THE Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League is under fire for scheduling its women’s football finals matches on a Sunday night.
Last week the MPFNL announced that the Women’s Division One qualifying and elimination finals would take place at 6pm on Sunday, 3 August. Division One Women’s games are almost always played on a Saturday, with just two Sunday games played during the home-and-away season this year.
John Coburn Oval, the home of Frankston YCW, will host the women’s matches. A viral post from social media page Not All Clubs, which spotlights inequality in sports, called out the MPFNL for its fixturing.
“The league had a whole season to plan for women’s finals — and this is what they came up with? A junior oval, a venue with no women’s program, Sunday matches, scheduled on the same time as the men’s last game,” the post read. “Don’t call it bad planning. Call it what it is. Disrespect. Because you know that this would never happen in a men’s finals.”
The MPFNL issued a statement last week defending its decision, shifting the blame onto the clubs. It read: “While venues may appear available on Saturdays, they are part of broader multi-sport precincts. With other codes using the facilities and significant volunteer demands, Saturday hosting was not feasible.”
“The league, alongside AFL South East, has worked tirelessly to identify suitable venues that meet the specific requirements for hosting six finals games in one day. This includes access to dual ovals, changerooms, medical facilities, canteen access, and most importantly, a club with the volunteer capacity to deliver,” the statement read.
“For transparency, we also note that the fixture for finals was aligned back in February to address previous feedback and avoid overlap of the women’s finals with other matches, an intentional effort to maximise opportunities to attend and support the women’s game.
“Despite consultation with multiple women’s clubs, none were able to host week one. With limited options, the MPFNL approached Frankston YCW, who generously committed to hosting, despite existing junior fixtures and the challenges that came with it. We thank them, and Tyabb FNC who will host the preliminary finals, for stepping up and actively supporting the women’s competition.
“The reality is these finals cannot happen without willing venues, community volunteers and logistical alignment. It’s not a lack of commitment from the league — it’s a lack of options when no clubs in the competition were prepared to take on hosting duties.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 29 July 2025