welcome to masters!

WE ARE THE OVER 35S WOMENS TEAM

Come along to any training session to try out.

Register your details on PlayHQ for insurance purposes.

Have fun, become hooked, pay your fees and play a game

WHERE CAN WE TAKE YOU?

Fun and Fitness for over 35's

The Surfers Paradise Demons Women’s Masters Team is all about fun, fitness, and flexibility—perfect for women aged 35+ who want to keep playing footy without it taking over family life. Now heading into our third season in 2026, we play around 10 games a year, typically every second weekend, travelling across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.

We proudly fit our schedule around being mums (especially those juggling kids’ sport on weekends), and as a true family club, kids are always welcome on the sidelines—or joining in the fun. Led by experienced women’s coach Kerry Saunders, our team is welcoming, inclusive, and always happy to meet new players—whether you’re returning to footy or giving it a crack for the first time.

Training Information

Masters Women train 6-7pm every Monday & Wednesday at our home ground. All welcome to try, come down and introduce yourself and join the fun.

Games & Fixtures

Our games and fixtures can take time to be published on the Play AFL app. We have a private WhatsApp Group for game information.

Uniform

To purchase your uniform, go to our new online store to click and collect. shop.spafc.com.au/masters

Our Story, Your Path

Transforming lives Through footy & community.

Women’s Masters footy is about giving women permission to put themselves first again. It’s not just about the game—it’s about confidence, reconnecting with your body, and rediscovering what you’re capable of.

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Experience

Community, Support & Belonging

Everything starts with inclusion. We create a space where every woman feels safe, supported, and valued—no matter their fitness level, experience, or life commitments. The camaraderie is just as important as the training. This team is a community: mums, partners, friends and kids all mixed in together. We lift each other, celebrate small wins, and make sure everyone knows they belong.

Strength & Fitness

The focus is on sustainable fitness and enjoyment. We train smart, not hard for the sake of it—building strength, mobility, and resilience while respecting that every body is different. The goal is to help women feel strong, confident, and capable on game day, while also making sure they can walk into work, school pickup, or family life the next day feeling good.

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Experience

Masters Coach | Kerry Saunders

Director of Women and Youth Girls Football

Our Fees

Fees for AFL Masters' Team

$200

Our History

The Surfers Paradise AFC Women’s Masters team was born from a simple but powerful idea: women deserved the chance to play footy with their own age group.

When AFL Masters Queensland formed a Women’s Masters league to begin in 2023, long-time club stalwart, junior coach and women’s player Nicole McDonald saw an opportunity. Nicole approached then Club President Katrina Pridmore with a vision—to create a Women’s Masters side at the Demons the following year.

With the backing of the club, Nicole teamed up with Board Members Melisa Usic and Dawn Rose, and the four women set about launching and promoting the first-ever SPAFC Women’s Masters team. Drawing on their shared experience as footy mums, Nicole began by reaching out to U10 mums, while also tapping into the WAGs of the Men’s Masters—after all, the Demons is a family club through and through.

By October 2023, a small but committed group had formed. With Nicole and Melisa both having partners playing Men’s Masters, the fledgling team leaned on that experience and support—borrowing Men’s Masters coach (and SPAFC Junior Coach) Chris Murphy, alongside his Olympic medallist wife Rae Boulton, to help get the women “game ready”. The first training session is still talked about—blood, sweat and tears, and a lot of laughter.

As pre-season rolled into 2024, Nicole recruited a few more mums (because who doesn’t want to start AFL in their 40s?), and through some clever club social media promotion, the Demons were approached by former Victorian AFL Masters and Women’s coach—and ex Australian cricketer—Kerry Saunders. With her no-nonsense approach and deep coaching experience, it was a match made in heaven… at least for the women. Kerry might still wonder what she signed up for.

The team sang the Demons song for the first time after winning their first-ever game in 2025, a moment that perfectly captured the spirit of this group—earned, emotional, and unforgettable. By early 2024 the Women’s Masters squad had grown steadily, and by 2025 it had expanded again, cementing the team as a permanent and much-loved part of the club.

What makes this team truly special is its diversity. Only a handful of players had ever competed in women’s league football; most had never kicked a Sherrin before. Yet they train hard, play hard, and have the best time doing it. It’s a team built on courage, camaraderie, and community—where family comes first, kids are always welcome, and everyone belongs.

If you’re looking for a sport, connection, laughter, and a place that genuinely puts family first, the Surfers Paradise Demons Women’s Masters is exactly where you belong.

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