Melbourne soccer club says girls' match moved to make way for boys
The Boroondara Eagles are demanding action, saying one of their junior girls' team's matches was stopped at half-time so a boys' team could take the field.
The Boroondara Eagles Football Club in Melbourne has sparked controversy after claiming one of its under-12 girls' matches was stopped at half-time to make room for an under-11 boys' team to use the field. The club posted on social media that the match at Caloola Reserve in Oakleigh was halted for 40 minutes before being abandoned on an unsafe, waterlogged alternative pitch.
Many players and parents were upset, questioning why the girls' match was not given the same priority as the boys' fixture. One of the club's female coaches left in tears. The club has declined to play a rescheduled fixture against Monash City Villarreal FC and is demanding an investigation by Football Victoria to determine if the incident constituted gender discrimination.
Football Victoria acknowledged the concerns but stated it cannot comment further due to an ongoing formal Member Protection process. The club has also reported the matter to Football Australia's core integrity team and the City of Monash. The Boroondara Eagles emphasize that no player should ever feel their match is less important because they are girls.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
