East Fremantle president Mark Stewart to meet with WAFC chairman Wayne Martin as WAFLW reserves fight lingers

East Fremantle Football Club president Mark Stewart has requested an urgent meeting with WAFC chairman Wayne Martin to seek clarity on how the Commission reached a decision to discontinue the WAFLW reserves league. Stewart said he had been left “aghast and surprised” by the decision to strip the state league competition back to a league and Rogers Cup competition next year. The proposal is yet to be ratified by the WAFC board, giving clubs hope they have time to campaign and convince commissioners not to endorse the recommendation. East Fremantle is one of several clubs working to table a joint submission outlining their concerns. MORE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: Stewart is set to meet with Martin later this week with the aim of discussing “how we reached this point” and ascertaining how the decision was reached. The Sharks president is also hoping to encourage a collaborative approach moving forward, forging a path for clubs to work with the Commission and reach solutions on other pressing issues. East Fremantle boasts a rich female football history which is set to continue with the launch of a female academy in Geraldton that will strengthen the pathway for talented mid-west female players. Stewart believes a reserves league is crucial to developing emerging talent. “We want our women and men to have the same opportunity to play football,” he said. “Putting my East Fremantle hat on, some of those girls will be too old for Rogers Cup and some won’t be ready-made league players so a reserves league is important.” The Sharks also believe the grade is also important not just to the development of players, but emerging coaches. Two WAFLW clubs support the change while AFLW sources also indicated the move could strengthen the competition. It is thought reduced list sizes could encourage more competition and higher standards at training, better preparing the next wave of draftees for a professional AFLW environment. Research conducted across the league found the reserves competition had become a pathway out of football for veteran players and some players had no feasible chance of playing league football, undermining its purpose as a development league.