Our History

More than a sports club

The Darebin Women’s Sports Club fields more than thirty teams across Aussie rules, soccer, cricket and 8-ball providing opportunities for over 750 women and girls to play sport in an inclusive, encouraging, supportive and safe environment. The club is a place where anyone can belong.

1990

The founding story

The Fairfield Falcons are on the verge of folding after three seasons in the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL), after first forming in 1987. A group of local women resurrect the Fairfield team and play the 1990 VWFL season affiliated with the men’s club. View footage from 1992 here

Read the full story here

1991

First standalone VWFL Women's Club

The women of the Fairfield Falcons strike out on their own. They become the only standalone women’s club in the VWFL. With the help of the local council, they moved to McDonell Park in Northcote.

Read more here on how the team persisted across some challenging years to win the premiership in 1996.

1997

Soccer introduced at the Falcons

The Fairfield Falcons add a soccer team, becoming the first women’s sports club in Australia to field both Australian rules and soccer teams.

Find out how the soccer team was formed here

2000

Renaming the Club

The Club is renamed the Darebin Women’s Sports Club, or the Darebin Falcons.

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2001

Fielding the first Cricket team

The first Darebin Falcons cricket team takes to the field in the Victorian Women’s Cricket Association’s B West competition for the 2001/2002 season.

Read more about the early days of cricket here

2005

New home and 8-Ball launched

The Club moves from McDonell Park to upgraded facilities at AH Capp Reserve in West Preston.

The Falcons enter a team in the Women’s Eight Ball Association competition for the first time. Read more about the 8-ball history here

2008

Junior Footy kicks off

The Falcons launch a youth girls Aussie rules team in the Northern Football League.

Read more about the history of the youth program here

2009

Premierships for Cricket and 8-Ball

The cricket team are the VWCA Inaugural 20/20 Competition Cricket Premiers and the One Day Central Competition premiers. The 8-ball team collects another singles premiership.

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2010

Fifth VWFL Premiership for Footy

The Falcons win their fifth straight and sixth in total VWFL Premier Division Premiership and the VWFL Premier Reserves Division Premiership.

Find out more about this legendary era here

2011

Junior Soccer launched

The Falcons officially launched their junior soccer program. By the end of the year the number of girls had grown to 30.

Read about the origin story of the highly successful soccer program here

2013

Falcons feature in exhibition Aussie Rules games

The first of the Women’s Aussie Rules exhibition games are held. Two teams wear Western Bulldogs and Melbourne jumpers. Falcon Daisy Pearce is No.1 pick in the inaugural women’s draft.

2016

Falcons drafted to the AFLW competition

The Falcons begin the state’s first all-girls Auskick. The Darebin Falcons are the inaugural VFLW Premiers. Four Falcons players are named Marquee Players with a further 13 players drafted for the new AFLW competition to launch in 2017.

2017

5th consecutive VFLW Premiership

The Darebin Falcons are VFLW Premiers, their 5th premiership in a row and the second five peat for this champion team. The inaugural AFLW season commences.

Read more about this incredible time in the club’s history here

2018

Junior Soccer growing rapidly

There are now 374 players and 21 teams in the Junior Soccer Program. Junior footy fielded teams in every age group.

Aussie Rules Masters team and new Soccer Clubrooms

The Darebin Falcons enter a team in the AFL Masters’ (35+) women’s competition. New facilities for soccer at Robinsons Reserve are opened, and the first players from inaugural juniors clinic in 2011 progress to Falcons senior team.

Find out more about the Masters team here

Today

Empowering women and girls

With over 750 players across Aussie Rules, Soccer, Cricket and 8 Ball with Junior, Senior and Masters teams offering Community and Elite opportunities we are continuing our mission to empower women and girls through sport.

Find out what we see in our future here

Want to find out more?