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​​June is the AFL’s Women's Coaching Month, which highlights the number of women in top-tier coaching gigs (including the five who coach AFLW teams).

There's been a 13% increase in the number of women coaching in local footy competitions since last year, and a 20% jump in the number of 18-24 women taking up the top job.

The bad news: there is still no woman in a top coaching position for an AFL side. My sense is it's only a matter of time.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

76
The new record for the most points scored by an individual in a single match in Super Netball. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard from the West Coast Fever set the record on Sunday in the team’s clash against the NSW Swifts. She scored 76 of the Fever’s 78-point total.

Quote of the day

“Terrible court, what is this? I can't stand on the court. It's too wet. Call the supervisor. I fell three times. It's too wet. You think I'm falling on purpose?”
Tennis player Holger Rune’s complaints to the umpire during his loss to Australian Jordan Thompson in the round of 32 at the Queen’s Club Championships in England. Queen’s (as it’s colloquially known) is a tournament traditionally played during the lead-in to Wimbledon.

Random fact of the day

Marit Bjørgen of Norway is the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time. She has won a total of 15 Olympic medals in cross-country skiing, including eight gold. Bjørgen competed at five Winter Olympics from 2002 to 2018 when she retired.

I’ve got 1 minute

The Boston Celtics have won a record 18th NBA Championship after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in game five of the NBA Finals Series today.

The Celtics ended the series 4-1 at home in Boston on Monday night (local time). They led the game by 21 points at half-time and never lost their lead.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown was named the finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) and his teammate Jayson Tatum led the final game’s scoring with 31 points.

It is both Brown and Tatum’s first NBA Championship. The last time the Celtics won an NBA title was 16 years ago today in 2008. The Boston Celtics now have the most NBA titles of any team.

The Mavericks featured two Australians, Josh Green and Dante Exum.

What they said:

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said: “You’ve got to take the bull by the horns and you’ve got to own it, and our guys owned it.”

Finals MVP Jaylen Brown: “It was a full team effort and I’m going to share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum, he was with me the whole way.”

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Matildas star Cortnee Vine has signed her first international football contract, confirming she will move to the U.S. to join the North Carolina Courage on a three-year deal lasting until 2027.

You might recognise Vine as the Matildas player who scored the winning penalty for the Matildas against France in the quarterfinal of last year’s Women’s World Cup.

The Courage play in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the top professional league for women’s football in the U.S.,which launched in 2013 and has 14 teams. They have won the league multiple times in recent years.

What they said:

Vine said: "The biggest reason I'm excited to join the Courage is their style of play. They play beautiful, possession-based football. And I'm excited to be part of the culture."

Courage coach Sean Nahas said: “We are thrilled to add Cortnee to our club. She has great international experience and can come in and instantly help us day in and day out… She’s an explosive player both on and off the ball and will fit in perfectly with our style of play.”

Vine’s Career so far…

The 26-year old has played in the A-League Women for a decade now after making her debut for the Brisbane Roar at age 16. She made her debut for the Matildas at the 2022 Asian Cup.

Since joining Sydney FC four years ago, Vine has scored 30 goals in 65 games and helped lead the team to consecutive championships in 2023 and 2024.

Matildas playing overseas

While Vine’s move is a blow to the A-League Women, it is not uncommon for Matildas stars to head overseas to join competitive football leagues which attract international talent. Vine will be joined in North Carolina by Sydney FC defender Charlotte McLean while Emily van Egmond and Kaitlyn Torpey both currently play for the San Diego Wave.

The most popular overseas destination for Matildas is the UK, where 10 members of the squad are playing in the Women’s Super League. Star player Sam Kerr recently re-signed with Chelsea Football Club until 2026.

How to watch

You can watch the NWSL, which is currently in season, on Optus Sport. 

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Deakin Research: Addressing Online Harm in Australian Women’s Sport

Did you know? 9 in 10 elite sports women have experienced some form of gendered online harm.

A Deakin University study has exposed how common cyberbullying directed at Australia’s top female athletes is, with 85% of those surveyed sharing that the abuse has negatively impacted their wellbeing.

‘These results should sound alarm bells at all Australian sport organisations,’ said Research Lead, Dr Caitlin McGrane of Deakin’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

‘We found 87% of elite sportswomen experienced gendered online harm within the past year, with many the subject of personal insults, hate speech and purposeful attempts to embarrass them. Half experienced harassment and almost 40% were sexually harassed.’

A total of 138 elite, professional and semi-professional sports women from 32 sports were surveyed, exploring the patterns of athlete social media use, the prevalence and type of online harm they experienced, the impact of that harm and their experiences reporting and dealing with abuse.

Read more here.

Looking back…

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