To mark Women’s History Month, we’re shining a spotlight on the people who have driven women’s sport in our community. Among these individuals is Bernie Girolami who has most certainly left his mark on women’s football at the grassroots level.
His journey into supporting women’s sports began with a personal connection — his three daughters’ involvement in various sports. Motivated by daughter Meg’s passion for footy and holding the role of Football Director at St Mary’s Junior Football Club, he saw an opportunity to establish a girls’ team. The expansive network of families associated with the club provided a huge pool of potential female participants. Some girls had initially joined junior boys’ teams but had to discontinue due to physical differences as they matured.
So, Bernie tackled the challenge of changing perceptions about football as a boys-only game, determined to provide equal opportunities for his daughters. His perseverance paid off, and he successfully established a girls’ football team.
Investing in girl’s sport proved to be a wise decision and the program gained momentum quickly.
“In our inaugural year, our goal was to establish one team, but to our surprise, we had three teams. As the girl’s football coordinator for eight years, I witnessed tremendous growth, with over 180 girls playing football at the club.”
In addition to being the coordinator, Bernie coached the under-12 girls at the Club and under-15 girl’s Division 1 representative side for YJFL Metro Junior championships.
This saw Bernie witness many milestones that have shaped the landscape of girl’s and women’s football within the community. Just some of the highlights for Bernie include:
- Watching Trinity Mills, Meg, Amy Clayton and Matilda Eames reaching 100 games.
- Securing premierships in the inaugural under-12 girls’ and youth girls’ categories in 2014 and 2018, respectively.
- Former players Rebecca Privitelli, Sarah Sansonetti and Jess Fitzgerald playing in the AFLW.
- Numerous players making Yarra Junior Football League Representative teams and the Northern Knights Representative programs.
- League Best & Fairest wins for Jess Fitzgerald, Trinity Mills, Jessica Simpson and Meg Girolami.
However, one of Bernie’s proudest achievements lies simply in establishing pathways to broaden girl’s and women’s sporting opportunities. This goes beyond just playing the sport, offering a chance for women and girls to share their knowledge, giving them a more influential voice in the sporting world. A prime example is Matilda Eames, a current senior player, breaking barriers as the first junior female coach at St Mary’s, along with Alex Seiver’s role as the Youth Girls Auskick Coordinator. This approach introduces women as mentors in football for girls, a position normally held by men, and provides girls with relatable figures who share similar experiences in the sporting arena.
The junior girl’s teams are still going strong today, securing two premierships in 2023 thanks to the foundation that Bernie laid. His commitment was rewarded with Life Membership for him and his wife of the Junior Club in 2013.
Further, he takes immense pride the success of the 2018 youth girls’ premiership team which served as the foundation for the inaugural Senior Women’s team. Having a senior team ensured his efforts in promoting girl’s football could extend further; girls now had a pathway to continue football at St Mary’s.
This was particularly significant for Bernie as his own daughter’s Meg and Georgia now play in the Senior Women’s team and were integral members of the 2023 Premiership winning team!
“Watching Meg and Georgia win a football premiership made my journey come full circle. It really showed the enduring impact of the girl’s program, not just in fostering inclusivity and equality, but also in laying a clear pathway for them to excel in football.”
But the real reward for Bernie is seeing his kids succeed together.
“Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my Jimmy, Georgia and Meg share the experience of playing football and being part of a football club. It’s a unique opportunity for them to create shared memories.”
Bernie envisions several improvements in the coming years to enhance girls and women’s football. His focus includes developing natural footballers, promoting open play with free and clean ball movement and comprehensive skill development. Additionally, he’s dedicated to advancing injury management and rehabilitation strategies, drawing on La Trobe University’s studies revealing women’s heightened injury risk on the field. La Trobe’s findings indicate that 25,000 women playing AFL are susceptible to ACL injuries yearly, attributed to limited training exposure compared to men.
To clubs aspiring to support women and girl’s involvement in sports, Bernie offers valuable advice; create welcoming environments for female players. Organise tailored training sessions and events specifically for women and actively recruit female players. Ensure equal access to resources, facilities, and coaching staff. Crucially, foster a culture of respect, support, belonging, and opportunity within to drive women’s active participation and success in footy.
Bernie’s commitment remains and he continues to stay actively involved in football. Today, he finds joy in watching his daughters and son play, contributing not only as a proud parent but also as coach to the Senior Men’s Reserve team.
Bernie has been a driving force behind girls and women’s footy in our community. From coaching to coordinating, his passion has sparked a real change and allowed women’s sport to grow.
SMFNC 