Gumleaf
June 20th, 2008, 09:46 PM
10:03 AEST Sat Jun 21 2008
A 14-year-old girl has kicked a goal against the AFL and her local football league, gaining the right to play footy with the boys.
Evelyn Rannstrom will be able to line up with the Gembrook-Cockatoo under-14s on Sunday after taking legal action against her junior league, despite being over-age and female.
An injunction granted by a tribunal on Friday allows Evelyn - described during the hearing as the lynchpin of the backline - to play the remaining six games of the season.
A grinning Evelyn said she felt "like I'm dreaming" as the judge's decision sunk in.
"I get to play for the rest of the season," Evelyn told reporters outside the court.
"It's just really overwhelming."
Evelyn and her father, Matt Rannstrom, took their case to the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), saying the Dandenong Ranges Junior Football League (DRJFL) informed her in February she could not play with the under-14 side because she was a female.
Rules state a girl who turns 14 during the season must only play in a female competition.
But Evelyn had said the women's competition wasn't good enough and she wanted to play with her mates, as much as they wanted her in the side.
She said she played a year below her age group last season through an age exemption granted to her by the DRJFL, to help them out when they had low numbers.
The injunction granted by Judge Marilyn Harbison orders the DRJFL and the AFL not to prevent Evelyn from playing in the under-14 competition for the rest of the 2008 season or until a further hearing.
Judge Harbison made the order despite an overwhelming vote on Thursday from the DRJFL member clubs against giving Evelyn an exemption to play in the under-14s.
The judge acknowledged the AFL's gender policy preventing 14-year-old girls playing with boys.
But she pointed out the league's own rules allow for exemptions for players to play in a lower age group, and said the AFL had a case to answer if it misused its power to exclude Evelyn because she was female.
Evelyn's father Matt said Friday's decision changed the way he felt about the AFL but restored his faith in the justice system.
"I'm reassured that in Australia you can have a crack and if you've got a case and it's worthwhile then it will be upheld," he said.
As for Evelyn, she's looking forward to getting out on the field and keeping her grand final hopes alive.
"I reckon we can get to the grand final if we try," she said.
A 14-year-old girl has kicked a goal against the AFL and her local football league, gaining the right to play footy with the boys.
Evelyn Rannstrom will be able to line up with the Gembrook-Cockatoo under-14s on Sunday after taking legal action against her junior league, despite being over-age and female.
An injunction granted by a tribunal on Friday allows Evelyn - described during the hearing as the lynchpin of the backline - to play the remaining six games of the season.
A grinning Evelyn said she felt "like I'm dreaming" as the judge's decision sunk in.
"I get to play for the rest of the season," Evelyn told reporters outside the court.
"It's just really overwhelming."
Evelyn and her father, Matt Rannstrom, took their case to the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), saying the Dandenong Ranges Junior Football League (DRJFL) informed her in February she could not play with the under-14 side because she was a female.
Rules state a girl who turns 14 during the season must only play in a female competition.
But Evelyn had said the women's competition wasn't good enough and she wanted to play with her mates, as much as they wanted her in the side.
She said she played a year below her age group last season through an age exemption granted to her by the DRJFL, to help them out when they had low numbers.
The injunction granted by Judge Marilyn Harbison orders the DRJFL and the AFL not to prevent Evelyn from playing in the under-14 competition for the rest of the 2008 season or until a further hearing.
Judge Harbison made the order despite an overwhelming vote on Thursday from the DRJFL member clubs against giving Evelyn an exemption to play in the under-14s.
The judge acknowledged the AFL's gender policy preventing 14-year-old girls playing with boys.
But she pointed out the league's own rules allow for exemptions for players to play in a lower age group, and said the AFL had a case to answer if it misused its power to exclude Evelyn because she was female.
Evelyn's father Matt said Friday's decision changed the way he felt about the AFL but restored his faith in the justice system.
"I'm reassured that in Australia you can have a crack and if you've got a case and it's worthwhile then it will be upheld," he said.
As for Evelyn, she's looking forward to getting out on the field and keeping her grand final hopes alive.
"I reckon we can get to the grand final if we try," she said.