Coolangatta AFL change rooms to benefit Gold Coast sportswomen

New $828,000 female change rooms have officially opened at Len Peak Oval for Tweed Coolangatta Junior Australian Football Club (AFC) with the new building including an amenities block, change rooms with showers, official’s rooms, coaches rooms and storage.

The change rooms will be used by 200 female AFL players and officials at the club every week as well as more than 6,400 casual users each year from the wider community including participants in the Coolangatta Centre of Sports Excellence Program, Life Changer Foundation and NDIS providers.

QLD Youth Affairs Minister and Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon notes “The sheer weight of female numbers and performance demanded these change rooms be built and it’s a thrill to see them ready for action.

“This new block is a fitting reward for all those female players and officials who have supported the club through the years and will be a massive drawcard for young girls looking to try their hand at footy.

“We know that there are more than 110,000 female community AFL participants in Queensland – the largest proportion in Australia, with all-female teams starting at the Under 9 level, so these facilities will have a terrific impact on the game day experience while improving talent pathways from the grassroots to the elite level.”

Tweed Coolangatta is renowned for producing talented female players, with 19 players drafted into the AFLW since 2016, including two players who were picked up by Port Adelaide in 2022 and one by Collingwood in the same year.

Last year, the club had five teams in the South-East Queensland junior female competition, including one under 17 team, two under 15’s, one under 13 and one under 11, including an Under 15 side winning the Premiership.

In 2023, they will add a sixth female team, in the under nine age group, giving the club female representation right through every age group in the South-East Queensland competition.

AFL Facilities and Government Manager (Queensland) Cobey Moore highlights “there are more Queenslanders playing AFL than ever before across our club and school competitions with female participation being a large driver of this growth.

“Since 2019, we’ve seen a 24% increase in female community participation, and we need to make sure our facilities are safe, accessible and welcoming for all.

“As one of the only sports that invest in facility development, we’re proud to have worked with the State Government and City of Gold Coast to make this project a reality for the Coolangatta Blues and their next generation of players.”

The change rooms were built by Gold Coast builders EXIMM and funded by the Queensland Government through the Female Facilities Program ($518,0000), City of Gold Coast ($150,000), AFLQ ($110,000) and Councillor Gail O’Neill ($50,000).

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate added “local organisations like the Tweed Coolangatta AFL Club play a huge role in promoting active and healthy lifestyles through sport.

“That is why the City is proud to fund these upgrades in partnership with the State as part of our rolling program of renovations to community sporting infrastructure.”

“Importantly also, these new change rooms will finally provide female changing facilities that were unfortunately missing in the former, outdated building.”

Image: QLD Youth Affairs Minister and Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon with female team members in front of new change room facilities.