The Waratah Football Club is recognised nationally as a Women and Girls Chartered Club by the AFL. Being a chartered club recognises the WFC’s ongoing commitment and championing of Women and Girls in Australian football. This includes a commitment to being a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all.

Whilst our Men's team is one of the Foundation Clubs, our Women's team were part of the formation of Women's footy within the NTFL, dating back to an exhibition match against Wanderers on Australia Day in 1987. With the now WPL joining the league in 2004-2005, our senior women's program celebrated 20 years in season 2024-2025. In the 2020-2021 season, we introduced our second senior women's team in the Women's Division One, which was introduced by the league in 2019. 

Our contribution to women's football in the Territory was celebrated with the inaugural WPL Foundation Cup jumper on 26th January 2022 - where our WPL were victorious against Wanderers. This also saw the first time that our WPL wore our Indigenous Jumper, designed by our very own Sharona Bishop, who not only designed the jumper, but who is also a WPL Premiership player and has previously coached our U16 Boys.

 

WPL Head Coach - Troy Rantanen

WARRIOR ANNOUNCEMENT

As announced at Senior Presentation, the WFC is proud to announce the re-signing of Troy Rantanen as the WPL Coach for 2026-2027.

Of his signing Troy said -

“I’m excited for the opportunity to coach the Waratah WPL again next season. Last year, we built a strong foundation and showed significant growth across the program.

Our focus now is to build on that momentum with a strong pre-season, while continuing to prioritise player retention and recruitment.

We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and committed group of women and girls throughout the entire program,

which makes coaching this club so rewarding.”

*Pictured - WPL Coach Troy Rantanen

 

                                                                                            

                                                          

Premierships

Since the introduction of the Women's Premier League in the 2004-2005 season, our Women's team has won the most Premierships in that time (8). 

Year	Against
2006-2007	Def Darwin Buffettes 3.1 (19) - 2.5 (17)
2011-2012	Def St Mary's 9.8 (62) - 2.1(13)
2012-2013	Def St Mary's 13.5 (83) - 8.4 (52)
2013-2014	Def Darwin Buffettes 6.7 (43) - 3.6 (24)
2014-2015	Def Tracy Villiage 9.4 (58) - 0.4 (4)
2015-2016	Def Wanderers 6.14 (50) - 4.8 (32)
2017-2018	Def Darwin Buffettes 9.5 (59) - 4.0 (24)
2018-2019	Def Southern Districts 3.3 (21) - 0.3 (3)

 

 

NTFL Women's Premier League Best and Fairest Winners 

Year	Name
2005-2006	Candis McLennan
2008-2009	Pip Cox (joint winner)
2010-2011	Steph James
2011-2012	Steph James
2014-2015	Ange Foley
2015-2016	Ange Foley
2017-2018	Lisa Roberts (joint winner)
2019-2020	Lisa Roberts

 

 

 

Margaret Millar, mother of former Warrior Shannon Millar, never missed a Waratah Women’s football game. Whilst she never played, she found a passion for women’s footy when Shannon started playing

Margaret was passionate about women’s sport being highly involved in Netball as a committee member, coach, player, Manager and NT Board member. 

Margaret would assist around the WFC and the women’s team throughout her daughters playing career and never missed a Tah’s women’s game.

Margaret was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2002, whilst she overcame this, unfortunately she was later diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. After the removal of three tumours Margaret had little movement in her left side of the body and no speech. This never stopped her from living life or coming to footy to watch her favourite team.  She was in pain daily; however, you would never know it.

Margaret battled cancer for seven years and it never stopped her from achieving her goals, she travelled the world to Africa, the USA, the Caribbean and England.  She was still involved in Netball and Football.  She completed her degree and would still live life to the fullest each day, cancer didn’t stop her. People that knew Margaret know that she was the meaning of Courage and Resilience. 

Sadly, Margaret passed away during the 2009-2010 season and in her honour, the Margaret Millar Courage and Resilience award was named, with permission from the Millar family.

This award not only represents the on-field Courage and Resilience a player displays but also the off-field values they demonstrate around the club and in their life.  This award is what women’s football is all about and how we have developed women’s football to where it is today.  Margaret always believed women’s football could be more than just a social sport and she would be proud to see that women are playing football from juniors right through to the highest level of AFLW.