Eight years ago the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League had six female teams.
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On Saturday, 73 all-female teams will take to Epsom-Huntly Recreation Reserve to celebrate Female Football Round.
The remarkable increase in female participation in Bendigo soccer is testament to the work the BASL board and clubs have put in to develop the code across central Victoria.
From 2016 to 2023, female registrations grew from 389 to 834. When the final 2024 registrations are confirmed, BASL projects to have more than 1000 registered female players.
"Female Football Round is an important opportunity to celebrate and showcase all the amazing females that enrich our game," BASL operations manager Lauren Stevens said.
"This weekend will be the biggest all-female event the league has ever seen, and we are incredibly proud of the work that has been done by BASL clubs to get us to this point."
The Female Football Round kicks-off with all of the junior girls division matches in under-10s, 12s, 14s and 16s to be played at Epsom-Huntly Recreation Reserve.
From 1.30pm onwards the senior women take centre stage with all League One Women and League Two Women matches to be played at Epsom-Huntly Recreation Reserve.
At 5.30pm, BASL will also hold a special presentation to honour female contributors to the sport.
The highlight of the League One Women draw is the feature match at 6pm between the top-two teams in the competition - Strathfieldsaye Colts United and Spring Gully United.
La Trobe University and Shepparton United - third and fourth on the ladder respectively - also clash in a round of matches that will have a big bearing on the championship race.
In League Two Women, all eyes will be on the Kyneton versus Border Raiders clash.
Both teams are six points behind runaway ladder-leader Castlemaine, who has the bye this weekend.
One of the success stories in women's soccer in Bendigo is the rebuild of Golden City's women's program.
The Rams didn't have a team in 2022 and were winless in League Two last year, but have already won three games this season and are in fifth place on the ladder heading into Saturday's game with Swan Hill.
Saturday's Female Football Round senior fixtures:
LEAGUE ONE WOMEN
1.30pm: FC Eaglehawk v Tatura
3.30pm: Shepparton South v Kyneton District
3.30pm: La Trobe University v Shepparton United
6pm: Strathfieldsaye Colts United v Spring Gully United
LEAGUE TWO WOMEN
1.30pm: Border Raiders v Kyneton
1.30pm: Epsom Scorpions v La Trobe University
3.30pm: Epsom Stingers v Strathfieldsaye Colts United
3.30pm: Golden City White v Swan Hill
