With the kick-off of the inaugural season of Legends Football League Australia still just under three weeks away, the negative publicity has already started to surface.
The Australian competition consists of four teams – New South Surge, Queensland Brigade, Western Australia Angels and Victorian Maidens – with the season opener being a State of Origin-esque matchup between the Surge and Brigade at Centrebet Stadium.
I am very eager to see whether the sport takes off in Australia. The fast-paced, high-scoring, 7 on 7 version of full contact American football will certainly be a novelty for Australian audiences – not to mention our skin-baring uniforms which are always a source of heated debate in the media.
Obviously beautiful, athletic women playing footy is an instant hit with the greater male audience for obvious reasons, but it also sparks many ethical concerns for a large number of people as well.
It certainly is understandable from an outsider’s perspective issues of sexism naturally come to the fore.
However, if I felt I was selling my soul for a chance to play footy at a high level I would not play.
Myself and the rest of the Legends Football League community spend a lot of time justifying the sport and why we play.
We play for the love of competition, the same reason any athlete commits to their respective sports.
The sad reality of women’s sport is that it takes a novelty approach to attract a decent fan base and the sponsorship and commercial benefits that come with it.
We are an aesthetically driven society, as much as we like to believe that we’re better than that.
It does prove exhausting continually facing the critics and truthfully it seems to be women that are hardest on their fellow women.
Many of us learn that from a young age in the school yard. This has happened a number of times – I’ll be out and about with my team promoting our games and hand a pamphlet to a guy in a sports jersey.
His wife then promptly whisks in, grabs his wrist and pulls him away, simultaneously taking said pamphlet, screwing it up and throwing it in the bin in disgust leaving me (a happily married, educated woman) feeling like a bit of a prostitute, for lack of a better word.
Thankfully that’s not always the story, and I always love winning over female fans.
Sometimes it takes watching a game for people to appreciate the skill and athleticism of the players. We don’t just whack on a bikini and have a pillow fight, we train hard and hit hard.
The thing I don’t understand is that it’s ok to wear a bikini on the beach, it’s ok to wear lingerie on the catwalk (like Aussie sweetheart Miranda Kerr), it’s ok to wear a small uniform in a beach volleyball court and it’s ok to wear a skimpy uniform on the sidelines cheerleading at a footy game.
However somehow the combination of a skimpy uniform whilst competing on anything other than sand, a catwalk or sideline instigates a societal gag reflex!
I’m not a dill and realise the issue is a little more complex than that, I just don’t take the uniform too seriously – just the football.
The Legends Football League continues to evolve and the standard of play is ever-improving. I can assure you put the aforementioned lovely Miranda Kerr on the field, no offence intended but she would not last 1 down!
To Australian sports fans: if you’re sceptical, games will be broadcast on 7Mate so give it a watch before you make up your mind.
I’m quietly confident Australian audiences will ‘give it a go’!
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
It's been a while since anyone commented on this article, but it's just been referenced on the Guardian's website today: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/10/lingerie-football-men-watch-women-play
Adam Smith
Guest
Just to be clear, I am actually a big supporter of this game. I absolutely love it. And I'm going to watch the games live (1st game starts tonight!). And the others I'll get my mate to record the HD games for me as I personally don't have channel 7 reception. Not sure what you were trying to say. Oogle = To gaze at in admiration, Ogle = stare at in a lecherous manner. I would fit into the first definition, not the second. I just don't like these negative people saying it's 'undoing the progress of womens rights'. From what I understand, this is going to be one of the best if not the best women's sports. I personally love NFL / Gridiron, and follow the local Sydney competition (almost played but got injured before the first game). So all in all, it's a positive thing for women's sports and for gridiron in Australia. Yes this is way more than just skimpy outfits, it could very well be the start of a new age of women's sports.
Marnie
Guest
ROAR!!!!!!!!!!
Marnie
Guest
As a post-feminist I am extremely proud of my committed athletic daughter playing sport whatever that sport may be. There appears to be some controversy regarding the nature of their outfits clouding the real issue. I think the problem is that the women choosing to play grid iron, a traditional male sport, has challenged ideas and beliefs rooted in patriarchal, paternalistic and moralistic laws - conscious and unconscious. We all, regardless of gender, need to acknowledge that we may unwittingly be reinforcing oppressive beliefs related to women. Women, once again, are meant to be demure and socially acceptable, particularly when it comes to dress and clearly sport, aren’t they? The socialisation of women compromises freedom and restrict women’s options on the grounds that certain options should not be available to women because morality forbids women choosing them. Women’s choices should be guided by their own sense of their self-interest and by their own values. Do you think that women may actually really like playing sport and being competitive? Women also like to play sport and should not be limited. I applaud my daughter in pursuing her passion to play sport, all the while maintaining a healthy sense of self and healthy lifestyle.
Anna Heasman
Expert
Thanks for reading Clavers and for taking the time to comment albeit embroiled in sarcasm. I'm sorry you feel that way, LFL is not for everyone which is understandable. The referees are thankfully very profressional, as are the athletes and coaching staff.
Anna Heasman
Expert
You never know Ringo, maybe that's the direction the uniform will take. As I've said previously the focus of the players is very much on the football. Being vain and being comfortable in your own skin are two very different things.
