The State Government has announced it will increase its support of women’s sport in South Australia through a $275,000 sponsorship of the Adelaide Crows AFLW team.

Premier Steven Marshall said the funding to the Adelaide Football Club would help grow female participation in football through pathways and development programs for young women across the state wanting to take up the sport.

Mr Marshall said the funding would support women’s sport participation in SA, which was rapidly on the rise.

“The popularity of the AFLW competition is on the rise in South Australia and across the nation, with the number of registered junior female teams in local clubs across the State increasing from eight to 110 in just two years,” he said.

“With the number of young women wanting to engage in the sport rapidly increasing, it is important they are provided with the necessary resources to allow them to develop their skills, and ultimately play at the top level of the sport.

“We are encouraged by the fact that the Crows women’s team has one of the highest television viewership and match attendance around the nation, and it paints a very promising picture for the future of football in our state.”

The announcement was made at a joint press conference at Norwood Oval on Monday, where the Premier was joined by Crows chairman Rob Chapman and AFLW star Erin Phillips.

The Crows community team drive programs, including the Crows Cup Carnival, which have been delivered to more than 10,000 female students in more than 150 schools across SA.

These programs target female high school students and give them access to the resources they need to progress to the elite level of the sport.

Crows Chief Executive Officer Andrew Fagan said it was fantastic to receive support from the State Government.

“Our Club is committed to growing the women’s game in the central corridor of Australia and ensuring girls and young women can fulfil their potential as players, coaches and administrators, and even enjoy our great game as a fan,” said Mr Fagan.

“We have made significant progress since embarking on this journey, the highlights being the inaugural AFLW Premiership and the establishment of a unique Indigenous Girls Academy, among other initiatives.

“There is still much more to be achieved and we appreciate this support from the State Government.”

The funding announcement comes as another elite SA women’s team — the Adelaide Lightning basketball club — has put out an urgent call for a white knight investor to fill a $500,000-a-season black hole that threatens the club’s WNBL licence.

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