‘Hard to find somewhere to put your anger’: Why AFLW player marched

Nestled within the thousands of protesters at Monday’s March 4 Justice demonstration in Melbourne was a Western Bulldogs footballer.

Nell Morris-Dalton, 19, has played four AFLW games since being drafted at pick No. 6 in the 2019 draft. She is a powerful key forward and player of the future. But she shows strength not only on the field, but off it too.

Nell Morris-Dalton attended Monday’s March 4 Justice.Credit:Getty Images

Also a nursing student, Morris-Dalton was moved to attend the rally in part because of the gaps between men’s and women’s football.

“One of the main reasons that I went is obviously as a female, particularly within a big industry, the inequality is very evident. It’s something that your whole life as a girl you’re exposed to and the higher up you get, the more that you realise how unequal we are,” said Morris-Dalton.

“As a young woman, it’s hard to find somewhere to put your anger when it comes to all that, because it’s just frustrating.

“It was a great opportunity to be surrounded by other powerful women who obviously feel the same way and be able to listen to their stories. It gives you hope that women will work together to make change and it’s not something that is stood for anymore.”

The AFL wants AFLW to one day become a full-time professional competition like its men’s counterpart. Until that point is reached, Morris-Dalton will be pushing for change. And she is inspired by the likes of Bulldogs AFLW chief Debbie Lee, a pioneer of the women’s game.

“There are the smallest examples like access to the club, facilities and things like that, and then onto bigger scale things like the massive pay inequity, and that the competition as a whole isn’t very sustainable. Obviously, the older women working full-time and then coming to footy and then not getting the most out of footy because they’re so tired. But then it also stretches down to younger girls too, obviously trying to balance uni and trying to work out which path they take for their future,” she said.

“It has a long way to come in terms of making it a competition which people can just focus on that solely and obviously it’ll just better the whole competition’s skills and everything.

“Being at the rally, it really rouses you up. All of history shows that women can’t really sit back and wait for change to happen to them, they have to push for it if they want to see it happen.”

Morris-Dalton has also been affronted by the manner in which Prime Minister Scott Morrison has handled the Brittany Higgins rape allegations, describing his approaching as “disheartening”.

“He does nothing for me as a woman,” she said.

St Kilda’s Tilly Lucas-Rodd didn’t attend the march as she was working as a teacher’s aide, her day job which complements her part-time football wage.

Tilly Lucas-Rodd (left) with her partner Brianna DaveyCredit:Jason South

Some of her colleagues at school took leave without pay to attend.

But the movement, which calls for action on gender discrimination and violence against women, resonated strongly with the 24-year-old.

“As females we’ve all had those experiences where we might not feel safe at night or walking home alone, I’ve definitely had experiences where I called my parents when I was younger or my partner now because I don’t feel safe,” Lucas-Rodd said.

“Growing up we all have experiences where maybe there was a little bit of sexual harassment.”

Lucas-Ross played previously for Carlton, who she praised for their Carlton Respects initiative that aims to raise awareness about the prevention of violence against women.

She said players had discussed on-field demonstrations to mark the issue, similar to the kneeling for Black Lives Matter last year.

While she said she thought attitudes among men were changing, Lucas-Ross is adamant there is much ground still to be made.

“I think it is important to also put the challenge back onto men and what they can do,” Lucas-Rodd said.

“It’s time for men to challenge their behaviours rather than women having to challenge.”

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