Suzie Miller play explores the origins of the AFLW

The Sydney Theatre Company is presenting Strong is the New Pretty, a new play by acclaimed Australian playwright Suzie Miller. Directed by Sarah Giles, the production explores the seven year journey to establish the women’s Australian Football League (AFLW), which held its first official season in 2017.

The play features fictionalized versions of real women who were instrumental in the league's formation. These include characters inspired by Sam Mostyn, the first woman appointed to the AFL Commission, Jan Cooper, the league's first female development manager, and Bec Goddard, a coach for the Adelaide Crows.

Through five chapters, the narrative examines the challenges and systemic inequalities faced by women in sports, tracing the movement from early proposals in 2010 to the inaugural Grand Final. The work is described as a study of leadership and cultural change within institutional structures.