HANNAH Meates always dreamt of having the same sporting opportunities as the men and now she can see it is a strong possibility.
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The 30-year-old jumped between different sports growing up in Shepparton before moving to the south-west in 2010.
She played baseball with her younger brother Ben and their dad Peter, then took up tennis and netball at school before moving on to hockey.
When senior women's football started in 2019 she happily jumped on board after taking up the sport as a junior in her local Auskick program.
She would go on to be a co-captain of South Warrnambool's premiership side in 2019.
Now the multi-talented sportsperson is playing in the newly-formed Warrnambool and District Cricket Association senior women's league with West Warrnambool.
Cricket was the final piece of the puzzle for the region joining football, netball, basketball, hockey and soccer all with at least one women's team.
Seeing how strongly women's sport is progressing is a source of pride for Meates.
"I have always hoped women would eventually get the same opportunities in sports as men do," she said.
"There is still a way to go but it's so great to see the numbers in junior and senior teams in both footy and cricket growing each year.
"It's a massive credit to everyone who has worked so hard to get these leagues up and running over the last few years - the people who are behind the scenes and getting these teams together, those who volunteer putting their time in, allowing girls and women in the region to have access to sports they may not have otherwise.
"There is an obvious need and want from players, parents and supporters of women's sport. This is definitely helping to grow women's sports in the region."
Meates hopes parity is not too far away.
"Considering the growth I've seen in the last few years I'm hoping that women's sport will be on par with men's sports in 10 years time," she said.
"Hopefully down the track women who are new to the town won't need to go searching for a footy or cricket club to join, as there will be plenty of options around."
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Meates said wider community involvement and support and getting the word out about the clubs with women's teams is where the region could improve.
She added funding and improved facilities catering for all genders would help the growth.
Steph Townsend also dreamt of equal sporting opportunities and is excited with how the times have changed since she first started playing cricket at age five.
Playing and coaching cricket and netball have consumed most of her summers and winters but she has also played basketball and football.
Townsend was forced to give up footy after under 13s at Old Collegians, which led to her taking up netball.
The MCC first XI cricketer looks on with pride as the region continues to support women's sport.
"The fact is it is more well known and not just a certain few people who give it a crack," she said.
"Clubs are jumping on board and are wanting to invest in a women's team and competition. (WDCA chairperson) Gordon McLeod has been a huge advocate for the girls competition.
"The fact it's so well advertised and you can see the Aussie girls on TV or on the Big Bash is fantastic.
"Parents are now really giving girls the opportunity to be open to whatever sport they want to play and succeed in."
Townsend believes the key to continued improvement will come from players eager to dive in to any sport.
"People getting out of their comfort zone and not being afraid to try something new (is important)," she said.
"The stigma around women's sport is 'they can't do this or that' when in fact anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.
"In today's culture, especially in the south-west, everyone knows everyone and is willing to be quite open and give everyone a hand to try something new.
"I think giving something new a go is scary but to put yourself out there is definitely worth it."
The Nirranda premiership coach is another who is optimistic about what the future holds for women's sport.
"I feel it will be in a great place. I hope we will have a number of young girls and women participating in the highest level of sport," she said.
"It is obviously growing and participation is growing to fantastic levels and the coaching and pathway opportunities are there now so in the next 10 years it will still be there but be even better.
"I'd love to see some young girls aspire to be next the Georgia Wareham in some form. South-west cricket has some fantastic prospects and it is exciting times and I can't wait to see where it develops."
Loretta Kearney has seen first hand how quickly women's cricket and football can grow and is another south-west resident helping the push towards parity.
The retired nurse, whose daughter is North Melbourne captain and former AFLW best and fairest Emma Kearney, has been an integral part of cricket and football's development in Hamilton.
She has been a president of the Hamilton and District Women's Cricket Association, as well as a player, coach and team manager in Hamilton and with the Western Waves.
The HDWCA now has seven - three under 17s and four under 13s - junior girls teams and eight senior sides.
Her most recent roles have been with the Hamilton Kangaroos, helping the club establish its junior and senior women's football sides. She is now the team manager of both sides.
The mother-of-four, who now works on the family farm in Cavendish, is pleased to see the two sports flourishing in her home town.
She said girls and women were starting to realise playing football was now for everyone.
"There is plenty of opportunity and football can be for short players, taller ones or in between," she said.
"They could have a lack of fitness, they could be fit or it's a way for them to become fitter. It's an all-inclusive sport and our club is like that and I love seeing people coming along to try it.
"We had one girl from Scotland who was backpacking and thought she'd give it a go as she played rugby.
"She was going to be really good and I could see her coming on in leaps and bounds.
"That's what I find with footy - it gives that opportunity for girls and women to express themselves and feel free.
"Some other sports I played like netball can be restrictive with its little areas to play in and no touching but footy can offer the freedom and is a good bit of fun."
Kearney hopes more teams and longer seasons are on the horizon and believes the next 10 years of women's footy in particular is going to be exciting.
"I hope it has taken another level and people come along to see it as not just a giggle and playing around but because they want to come and see a contest," she said.
"Maybe they will want to pay a few dollars to come through the gates to see the women and youth girls play, that would be nice.
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"I'd also like to see more girls come through the pathways and for them to have extra pathways onto the VFLW and AFLW.
"It would nice for our local competition to hopefully have a few more girls get into the (Greater Western Victoria) Rebels and youth girls sides and they may end up getting drafted in a few years time."
Townsend and Kearney both agree more time is needed to advertise women's sport at all levels to help bring in more players, supporters and sponsors, like The Mill Port Fairy.
The Mill is the naming sponsor of the WDCA's senior women's competition and the cafe's owner Sarah Brittain is no stranger to playing sport, which played a big part in her decision to sponsor the competition.
Brittain has been involved in sport for over 30 years, starting as a young cricketer with Killarney's colts after watching her father Ronny play indoor cricket.
The Koroit resident has since returned to the sport as an umpire and is eager to get into coaching in future seasons.
Brittain's eagerness to help the next generation get a better chance of playing was critical in her decision to sponsor the senior competition.
"I want to hopefully give girls that weren't presented with the chance to play because when I was playing cricket girls weren't really welcome," she said.
"I had to struggle to play locally and for the WDCA to come up with a girls and women's competition is amazing.
"People like Gordon in charge is helpful and there seems to be a lot of women ready to jump in and get it up and running.
"The clubs as well are more now more receptive of attaching a women's team to a blokes team like how the footy and netball amalgamated."
The mother-of-two encouraged more businesses to get behind women's sport and help it continue to grow.
"We need more money behind it so they can keep rolling on and more money can lead to more exposure so we can get more little girls wanting to play," she said.
"We needed someone to kick it off and I'll increase my sponsorship as we go but we need more businesses to jump on board and get it happening.
"I implore any businesses who would love for girls sport to excel to get amongst it."
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