Muslim women boost cultural understanding of Australia through AFL training in Indonesia

After watching a recorded Australian Rules football game on television from her home in Indonesia, Siti Nurbaeti became curious about the sport.

«The shape of the ball is not even round, it would … make an odd bounce,» Ms Nurbaeti said.

She also thought Aussie rules footy looked «very tough», so was worried when a friend asked her to join an AFL training clinic in Central Java.

«It turned out to be quite fun”, Ms Nurbaeti said.

»I've learned how to kick and pass the ball."

The 19-year-old student is one of an increasing number of women in Indonesia picking up a footy not only to get fit but also try to understand more about Australian culture.

«I want to continue to play footy and I hope I would have an opportunity to play it in Australia,» she said.

According to AFL Asia, there has been «a considerable increase in female participation» in the sport in Jakarta and Bali over the past two years.

AFL Asia also reported a 99 per cent rise in participation in development programs across Indonesia from 2020 to 2021, despite the challenges of the pandemic that slowed growth in other Asian countries.

This jump in Indonesia is attributed to the increasing popularity of mixed domestic league teams, like the Jakarta Bintangs and the Bali Geckos.

AFL in Indonesia will be one of the topics discussed at a seminar on sports diplomacy and Australia-Indonesia relations hosted by Monash University today.

Speakers at the seminar include Indonesia's first female AFL accredited coach, Ana Surjanto, who will share her experiences on running footy training for women.

Ms Surjanto has trained hundreds of young Muslim women like Ms Nurbaeti, both from her university and other Islamic boarding schools in Central Java.

«They usually have free time on the