Why did Australia’s most popular and powerful sporting code take so long to see value in women and girls playing footy?

In this second episode of ROAR Sam Lane revisits the revolution that reshaped the AFL from the inside out. Hear trailblazers Debbie Lee, Michelle Cowan, Jan Cooper and Chyloe Kurdas recount confronting episodes of sexism, homophobia and exclusion that they experienced, and about the quiet but compelling power of the AFL’s first woman Commissioner - Sam Mostyn - who chipped away with great effect at changing rusted-on culture from within.

Please download and follow ROAR. You might even share it with someone you think might like, or learn from, it too.

This recording would not have been possible without the generous philanthropic backing of Ian Darling and the Shark Island Institute.Recorded and produced by Mushroom Studios. Published by Podshape.

ROAR was recorded in Melbourne, Victoria, where the traditional owners of the land are the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I acknowledge these traditional custodians and pay my respects to Wurundjeri Elders past and present.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fight for women’s footy began long before the monumental launch match of the AFL Women’s league.

In this opening episode, Sam Lane introduces the trailblazers who challenged Australia’s most powerful sporting institution to make it happen. From pioneers Debbie Lee, Sam Mostyn, Jan Cooper, and Chyloe Kurdas to the courageous whistleblower Jane Hollman, who exposed sexism inside AFL House.

You’ll also hear from some significant male allies, Colin Carter, Peter Gordon, David Matthews, and Campbell Rose, all figures who pushed towards the code and culture-changing revolution that became AFLW.

Make sure you download and follow ROAR. You might even share it with someone you think might like, or learn from, it too.

This recording would not have been possible without the generous philanthropic backing of Ian Darling and the Shark Island Institute. Recorded and Produced by Mushroom Studios.

ROAR was recorded in Melbourne, Victoria, where the traditional owners of the land are the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I acknowledge these traditional custodians and pay my respects to Wurundjeri Elders past and present.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The remarkable Australian story of a group of football pioneers, and visionaries, who changed the game for women and girls in sport - on and off field.

February 3, 2017 marked a red-letter day in Australia with women playing the first ever Australian Rules football match for Australian Football League premiership points.

The milestone was more than a century in the making.

A nation was captivated: millions of Australians tuned into the television broadcast of the first AFL Women's League match, a horde of spectators forced a stadium lock out, and the events made news headlines globally.

The inaugural AFLW season was a watershed moment for the country, culturally, with Australia's most dominant domestic football code including women like never before.

Walkley Award-winning journalist Sam Lane charts the birth of the AFLW from its origins - when women's football was viewed as a niche, side-show distraction to the electrifying first AFLW season that exceeded expectations and upended established norms. She speaks with the trailblazers who, through grit, collaboration and lateral thinking, pushed through roadblocks, scepticism and derision - overcoming sexism, homophobia and patriarchy - in this giant step towards gender equity and inclusion.

ROAR spotlights and features the impact of Sam Mostyn, Debbie Lee, Jan Cooper, Chyloe Kurdas, Michelle Cowan, Peter Gordon, Gillon McLachlan, Mike Fitzpatrick, Peggy O’Neal, Jen Watt, Peter Jackson, Colin Carter, Josh Vanderloo, Tayla Harris, Darcy Vescio, Katie Brennan, Daisy Pearce and more.

This six-part audio series is a story about a movement bigger than sport - charting the experiences of footballers, coaches, executives and administrators in an uphill battle to realising a dream.

This recording would not have been possible without the generous philanthropic backing of Ian Darling and the Shark Island Institute. Recorded and produced by Mushroom Studios. Published by Podshape.

ROAR was recorded in Melbourne, Victoria, where the traditional owners of the land are the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge these traditional custodians and pay respect to Wurundjeri Elders past and present.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.