HISTORIAN Lynda Carroll catches up with community manager Debbie Lee, regarded by many as the greatest female footballer
Ever since she was little, Melbourne’s Community Manager, Debbie Lee, has had her heart in the game. My two brothers played for the local club in Pascoe Vale, and I do have a picture of me as a three year-old with the footy in my hands. Obviously, growing up, footy was a big part of my life. I didn’t actually play junior footy - we just had a neighbourhood match - and then at the age of seventeen, I went down to a club called East Brunswick Scorpions, and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been playing since 1991, and I am looking to play my 250th game this year.
Debbie has been part of a changing game for women, and has played a major part in creating a thriving competition to this day, not least in her ongoing role as President of the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL). I would say that, when I started playing in the early 1990s, there weren’t a lot of girls playing, and the skill level wasn’t as great. Now, with the next generation of footballers, it’s a fast skillful game, that involves game plans and structures - we’ve got plenty of athletes playing the game who are all very talented. They’ve come from other sports like netball, basketball - we have three past Olympians who play in the Victorian Women’s Football League. There’s energy and enthusiasm, and the organisation around how we actually present ourselves as clubs, and present ourselves as footballers. A lot of the clubs now have an understanding that it’s not just about footy and taking the field on a Sunday - it’s about developing players as footballers and people.
In a lengthy career across all facets of the game, there is no shortage of highlights and honours for Debbie, all of which represent the progress of women’s football for her in her ongoing endeavours, rather than individual kudos. I am lucky to have two medals surprisingly named after me, which is really nice. One of them is through the AFL, which is for the best on ground medal for the AFL Women’s National Championships. The VWFL have also named the Debbie Lee Medal for the best first year player in the competition. In terms of achievements, I would say starting the St Albans Spurs, which was formerly Sunshine YCW. That was back in 1993, where as a nineteen year-old, I was able to - with the help of some great people - establish the first western suburbs women’s football team. Winning the 2004 grand final with the Spurs was another highlight, this was a culmination of all the hard work and represented the effort that went into establishing the team Then you’ve got other things, where I’m quite pleased with how things have progressed in my role as President, working with the Executive, and what we’ve been able to achieve in the VWFL. It’s still not at the level where it needs to be, but it’s certainly getting there.
Debbie Lee may be familiar to those who follow the game from an early starring role in the reality series - The Club. The Hammerheads was the club that emerged from the reality TV show, and I do recall going to the auditions. My brother said ‘you’ve got to go down there, Deb - this is a great opportunity to promote women’s football.’ There were about a thousand people there. I think they were surprised when they met me, I don’t think they had a female player in their plans. I saw this as a great opportunity to promote women’s football. I wanted to stay in the show, because it was an elimination type show, as long as I could. It was quite daunting, because it was a live show on Thursday nights, and you weren’t given any opportunity to prepare. I was a lot younger then, as well. There was also the contentious issue around why I would want to play, and there was the perception that I wanted to play against the boys, and that I was trying to challenge AFL Victoria. But it wasn’t about that - it was a platform for me to promote women’s football and put it on the map. If I reflect, I think it actually did, in terms of the general footy community, and I believe it showed that women could play footy. I ended up being assistant coach of the team.
From the playing arena to the office, Debbie has a diverse - and busy - role in the football world, and is at the heart of the game in many ways, whether coaching or working in the Community role. I’ve always wanted to work in footy. Young women ask me even now how they get involved in footy, and my biggest thing is - you’ve just got to volunteer - and I share that because that’s how I started. I’ve been in the VWFL for the last twenty-plus years, and I see that as my apprenticeship. Due to my involvement in the VWFL, I was fortunate enough to be approached by the Western Bulldogs . They contacted me and said, ‘Would you come down and have a chat?’ So, Community started with me then. I had a good understanding of grassroots community, in terms of football, and as a result I learned a lot at the Bulldogs. Basically it was all a blank piece of paper, and I was able to build the foundations of their community portfolio. I’ve been able to use those learnings at Meblourne. I’ve been in Community now for six years, and have had the opportunity to execute some ideas and programs that are relevant and meaningful, which I think have made a difference.
Community brings the wider population to the football club, and provides even more highlights for Debbie and all at the Melbourne Football Club through the programs that she and her team implement. I’m very fortunate that my role is quite rewarding, as we support real community issues, brought to life through our players, and using football as the vehicle. I’ve met some incredible people, and heard some incredible stories from students where our programs have had an impact. You hear the stories from the parents and the teachers, and that’s what it’s all about - it’s about delivering meaningful programs. It’s not often that you can do that through your work, and help to make a life changing experience. Read like a Demon is an example, as is the new program - Digital Demons - our cyber bullying program. There’s a number of students I’ve met who have said ‘Digital Demons has allowed me to understand how I got bullied, and that I’m not the only one who gets bullied.’ That’s what our community programs can do, and that’s why they are so important.”
On the odd occasion, Debbie actually takes time to rest, and have a breather from the non-stop hurly burly of the football and Community worlds that dominate her life. There is an off season. I think it’s in January. But, someone said to me that ‘busy people get busy things done’. So, I enjoy it. That’s how I operate. . I get as much out of it as I put in. Footy has shaped me, and made me who I am. I’m very fortunate that I wake up every morning and jump out of bed to do what I do. There are not many people who have that opportunity. My involvement with Melbourne and still at local level is rewarding- the learnings that I have at Melbourne translate to the learnings that I have at St Albans Spurs. Essentially, I have three families. I have my family that I’m born out of, my family at the Spurs, and my family at Melbourne. It is amazing - it’s that sense of belonging, that willingness to help people to succeed, to empower people - I’m very fortunate that I have that experience.
