Vale Sal Rees, women’s football pioneer and ‘unheralded warrior’

THE FOOTBALL community is mourning the passing of Sal Rees, the women’s football pioneer who died aged 58 on Monday.

Rees, a longtime player and official at the Darebin Falcons, came to wider prominence in 1995, when she became the first woman to nominate for the men’s AFL national draft.

She was the first player to reach the 200-game milestone in the VFLW, where she was awarded life membership. The Falcons’ club person of year award is also named in her honour.

Rees was on hand to celebrate North Melbourne’s win in last month’s NAB AFLW Grand Final, posing for post-game photographs with Kangaroos premiership captain Emma Kearney, and fellow VFLW great Leesa Catto, who described her longtime friend as “an unheralded Australian warrior” in a heartfelt post to social media.

Rees suffered a brain aneurysm on Saturday and died on Monday, surrounded by her loved ones, including her wife Barb.

Rees’ AFL draft bid almost 30 years ago, although unsuccessful, sparked a wider conversation about women’s football and ultimately prompted the League to change the rules.

In early 2021, Rees recalled the media storm that arose after her nomination was accepted.

“Back then women’s football looked totally different to how it does now, we really struggled to get any kind of publicity,” she told Darcy Vescio on AFL.com.au‘s Cutting Oranges podcast.

“There were a lot of articles in the media that were quite negative and generally people’s concept was that women shouldn’t be playing football. We loved playing, we worked hard on our skills and fitness, and with the draft coming up I thought I’m going to nominate for this just to put it out there.

“I sent out the form by post then thought nothing was going to happen from it, until I got a phone call from Channel Seven and then it hit the media and it was crazy.

“The message was that women do play football and we needed to be heard and taken seriously. It started a huge discussion around women and what their role is in football.”

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon hailed Rees’ contribution to the growth of women’s football in its formative years.

“The AFLW competition today, which now has 540 paid female athletes representing all 18 clubs, would be impossible without the vision, determination and passion of trailblazers in women’s football like Sal Rees,” he said.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Sal’s family, friends and the many women’s whose football pathway was supported by Sal.”