Slane
Guest
+1
Shrek
Guest
+1
Clavers
Guest
I think this is a truly wonderful societal advance for human civilisation. I look for forward to Lingerie Tennis, Lingerie Cricket, Lingerie Soccer and Lingerie Basketball leagues starting, the sooner the better. As the game of Lingerie football matures, I believe we can look forward to further advances in the quality of the play, the physical preparation of the athletes and the quality of the lingerie. I have one question for the author; are the referees in Lingerie Football matches paid to officiate or do they actually have to pay for the privilege? I'm sure that many would find the job intrinsically rewarding.
Ringo
Guest
Why the need for bikinis? A tank top and shorts would be fine. It's just another way for you vain women to show off
Anna Heasman
Expert
Nicely said Ben, I've never heard anyone protest about the NRL/ footy ink calenders! You can't cry gender discrimination whist holding each sex to different standards, talk about mixed messages.
Anna Heasman
Expert
Interesting points Jasmin! I think what really gets under peoples skin is that due to the uniform (unilike other womens sports) the line is blurred between the marketing and the sport itself which leads to critics labeling the game as entertainment rather than a sport in its own right. It would be suppressive to take away the athletes choice to play the sport which we love...but then we're continually hounded and made to feel the choices we make are 'wrong'.
Mark Pybus
Roar Guru
Nice article. I think the Western Australia Angels were holding a practice at Langley Park right as the Color Run was going on. The girls looked very serious and the contact was certainly there. I heard plenty of comments from girls (wearing tight yoga pants themselves) about just being eye candy and it's not a real sport etc but they soon went quiet after they saw the tackling. Best thing they can do is ignore the stupid comments and let the game do the talking.
dasilva
Guest
I agree. Think before the days of welfare state, industrial revolution and technology that allows work to be an office air conditioned job that just as safe as your own home (really IMO technological advancement was what liberated women to the workplace, I highly doubt feminism could have widespread support amongst both genders without the technology that created the middle class and made work a safe environment) Majority of work would involve hard physical labour especially for majority of the population who aren't part of the elite. How do you convince a guy who could make enough money and resources to just feed and support himself and his own personal interest to go out and make enough money to provide not just for himself but to support another human being and their children. Especially when work could potentially involves dangerous physical labour. What could make guys so silly to make all this resource just to give it to someone else? Sex of course - this also combined with emotional support in relationship as well but that is hard to commodify As they say sex is power and I find it hard to see this as "oppressive"
dasilva
Guest
Personally I don't really think the problem lies with guys. It's the fact that woman on average are less interested in sports than guys are. If enough woman interested in women sports as much as men are interested in male sports, there would be no issues like this. Netball who have a fair share of female spectators are able to be self-sufficient and profitable competition. Really I would like to know the gender split in the small amount of spectators in female sports such as Football, cricket. I wouldn't be surprised if male make up majority of the spectators there as well (although I'm happy to be proven wrong if someone can bring up statistic there). Guys already get their fair share of sports in male sports. there's only so much free time to spend in sports and you are going to spend the time watching the best. If the sports need male spectators then they have to offer something different to compete. Well this is one way they can compete.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Nice article, Anna. We get the American version of the league on the box here in Manila where I'm currently based and indeed it they hit hard. It is a pity that you need to get skimpy to draw attention and the finance and in many ways it reminds me of the Matildas having to produce a nude calendar to raise their profile and sponsorship not so long ago. Just note the comments on tennis outfits, almost exclusively about the females players. Beach volleyball is another. Still, as a marketing mechanism it is very effective in the short to medium term. The problem lies in us guys, sadly, and from the some of the comments above I dare say that it will be a little longer before that changes. Power to you for giving it a go and good luck with the competition
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
I think that most women's sports have a love/hate relationship with marketing. We're no longer surprised when we see a sport's more attractive competitors get all the media attention, and attract lucrative sponsorship deals, at the expense of better performers. Witness how much more media coverage beaten finalist Sabine Lisicki generated during this year's Wimbledon than the eventual winner Marion Bartoli. Maybe if LFL doesn't succeed in Australia this time around, then it might be an idea for it to take a leaf out of Roller Derby's book. Perhaps marketing itself as an edgy women's sport (albeit one for those that can't stand on wheels!), and attempting to attract a bit of a hipster audience could be the way to go to dissociate the sport from its perception as being about girls in skimpy outfits. But then, would the TV networks still be interested? Despite Roller Derby's popularity, and apart from the occasional screening of Drew Barrymore's Whip It and a storyline involving Derby girls on an episode of CSI, I don't recall ever seeing it on TV!
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
I hadn't seen that ad before Jasmine, but I do recall reading that there was a heck of a lot of criticism of it from competitors, viewers, spectators, and even a lot of the other sponsors.
Matthew Skellett
Roar Rookie
Look I'm sorry but when any guy talks about the LFL and or watches it it's with half a smirk on his face .Somehow some guy(s) has managed to convince a lot if athletic great looking women to parade themselves scantily clad in front of blokes . Its like a perpetual backpacker wet t-shirt contest but hey don't let me stopya ;-)
Jasmin
Guest
Well said Anna. It's a sad fact that sex sells. In response to Hardcore Prawn did you see the women's pro surfing commercial? It features even less surfing action that your 7mate add does 'on the field' action. But apparently this is necessary to fund the sports? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCji6TiJjbE As for roller derby its not all 'hot girls', and Anna is correct, it's purely run and funded by the players and self sourced sponsors - for the love of the sport. Maybe we should make the hot pants compulsory so we too as players can focus more on the training and leave the marketing to those who know best? Or maybe we settle for training less in order to keep the sport alive and making and funding our own regional, national and international competitions, that will never make it to TV in order to compete in the comfort of full length compression tights!