- Sal Rees made history in the 1995 AFL draft
- Died on Monday after suffering shock health episode
The AFL world is in mourning over the death of women’s footy pioneer Sal Rees, who died on Monday aged just 58 after bringing the women’s game to national attention in the course of her groundbreaking career.
The Aussie Rules icon passed away in hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm that left her with catastrophic brain damage, with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon saying today’s AFLW would never have been possible without trailblazers like her.
Rees made headlines across the country in 1995 when she became the first and so far only woman to nominate and be accepted into the AFL draft.
A standout player and official for the Darebin Falcons, she became the first player to reach the 200-game mark in the VFLW.
‘Back then women’s footy looked totally different to how it does now, we really struggled to get any kind of publicity,’ Rees said of her history-making 1995 decision on an AFL 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.
The death of trailblazer Sal Rees (pictured right with fellow footy great Leesa Catto holding the 2024 AFLW premiership trophy) has thrown the footy world into mourning
Rees (pictured) became the first and so far only women to nominate for the AFL draft in a stunning decision that created headlines in 1995
‘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.’
Rees – who is survived by family including her wife Barb – was hailed by Dillon on Tuesday.
‘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,’ Dillon said.
Women’s footy great Darcy Vescio was also full of praise for the legend.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon said today’s AFLW competition wouldn’t have been possible without groundbreakers like Rees (right)
‘She was an amazing person, she always lit up the room she was in,’ Vescio told News Corp.
‘She had a beautiful presence and being around her was really special.’
The Darebin Falcons released a statement on the club great.
‘Gone too soon, Sal was an important pioneer of women’s sport and particularly critical for the establishment and ongoing leadership for our Club,’ it read.
‘A Club Life Member she was one of the few Falcons to play all 4 sports, footy, soccer, 8-ball and cricket and was also the President Victorian Women’s Eight- Ball Association.
‘Such was the impact of Sal, our Club Person of the Year Award is named in her honour.’
