By Lance Jenkinson
Williamstown Football Club held its annual Pride Day event at Downer Oval on Saturday.
The Seagulls are a club built on diversity and will continue to thrive because of their inclusiveness.
“Everyone is welcome at the Williamstown footy club,” Seagulls coach Andrew Collins said. “That’s always been important in the history of the club.
“It’s such a great thing for the football club and as a Hobson’s Bay community to be able to support this day, which is really important to us.
“We’re really proud of our inclusiveness at our footy club and we continue to get better and better in that area.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Williamstown vs Melbourne University
The Seagulls also held a Pride Day luncheon, which included speeches from special guests Senator Janet Rice, Angie Greene and Cameron Schwab. Rice, a member of the Australian Greens, is one of eight openly LGBTI members of Parliament.
Greene is a founder of Stand Up Events, which dedicates its cause to fighting sexual and gender discrimination in Australian sport.
Schwab is a prominent Australian sports administrator, particularly influential in Australian rules football and soccer.
A huge step forward for Williamstown was the establishment of a team in the VFL Women’s competition last season.
The Seagulls are 0-4 after losing the Pride Day game to Melbourne University by 11 points on Saturday. “It’s fantastic that we have a women’s footy team and it emphasises the point that everyone is welcome at our club,” Collins said.
Moana Hope was a standout against Melbourne University, collecting a game-high 39 disposals. Williamstown returns to the field on June 22 for an away clash with Darebin Falcons.
