Frankston Stonecats ready for impact

Footy season kicked off last month and the Frankston YCW Junior Football under-12 and under-14 girls’ teams took to the field with confidence, wearing state-of-the-art protective vests.

While playing football is fun, the risk of breast injury for female players is real. A four-year study into breast injuries in women’s sport conducted by University of Wollongong found 48 per cent of respondents who played contact sport experienced breast injury.

In the short term a breast injury caused by a knock from an elbow or a knee, or by the ball, can cause pain, discomfort and bruising, affecting the player’s performance and ability to play. In the long term, harder hits can result in hematomas, difficulty in breastfeeding, and can make reading breast screening results difficult.

In a bid to reduce this risk and give female athletes confidence on the ground, Donna Johnson created Zena vests with her husband, former AFL star Brad Johnson. The vests are lightweight and do not restrict movement. There’s a Youth vest and Zena Z1 vest for adults.

The Zena Z1 vest has been approved and licensed by the AFL and AFLW for use in competition across all age groups. The vest is designed to be worn underneath a player’s team jersey seamlessly and without visibility.

Frankston YCW Junior Club secretary Bridie Turner was integral to the club securing the vests for the teams. “I came across Zena vests when I used to play,” Bridie says. “When I became secretary of the club, we wanted to grow our girls’ program especially after COVID and not being able to play for so long. I wanted girls to wear the vests and have more confidence out on the field, to go in for those tackles and marks and feel protected.”

At $169.95 each, the Z1 vests aren’t cheap, but the club saw them as an important safety initiative. Generous support from two sponsors – Grace Professional Services and Western Port Excavations – made the purchase possible.

Grace Professional Services CEO Sandi Grace was keen to empower young girls to stay active and be protected while playing the sport they love. And Darren Simmons, owner of Western Port Excavations, has three daughters who play with Frankston YCW Junior Club and was eager to financially support the purchase for his girls and their teammates.

Under-14 player Lily Turner says: “I love playing footy. I’ve made a great group of friends and it has improved my fitness. The vests are great to wear as it protects me when I mark the ball.”