BHP and the Adelaide Football Club have thrown their support behind the Port Augusta Girls Football Program to create more opportunities for aspiring AFLW athletes in the region.

The competition hosts teams from three local Clubs – South, West and Centrals – across three age groups, with more than 100 young footballers currently playing in games held on Sunday afternoons.

Local Sam Boully established the competition at the start of 2020, just as the impacts of COVID were being felt throughout the community.

“There had been conversations about starting a local girls competition for a while,” Boully said.

“Then COVID hit, and netball was cancelled but footy kept playing, so I took advantage and started organising games on Wednesday nights.

“I told the girls that there would be under 11, under 13 and under 16 games and to just come out and you will get a game, and we just got started.”

A key pillar of BHP’s support has been connecting the volunteer-run competition with Crows AFLW captain Chelsea Randall, whose background in coaching and establishing community football programs has proven invaluable to Boully.

Randall has travelled to Port Augusta several times for coaching and mentoring opportunities and has maintained contact with the competition throughout the season.

“To be able to reach out to someone like Chelsea, who has so much experience coaching and setting up competitions, to ask for help and advice has been amazing.

“I would get an email from Chelsea, just checking how we went on the weekend and how the girls are going.

“I was at Centrals a couple of weeks ago when she came out to training and I looked up at the TV and there she was – it was surreal.

“Watching her coach the girls, she brings so much energy and you can see that she is so down to earth and happy to get out there to help.

“She is just so inspiring for all of us.”

BHP has also provided essential equipment, including goals, training vests, tackle and marking bags.

“The equipment has had a massive impact and has made life for our volunteers so much easier.

 “For these girls to have access to brand new equipment that is just for them made them feel really special and we are so grateful for the support.

Boully said the competition filled a need in the community.   

“There is a girls football competition in Crystal Brook that we have taken teams to before, but it is an hour and a half drive on a Friday night and after the game, it’s the same long drive back," Boully said.

“We have quite a few girls who play in the boys comp but by under 15s it stops for them, so this gives them the option to keep going.

“We now have four or five girls who travel down to play with North Adelaide and the girls can really see the pathway from this competition.

“The support from BHP and the Crows has been incredible and hopefully we can keep pushing it get more local volunteers on board.”

The Port Augusta Football Program will host its grand final on Sunday August 15.

Randall and representatives from BHP will be there to present medals and trophies to the winning teams.