The Australian Football League has cleared 6ft 2in, 90kg transgender player Freya Golding to continue playing in an Adelaide women's competition, sparking calls for alternative leagues.
The ruling by the AFL Gender Diversity Policy Committee allowed Golding to remain with the Westminster Old Scholars club in the Adelaide Footy League women's competition after reviewing safety concerns.
Three rival clubs had lodged formal duty-of-care complaints prior to the decision, expressing concern over potential physical risks. However, the committee stated it was not satisfied that Golding's participation posed unacceptable safety risks.
Following the decision, several rival teams indicated a willingness to forfeit future matches against Westminster Old Scholars rather than compete against Golding.
Golding has defended her right to compete, stating that she is neither the tallest nor heaviest player in the league and simply wishes to play the sport she loves.
The Australian Football League, the national governing body for Australian rules football, oversees both elite professional competitions and community-level regional leagues such as the Adelaide Footy League in South Australia.
Calls for Mixed-Sex and Open Divisions
Opponents of the ruling argue that allowing transgender women in female categories compromises player safety and competitive fairness.
Stephanie Bastiaan, head of advocacy at Women's Forum Australia, said the decision showed a "disregard for the safety and fairness of female players" and called for an urgent review of the AFL's community-level Gender Diversity Policy.
"The female category exists for a reason: to provide women and girls with a safe and fair competition," Bastiaan said. "My concern is that this decision sets a dangerous precedent for female competitions more broadly."
In response to the ongoing controversy, critics and sports figures have proposed creating separate transgender leagues or open mixed-sex competitions.
Women's rights campaigner Sall Grover argued that mixed-sex teams offer the clearest alternative to modifying eligibility rules for female sports.
"Mixed-sex teams are the obvious solution, as everyone on those teams is consenting to play in a mixed-sex sports game. They play according to that scenario," Grover said. "If a man does not want to play on the men's team, because he feels it doesn't validate his identity, he can play on the mixed-sex team. It is a choice some women also make. What makes him special to be excluded from that choice?"
Grover added that men's teams should take greater responsibility for accommodating transgender players. "There should be an onus on men's teams to be accepting of men with various identities. It's quite telling that there has so far been no pressure on men's sports teams to be inclusive of men who prefer wearing skirts and lipstick," she said. "The entire point is: where a man plays should never be women's problem."
Under an open or mixed-sex model, men, women, transgender, and non-binary athletes compete together without having to meet strict single-sex entry requirements. Advocates of this structure believe it protects female sports divisions while preserving playing opportunities for all athletes.
Former masters footballer Jill Chalmers previously urged the governing body to explore alternative models. "We want (trans players) to be included, but we just think the AFL needs to consider another avenue," she said.
Surfing champion Kelly Slater also advocated for a distinct division, stating, "Make a trans division and we don't have this confusion."
Advocates Highlight Segregation and Practical Barriers
Transgender athletes and advocacy groups argue that establishing separate competitions would amount to segregation rather than true inclusion.
Advocates also point to major practical hurdles in setting up standalone leagues, which require a sufficient number of players of similar ages and skill levels living within reasonable travelling distance.
One social media user highlighted the logistical challenge, writing: "There's barely enough trans women in the city full stop to fill two football teams, let alone enough who like footy, are the right age, and are available to play."
Transgender athlete Chris Mosier, who became the first openly transgender man to compete in a United States Olympic trial against men, argued that athletes should receive opportunities based on identity rather than perceived safety risk. Mosier declared that advocates would "not accept policies rooted in fear instead of fairness."
Australian swimmer Madeleine Groves, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, also defended inclusion in existing divisions, saying, "Trans people deserve to play sport like anyone else."
The Australian Human Rights Commission, the national statutory body monitoring equality in Australia, maintains that sporting guidelines should maximize participation for transgender and gender-diverse athletes while protecting privacy, fairness, and freedom from discrimination.
