Adelaide’s AFLW and community teams are having an impact all across South Australia, notably in Port Lincoln where a girls’ competition has started up on the back of the Crows Cup Carnival being held there last year.

The Crows Cup Carnival is an interschool girls-only football carnival delivered in metropolitan and regional areas around South Australia, which was started by Crows AFLW co-captain Chelsea Randall.

In September 2017, the Crows community team travelled to the Eyre Peninsula to run the carnival with students from Tumby Bay, Streaky Bay, Cowell and Port Lincoln, among others.

The participating girls loved it so much they wanted to play football regularly, and an all-girls competition got underway last week.

Shane Masson, the PE and Sports Coordinator at Tumby Bay Area School, was involved in the Crows Cup last year and is now looking after a CT Crows team in the Port Lincoln competition.

He said the under 15 team had a nervous start, before winning their second game by over five goals.

His under 18’s team won both matches and all the girls loved every minute.

“They came out firing with some big hits, great tackling and good disposal,” Masson said.

“The team's motto is ‘it's time to shine!’ and they love coming together before each quarter starts with hands in the middle chanting ‘let's give 100%, 1, 2, 3 Crows!’

“It was such a positive night for the players, coaches, parents, umpires and supporters that were involved with all six teams.”

Initiatives such as the Crows Cup are behind huge growth numbers in girls playing football.

Thirty per cent of all footballers are female, with a total of 463,364 participating in female programs and competitions.

The Crows Cup program is travelling to Darwin on Thursday, March 8, ahead of Adelaide’s AFLW round six match at Tio Stadium against Fremantle on the Friday night.