Game on: Laura Player (left), Shari Onley, Amber Seggie, Renee Straumietis and Alina Esteban are keen to play for the Sutherland Shire-based team in the Ladies Gridiron League. Picture: Chris Lane
A SUTHERLAND Shire based-women’s team will be part of the inaugural Ladies Gridiron League competition.
Based on the highly successful US Lingerie Football League (LFL) — but without the lingerie — the league is expected to start in August with about four Sydney-based sides in a national competition.
The shire-based team began training last week with about a dozen players, and organisers are hopeful of attracting another dozen or more.
Ladies Gridiron League managing director, Adrian Brown, said he hoped the shire-based team would form a working relationship with the established men’s side — Sutherland Seahawks, who play in the Gridiron NSW league.
‘‘We are hoping Sutherland will be one of our first teams,’’ Brown said.
‘‘We want to have a girls team aligned with the Seahawks, who have been very supportive.
‘‘Our aim is to align every associated women’s team with a men’s side.’’
The girls won’t wear revealing clothing like their US counterparts, but they are hopeful of reaching the same lofty heights that their televised women’s competition has achieved since starting in 2009.
The new women’s league is likely to be a seven player per team game.
‘‘It’s modelled off the LFL but it’ll be a different business model,’’ Brown said. ‘‘I don’t think replicating it would be viable in Australia.’’
Brown is hopeful of a 20-team national competition in the long run.
‘‘We want to play alongside the division one men’s competition,’’ Brown said.
‘‘At this stage it’s just me financing it but at some stage that will run dry.
‘‘We want each team to be viable and secure a major sponsor."
Details: players@lglau.com
Would you watch a game of women's gridiron?