Bec Goddard recognised for contribution to AFL and women in sport with OAM honour

But she says one of those steps is the AFLW introducing four new teams by 2023.

Her love for AFL began with her running the scoreboard for her father's Belconnen Football Club games and evolved to coaching in Australia's top league.

The Canberran has witnessed the drastic change in the code over the past 25 years and is being recognised for her part in it, with an Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to AFL and to women in sport.

Goddard said she never saw that path for herself when she was running the scoreboard as a child at Jamison Oval.

"I was in Canberra a few weeks ago and the scoreboard is still there. I think about all the splinters I've gotten and at no point did I ever think that one day I'd be coaching the AFLW, winning an OAM or having the opportunities that I have. And it all started in Canberra," she said.

"I really have reflected in the last week ... especially growing up in Canberra, and being around local footy and being really thankful to all of those football clubs that opened the doors to me and gave me that opportunity to grow and fully contribute to a game that I was really passionate about."

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The Hawthorn VFLW coach has two national premierships under her belt. Her first was as the inaugural Adelaide Crows AFLW coach and her second was as assistant UC Capitals coach in the WNBL.

At 13, Goddard was forced out of her brother's team in the ACT due to her gender, but she said it would not happen any more, following the introduction of a women's competition in 1999.

"That doesn't happen now. We've got so many youth girls' competitions in Canberra and around Australia and we also have an AFLW for women to be able to achieve and play at the highest level," she said.

"I think it's really important to have role models and I really think women have been really undervalued in sport for so long. We know this journey of equality is a long road and it's not something that's going to be beaten by winning premierships or continually great performances, it's there for the long run.

"The next step ... is more investment in women's sport and it translates to how women are treated in the community. That translates to how they're treated within their families and it translates to how they're treated in society, and so this is why women's sport and a step towards equality is really, really important."

The next step is investment in the AFLW is around the corner, with the last four AFL clubs set to join the competition by the end of 2023. Goddard said this was the next piece of the puzzle towards equality.

"Back in like 2005 ... I had my first ever female football coach, Lisa Hardeman. She said to me as a small forward pocket, 'Present yourself'. I feel like it's actually taken on a bigger meaning for me. It's one of those things that if we keep showing people results and keep having women in those spaces and presenting yourself, that's where that value is."

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