Ever since she was little, Melbourne’s Community Manager, Debbie Lee, has had her heart in the game. My two brothers played for the local club in Pascoe Vale, and I do have a picture of me as a three year-old with the footy in my hands. Obviously, growing up, footy was a big part of my life. I didn’t actually play junior footy - we just had a neighbourhood match - and then at the age of seventeen, I went down to a club called East Brunswick Scorpions, and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been playing since 1991, and I am looking to play my 250th game this year.
Debbie has been part of a changing game for women, and has played a major part in creating a thriving competition to this day, not least in her ongoing role as President of the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL). I would say that, when I started playing in the early 1990s, there weren’t a lot of girls playing, and the skill level wasn’t as great. Now, with the next generation of footballers, it’s a fast skillful game, that involves game plans and structures - we’ve got plenty of athletes playing the game who are all very talented. They’ve come from other sports like netball, basketball - we have three past Olympians who play in the Victorian Women’s Football League. There’s energy and enthusiasm, and the organisation around how we actually present ourselves as clubs, and present ourselves as footballers. A lot of the clubs now have an understanding that it’s not just about footy and taking the field on a Sunday - it’s about developing players as footballers and people.
In a lengthy career across all facets of the game, there is no shortage of highlights and honours for Debbie, all of which represent the progress of women’s football for her in her ongoing endeavours, rather than individual kudos. I am lucky to have two medals surprisingly named after me, which is really nice. One of them is through the AFL, which is for the best on ground medal for the AFL Women’s National Championships. The VWFL have also named the Debbie Lee Medal for the best first year player in the competition. In terms of achievements, I would say starting the St Albans Spurs, which was formerly Sunshine YCW. That was back in 1993, where as a nineteen year-old, I was able to - with the help of some great people - establish the first western suburbs women’s football team. Winning the 2004 grand final with the Spurs was another highlight, this was a culmination of all the hard work and represented the effort that went into establishing the team Then you’ve got other things, where I’m quite pleased with how things have progressed in my role as President, working with the Executive, and what we’ve been able to achieve in the VWFL. It’s still not at the level where it needs to be, but it’s certainly getting there.
Debbie Lee may be familiar to those who follow the game from an early starring role in the reality series - The Club. The Hammerheads was the club that emerged from the reality TV show, and I do recall going to the auditions. My brother said ‘you’ve got to go down there, Deb - this is a great opportunity to promote women’s football.’ There were about a thousand people there. I think they were surprised when they met me, I don’t think they had a female player in their plans. I saw this as a great opportunity to promote women’s football. I wanted to stay in the show, because it was an elimination type show, as long as I could. It was quite daunting, because it was a live show on Thursday nights, and you weren’t given any opportunity to prepare. I was a lot younger then, as well. There was also the contentious issue around why I would want to play, and there was the perception that I wanted to play against the boys, and that I was trying to challenge AFL Victoria. But it wasn’t about that - it was a platform for me to promote women’s football and put it on the map. If I reflect, I think it actually did, in terms of the general footy community, and I believe it showed that women could play footy. I ended up being assistant coach of the team.
From the playing arena to the office, Debbie has a diverse - and busy - role in the football world, and is at the heart of the game in many ways, whether coaching or working in the Community role. I’ve always wanted to work in footy. Young women ask me even now how they get involved in footy, and my biggest thing is - you’ve just got to volunteer - and I share that because that’s how I started. I’ve been in the VWFL for the last twenty-plus years, and I see that as my apprenticeship. Due to my involvement in the VWFL, I was fortunate enough to be approached by the Western Bulldogs . They contacted me and said, ‘Would you come down and have a chat?’ So, Community started with me then. I had a good understanding of grassroots community, in terms of football, and as a result I learned a lot at the Bulldogs. Basically it was all a blank piece of paper, and I was able to build the foundations of their community portfolio. I’ve been able to use those learnings at Meblourne. I’ve been in Community now for six years, and have had the opportunity to execute some ideas and programs that are relevant and meaningful, which I think have made a difference.
Community brings the wider population to the football club, and provides even more highlights for Debbie and all at the Melbourne Football Club through the programs that she and her team implement. I’m very fortunate that my role is quite rewarding, as we support real community issues, brought to life through our players, and using football as the vehicle. I’ve met some incredible people, and heard some incredible stories from students where our programs have had an impact. You hear the stories from the parents and the teachers, and that’s what it’s all about - it’s about delivering meaningful programs. It’s not often that you can do that through your work, and help to make a life changing experience. Read like a Demon is an example, as is the new program - Digital Demons - our cyber bullying program. There’s a number of students I’ve met who have said ‘Digital Demons has allowed me to understand how I got bullied, and that I’m not the only one who gets bullied.’ That’s what our community programs can do, and that’s why they are so important.”
On the odd occasion, Debbie actually takes time to rest, and have a breather from the non-stop hurly burly of the football and Community worlds that dominate her life. There is an off season. I think it’s in January. But, someone said to me that ‘busy people get busy things done’. So, I enjoy it. That’s how I operate. . I get as much out of it as I put in. Footy has shaped me, and made me who I am. I’m very fortunate that I wake up every morning and jump out of bed to do what I do. There are not many people who have that opportunity. My involvement with Melbourne and still at local level is rewarding- the learnings that I have at Melbourne translate to the learnings that I have at St Albans Spurs. Essentially, I have three families. I have my family that I’m born out of, my family at the Spurs, and my family at Melbourne. It is amazing - it’s that sense of belonging, that willingness to help people to succeed, to empower people - I’m very fortunate that I have that experience.
