Our request: That FCFC preserve a clear community pathway for girls moving into U13 in 2027, so existing players are not required to leave their club simply because they are not selected for or do not seek, an Academy or Development place.

Dear President and Executive Committee
We respectfully ask the Board to reconsider the reported decision not to field an U13 girls’ community team in 2027 and to reduce the number of Development teams from two to one.

We understand that the move to full-size pitches creates genuine pressure on available grass, training space and Sunday fixtures. We do not underestimate this challenge or the work of FCFC’s volunteers and staff in managing a large and growing club. However, the proposed structure will leave multiple existing players without a place as they move from U12 to U13. For girls who are not selected for an Academy or Development squad, or who simply want to continue playing community football, there may be no realistic local alternative, placing some at risk of leaving the game altogether.

This is difficult to reconcile with FCFC’s public commitments to community football, inclusion, female participation and retention, commitments also promoted in seeking public funding and sponsorship. Removing the only non-selective pathway for 12 and 13 year old girls suggests that belonging at FCFC depends upon selection.

These girls are not new applicants enrolling in a new and oversubscribed club, they are loyal FCFC players who have trained and competed together, worn the shirt, represented the Club and built friendships, confidence and connections throughout the wider FCFC community. At this age, players develop physically, emotionally and technically at very different rates. A girl not selected at 12 may excel at 15; another may never pursue elite football but may become a lifelong player, coach, mentor or volunteer. Both should be recognized as successful outcomes for a community club.

Removing this community pathway would set a precedence that their loyalty and contribution are valued only if they meet a selective elite performance standard.

The timing is particularly concerning. Early adolescence is a recognized dropout period for girls in sport, when confidence may be fragile and trusted friendships, routines and team connections matter greatly. A community pathway is not a lesser pathway, it enables girls with different abilities, ambitions and development timelines and circumstances to remain involved. If capacity is the problem, the response should address capacity, not make the girls themselves the solution.

We submit this petition because we believe in what Fremantle City FC says it stands for. These girls have already chosen the Club, shown their commitment and earned their sense of belonging through their loyalty and participation. They should not have to win that place back through selection as the only option.

FCFC’s own words say “Football For Everyone”. We respectfully ask the Board to ensure that, in 2027, and future years “everyone” continues to include these girls

The resolution we ask the Board to adopt
1.     Retain at least one U13 girls’ community team for the 2027 season, with access based on participation rather than selection.

2.     Before finalising trials, EOIs or team allocations, undertake and share a documented review of pitch capacity and all reasonable alternatives, including other FCFC grounds, council or school venues, staggered training, and temporary inter-club arrangements.

3.     Guarantee a fair transition opportunity for existing U12 community players moving into U13 so they are not abruptly displaced from the Club.

4.     Meet with nominated parent and player representatives and provide a written response explaining the decision, the data relied upon, alternatives considered and the effect on the Club’s 2027 gender-participation goal.