Celebrating Nerang Soccer’s Women’s & Girl’s Football History
FEMALE FOOTBALL WEEK
JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS – FRIDAY NIGHT 10 MAY
at Nerang Soccer Club
Friday 10 May, 2024 / 7:32am
Since 1973 Nerang Soccer Club has championed women’s and girl’s football in South East Queensland, and this Female Football Week we look back on some of that history and ahead to the next crop of future stars in the game.
Shortly after the club’s inception in 1972, Nerang Soccer Club became one of the first clubs involved in diversifying the game into the women’s realm, with the first women’s teams proudly stepping out at the Nerang Velodrome alongside the men.
Over many years the women’s game has grown at Nerang and continues to grow, with 2024 seeing 25% of all players at Nerang as female, a number that continues to grow.
Throughout those years the club has shared in the success and achievements of a bevy of talented and dedicated women, on the field and off the field as well, all proud to be part of the Eagles family.
Legends of the game who have donned the red short for Nerang include former and current Matildas players Kerrie Rowe (528 games for Nerang), Belinda Dawney along with A-League and Matildas star Tameka Yallop. Joining them have been some of the club’s longest standing and most committed players reaching milestones rarely seen in the game. Players like Phillippa Mengel (461 games and current club secretary), Melissa Bodley (406 games) and Penny Evans (330 games) have led the way showing what it’s like to be part of the football family at Nerang and inspire younger female players to take the game.
No less than 5 former players have been awarded life member status at Nerang, whilst others have represented their region and their state of Queensland at the highest levels of the game.
SEE SOME OF NERANG’S REMARKABLE WOMEN’S PLAYERS LISTED BELOW PLUS SOME LEGENDARY PHOTOS
This Friday May 10th sees the club hosting a celebration of female football as part of the Female Football Week, with our premier FQPL3 Women’s team facing Musgrave here at Nerang, joined by two matches from our emerging stars of tomorrow, our U11 and U13 Girls teams.
The junior warm-up will be hosted at 6pm by ex-Matilda and Nerang legend Belida Dawney with the junior matches kicking off at 6:30pm. Other events on the night will be —
- Junior players walk out with the FQPL3 senior women’s teams at approx 8pm
- Canteen and BBQ food option on serving dinner available to all
- Mother’s Day raffles
All past, present and interested Nerang players, parents, supporters and spectators are invited to come down and join the celebration, and watch on in celebration of Female Football Week at Nerang Soccer Club — hope to see you there!
FRIDAY 10 MAY at NERANG SOCCER CLUB
6:00PM – Junior team warm ups
6:30pm – U11 Girls vs Runaway Bay
6:30pm – U13 Girls vs Magic United
8:00pm – Senior FQPL walk out joined by junior girls teams
8:05pm – Main Game Nerang FQPL3 Women vs Musgrave
Kerrie Rowe in her Australian Representative shirt 1989