Sal Rees
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1966–2024)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Sal Rees
| image = SalRees1995.png
| image_size = 180px
| caption = Rees in 1995
| fullname = Sally Rees{{cite web |title=VWFL Life Members |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=248590 |publisher=Victorian Women's Football League |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331021522/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=248590 |archive-date=31 March 2025}}{{cite web |title=New Coaching Structure Set For Success At Pascoe Vale |url=https://essendondfl.com.au/new-coaching-structure-set-for-success-at-pascoe-vale/ |publisher=Essendon District Football League |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421103725/https://essendondfl.com.au/new-coaching-structure-set-for-success-at-pascoe-vale/ |archive-date=21 April 2019 |date=2 April 2018}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|12|23|1966|09|21|df=y}}
| death_place =
| originalteam =
| height =
| weight =
| position =
| statsend =
| years1 = 199?−200?
| club1 = {{VFLW Dar}}
| games_goals1 = 200+
| years2 = 200?−200?
| coachyears1 = 2001−2002
| coachclub1 = {{VFLW Dar}}
| coachgames_wins1 =
| careerhighlights =
- VWFL premiership player: 1996
}}
Sally Rees (21 September 1966 – 23 December 2024) was an Australian rules footballer and official.{{cite web |title=Celebrating Sal Rees, Footy Legend |url=https://thesportsbrabrand.com/blogs/the-sports-blog/celebrating-sal-rees-footy-legend?srsltid=AfmBOooaMmtGfpIMWMUAoaVUpF_B2PjCvdnAjDkwQTVAdtLm1OTuq2X_ |publisher=The Sports Bra |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331022111/https://thesportsbrabrand.com/blogs/the-sports-blog/celebrating-sal-rees-footy-legend?srsltid=AfmBOooaMmtGfpIMWMUAoaVUpF_B2PjCvdnAjDkwQTVAdtLm1OTuq2X_ |archive-date=31 March 2025 |date=14 January 2025}}
Widely considered a pioneer of women's football, Rees was the first person to play 200 games in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL).{{cite web |title=Milestones |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=248602 |publisher=Victorian Women's Football League |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331021523/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=248602 |archive-date=31 March 2025}} She was a founding member of the Darebin Women's Sports Club, and was also involved with the Pascoe Vale Sports Club as a player and coach.{{cite web |last1=Heverin |first1=Dane |title=Women's footy pioneer who once entered the men's draft passes away aged 58 |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/womens-footy-pioneer-who-once-entered-the-mens-draft-passes-away-aged-58/news-story/32a29c3690dc579d397b6558d0bd578f |work=Fox Sports |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250325013947/https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/womens-footy-pioneer-who-once-entered-the-mens-draft-passes-away-aged-58/news-story/32a29c3690dc579d397b6558d0bd578f |archive-date=25 March 2025 |date=24 December 2024}}{{cite web |title=Vale Sal Rees |url=https://essendondfl.com.au/vale-sal-rees/ |publisher=Essendon District Football League |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321220056/https://essendondfl.com.au/vale-sal-rees/ |archive-date=21 March 2025 |date=24 December 2024}}
Career
The Fairfield Falcons Football Club was formed in 1987, but the club was on the verge of folding by 1990.{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://falcons.org.au/history/ |publisher=Darebin Falcons |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311213856/https://falcons.org.au/history/ |archive-date=11 March 2025}} A group of women wanting to play football, including Rees, revived the club under the same name and the Falcons returned to the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) in 1991.{{cite web |title=Chapter 1 – The Founding Story |url=https://falcons.org.au/falcons-history-the-founding-story/ |publisher=Darebin Falcons |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124204551/https://falcons.org.au/falcons-history-the-founding-story |archive-date=24 January 2025 |date=1 January 2020}} Rees became the club's president in 1994.{{cite web |last1=Riddell |first1=Trish |title=Vale Sal Rees - a tribute |url=https://falcons.org.au/vale-sal-rees-a-tribute/ |publisher=Darebin Falcons |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311213129/https://falcons.org.au/vale-sal-rees-a-tribute/ |archive-date=11 March 2025 |date=23 December 2024}}
