Harvey Bulls Football Club opens new women's change rooms

Set to officially open during the Women's Football Round at Harvey Oval on Saturday, July 10, the change rooms represent a positive encouragement for women in the sport.

Women's teams from Donnybrook, South Bunbury, Busselton, Carey Park and Brunswick will join the opening at the Harvey Club whilst competing in the round.

Harvey Bulls Club President Joe Rognetta said the decision to create a separate change room just for the women's team was the result of a rise of interest from women playing football.

"When the Club first started the women's teams we weren't sure whether or not we'd be a force here, but we've come leaps and bounds since then," Rognetta said.

"It was no good the men getting changed then running out and then then women running in to get changed. The first couple of years was really hard. It just didn't work, the women needed their own space."

With support from the Shire of Harvey, the Harvey Bulls Football Club received funding from the Department of Sport and Recreation and the Alcoa Sustainability Fund to build the women's change rooms.

They feature a modern dressing room with storage lockers, individual cubical shower and bathroom facilities, ample bench space and a social and medical area.

Originally set to open in May 2019, the project was delayed due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I personally think since we got the change room it's made the presence of the women's team stronger. We've won the last couple of games so the girls are really starting to hit their straps," Rognetta said.

Harvey Bulls Women's Senior Team Coach Peter Jones said the introduction of women into the Australian Football League had altered the way people saw football clubs.

"Girls in footy is becoming a lot more mainstream, especially now that they're seeing these women play in the AFL every week," Jones said.

"Having these change rooms is great not only for our Club but also for our town because if Shires can start spreading this as women's footy grows everywhere, it's a chance to really promote women in footy. Having the women come in is almost like getting a breath of fresh air into country footy."

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Harvey Bulls Women's Senior Team Vice Captain Rachel Shepherd said it was 'super special' for the girls to have their own change rooms.

"It just shows how much the Bulls take pride in their women's team," Shepherd said.

"I 100% recommend other women and girls to play footy. You meet so many girls, it's like a family. The game looks tough and scary but once you get out there and actually start playing it's really not."

Jones hopes the opening of the women's change rooms will be the catalyst for other teams in the South West Football League to do the same.

"I think when the other women's teams come and visit and see facilities like this, they'll then go back to their own clubs and say we need this too."

"The better facilities we can supply, the better we can get people staying involved in sport. Particularly women's sport."

The Women's Round will kick off at 12.30pm at the Harvey Oval with Carey Park vs Brunswick, before the official opening of the change rooms at 2.30pm.

To find out more, visit the Harvey Bulls Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HarveyBullsFootballClub/.