

Since the AFLW started in 2017, the number of female–friendly change rooms in community footy has doubled.

So how many females – both younger girls and older ladies – are playing football within our North East Region?

There are currently seven women's football teams playing NEB FL including the Wangaratta Rovers and Yarrawonga Pigeons, Alpine Lions, Murray Felines, Thurgoona Bulldogs, Wodonga Raiders and the Lavington Panthers all of which have more than 20 players registered.

This is just an estimate which sees more than 150 women active in playing football within our immediate region.

In Junior football in Mansfield there are several younger girls who play in the U/12 and U14 teams and are often mentioned as standout players.

But across the region in all towns that encourage kids to play in the Auskick competition and junior football leagues there are hundreds more.

No longer is football just for the men.