In 1995, Rees caused controversy when she became the first women to nominate for the draft of the men's Australian Football League (AFL).{{cite web |title=Preview: 2015 AFL Women's Draft |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/club_info.cgi?client=1-7259-119893-98417-0&sID=187390&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=35402756 |website=GameDay |publisher=AFL Canada |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331014320/https://websites.mygameday.app/club_info.cgi?client=1-7259-119893-98417-0&sID=187390&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=35402756 |archive-date=31 March 2025 |date=22 July 2015}} Rees wanted to promote women playing football, and her nomination resulted in the AFL amending its draft rules to prevent such an incident happening again.{{cite web |last1=Hanlon |first1=Peter |title=AFL: Sal Rees recalls how the draft against women's footy changed direction |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-sal-rees-recalls-how-the-draft-against-womens-footy-changed-direction-20160308-gndrb2.html |publisher=The Age |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305042853/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-sal-rees-recalls-how-the-draft-against-womens-footy-changed-direction-20160308-gndrb2.html |archive-date=5 March 2021 |date=8 March 2016}} The following year, she played in the Falcons' inaugural VWFL premiership.{{cite web |title=Chapter 2 – Ballarat and the First Premiership |url=https://falcons.org.au/the-first-premiership/ |publisher=Darebin Falcons |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121033343/https://falcons.org.au/the-first-premiership/ |archive-date=21 January 2025 |date=20 February 2020}}
Rees instigated the club's name change to "Darebin Falcons" in 2000.{{cite web |title=Darebin Women's Sports Club |url=https://makeadifference.volunteering.nsw.gov.au/volunteering-organisations/29012/darebin-women-s-sports-club |website=makeadifference.volunteering.nsw.gov.au |publisher=NSW Government |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331022253/https://makeadifference.volunteering.nsw.gov.au/volunteering-organisations/29012/darebin-women-s-sports-club |archive-date=31 March 2025}} She became Darebin's playing coach in 2001 but stepped down from the role at the end of the 2002 VWFL season.{{cite web |title=Chapter 6 – Parkside joins Darebin |url=https://falcons.org.au/chapter-6-parkside-joins-darebin/ |publisher=Darebin Falcons |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124190804/https://falcons.org.au/chapter-6-parkside-joins-darebin/ |archive-date=24 January 2025 |date=1 June 2020}}
In 2005, Rees became the first person to play 200 games in the VWFL.{{cite web |title=First woman to play 200 games |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=56309&articleID=4884110&news_task=DETAIL |website=GameDay |publisher=Victorian Women's Football League |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331021424/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=56309&articleID=4884110&news_task=DETAIL |archive-date=31 March 2025 |date=4 January 2008}}
Personal life and death
Rees suffered catastrophic brain damage following a brain aneurysm on 21 December 2024, and died in hospital two days later surrounded by family members, including her wife Barb.{{cite web |last1=Dann |first1=Emily |title=Tributes for Sal Rees, the first woman to play 200 VFLW games |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tributes-for-sal-rees-the-first-woman-to-play-200-vflw-games/news-story/39da89aee9a84432fa3fd025647cb523 |publisher=Herald Sun |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241223175226/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tributes-for-sal-rees-the-first-woman-to-play-200-vflw-games/news-story/39da89aee9a84432fa3fd025647cb523?amp&nk=346605ef9282bb1a09aadb32d75bd338-1734976364 |archive-date=23 December 2024 |date=23 December 2024}} AFL CEO Andrew Dillon was among those who paid tribute to Rees, saying the AFL Women's competition "would be impossible without the vision, determination and passion of trailblazers in women's football like Sal Rees".{{cite web |title=Vale Sal Rees, women's football pioneer and 'unheralded warrior' |url=https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1264085/vale-sal-rees-womens-football-pioneer |publisher=AFL.com.au |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214092219/https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1264085/vale-sal-rees-womens-football-pioneer |archive-date=14 February 2025 |date=24 December 2024}}