To celebrate Pride Month, we spoke to women’s player Serena ‘Reenie’ Franke about her football journey as someone part of the LGBT+ community.

Pride month is celebrated in June across the globe. It can mean many different things to different people, and for Reenie it is about celebrating the LGBT+ community and paving a welcoming path forward for LGBT+ people.

“Pride month to me is a time to look back on LGBT+ history, celebrate LGBT+ achievements, and an opportunity to look to the future and consider how we can improve LGBT+ inclusion.”

After playing basketball for a long time, Reenie decided to take up footy and started with the VU Spurs about 7 years ago. It was a natural fit and no surprise she was part of the NFNL Women’s Division 2 Team of the Year, and a key part of the Premiership team in her first season.

Unfortunately Reenie suffered an injury and decided she would end her footy career to avoid another injury and missing work. She had no intention to ever play again, but that all changed when her friend convinced her to fill in for the St Mary’s women’s team. Now it’s four years later and she is still here!

“I was only meant be a one-week fill in, but I had such a great time, and before I knew it I was officially part of the first St Mary’s women’s team.”

“Despite the club being far from where I live, I just keep coming because of the great culture and even better people.”

Reenie’s passion for our club is particularly touching, as recent research highlighted that LGBT+ people find sports environments unwelcoming. However, there is still along way to go for full LGBT+ inclusion across our club and many others, but luckily women like Reenie are leading the way!

“To improve LGBT+ inclusion in sport we need to embrace pride.”

“This means making LGBT+ visible to show acceptance and love. This normalises the LGBT+ community and is knocking down the walls of a heteronormative society and showing everyone that sexuality is fluid, and it’s okay to just be you.”

“I think we are achieving this within women’s sport, but we could do more for our male counterparts, which is clear as there is no male AFL player that is openly gay.”

“As a society, we also need to look at how we can support male athletes who may identify as LGBT+.”

For more information on LGBT+ inclusion, visit Minus18.

To mark Reconciliation Week, we spoke with Senior Women’s player Judhil ‘Juddie’ Canendo about her football journey as a proud Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander woman.

Originally from Yarrabah in Cairns, QLD, Judhil is part of the Kuku Djungan, Kaurareg and Yidinji (Wallabarra) tribe.

In 2019 she made the big move to Melbourne, and after looking for a way to stay fit and stay social, she has been part of our St Mary’s family since 2021.

However, her footy career started much earlier at 12 years old with the Pyramid Powers after being inspired by her grandfather.

“My grandfather and his brothers played it back in the day, and now me and some of my siblings play too.”

“We all love playing, and it’s a great way to connect with others and keep fit.”

She had an incredibly successful footy career in Cairns, even being selected to join the AFL Cairns Women and Youth Academy in 2016, and got to be part of the AFL Cape York House program, a purpose-built centre where teenage Indigenous girls can live and receive education, training, and of course improve their skills on the field.

Troy Bickerton, Senior Women’s Coach, shared how Judhil’s footy career has only continued to reach new heights as she moved into senior footy at St Mary’s.

“Judhil arrived at her first ever training session at St Mary’s in her thongs as she forgot to bring her runners and that there sums up Juddies off field persona.”

“Get her on the field though and she absolutely shines with outstanding natural talent and an innate ability to just find the goals.”

“Juddie’s voice at training booms over everything else and she always puts in 100%.”

“She is a dream to coach; she takes everything on board, always wanting to better herself.

“Judhil is an absolute asset to the Womens team where she is adored by her team mates, coaches and supporters.”

Judhil has always had a passion for her culture and has carried this into her career now working at an Inidigenous child care centre.

Identifying as an Indigenous woman and a Torres Strait Islander woman, Reconciliation week is incredibly important to Judhil.

“Reconciliation week means a lot to me as a woman that carries the identity of two cultures – Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander.”

“I love seeing all the cultures come together and gathering as one; sharing information about their families, but also stories from times like the stolen generation.”

“It’s so important that everyone acknowledges this week so all Australians learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements.”

“We all need to contribute to achieve reconciliation in Australia.”