In what National Premier Leagues Victoria side South Melbourne claims is an "Australian footballing first," the club combined its senior men's and women's training for its upcoming season, according to the AAP. The former National Soccer League side is "upping the ante" on its "A-League expansion hopes," declaring its "readiness to enter a W-League team from year one" of its admission to the "big time." It seems the "golden age" for women's sport in Australia is "taking root from the elite level to the grassroots." South Melbourne, awarded Oceania's team of the century, now has "more women's teams than men's sides." The club will "showcase" its top-tier women with eight doubleheaders throughout the upcoming state season and coach Gabrielle Guiliano said that she was "proud of the unified approach to training and playing." Guiliano added, "The club and our code at Lakeside Stadium is creating history by having our senior men and senior female team training together." Board member Bill Papastergiadis said that South is "a complete football club." Papastergiadis: "The club is innovating in how it trains its players and how it markets the women's games. South is playing a leading role in the development of the women's game in Australia" (AAP, 2/14).
