Geelong captain Joel Selwood has defended the initial salaries for players in the AFL women's league, arguing that payment for the game's elite female players "has to start somewhere".
Several MPs have helped in the "Boots Off" campaign, a push to increase the salary of players in next year's inaugural season of the women's league, which will take place in February and March. Most of the players across the eight clubs have been offered $5000 for the eight-week season, and unlike their male counterparts will have to pay for private health insurance. The league's group of 16 marquee players would earn $25,000. The average male AFL player works for most of the year and earns $300,000.
The Cats unsuccessfully bid for a license in the 2017 women's league, and having last week launched their team for the women's VFL competition, are hopeful of being one of the next intake in the national league.
Selwood – who was this year named All-Australian captain for the third time – said he was a fan of women's football, but said more corporate support was needed before the salaries of female players could be expected to grow significantly.
"I think it has to start somewhere," Selwood said as he and brothers Scott, Adam and Troy continue to promote their new children's book series: The Selwood Boys.
"Our game started somewhere too. It was not that long ago that our guys were part-time footballers as athletes, and putting on the show on the weekend. And it's grown so quickly now. So hopefully the women's can do exactly the same. You'll see them play a good brand of footy, and I'm sure we'll be impressed by it."
Despite his enthusiasm for the product, Selwood was pragmatic in his views. "But at the end of the day, it takes the bigger companies to come in and help grow that too," he said.
"They've got to buy in to showing the women's game too. Which they should. These girls are talented. They're growing really quickly with the game, and we look forward to hopefully having our own side in the near future."
His brother Scott, also at the Cats, shared his brother's sentiments about the women's competition.
"It is exciting in how it's been taken by the public, how everyone's embraced it," Scott said.
"I sat down and watched the [women's all-stars] game in the week off of the finals and it was a great brand of footy. I was sitting there saying this does have a future which is great. Like Joel said, they've got a start, and from there we've just got to build on it. And we're here to support the girls as much as they support us through building the brand.
"It's only going to help the AFL brand, so it's great for footy."
Former Australian Greens Leader Christine Milnes, Victorian State MPs Lily D'Ambrosio and Fiona Richardson and federal MP Brendan O'Connor are among the politicians that have shown their support for increased pay for female AFL players on social media by posting photos of themselves with their shoes off.
