There are only six clubs in the competition.

Edwards said that, regardless of sex, she was the best candidate given the low number of people who put their hand up for the role.

Edwards, who is a part-time teacher while looking after her three young children, has been part of Corryong’s executive for the past five seasons and said women had always been well represented at her club.

“Women can be leaders. I suppose we’ve been seen to do a lot more of the background work in the past ... but currently we’ve got women on our committee who have a big input,” she said.

Wilson who works as a nurse, has also had a deep-seated association with her club.

“I’m probably the third or fourth generation (at Federal),” she said.

Wilson said her appointment showed how the gender divide had been broken down between football and netball clubs.

“I think now, because of the association with football and netball, women are certainly playing a bigger role. I also think it’s a sign of the times, that women are taking on a lot more of the major roles,” she said.

All three women have spent time as adversaries on the netball court and still regularly pull on a bib.

Coutts who is based at Walwa, said her nomination was driven by her passion for the club.

“There were concerns about how the club was actually going to continue on, because, basically, some of the people involved had volunteer fatigue,” she said.

Coutts echoed her fellow presidents’ sentiment that coincidence was a major contributor in all three receiving their promotions simultaneously.

“We’ve got the skills, each of us, to further their club,” she said.

“It just so happens that we’ve stepped up together, and it’s great to have the support of the other girls.”