When it comes to female trailblazers in sports media and broadcasting, you can't get much bigger than Kelli Underwood.
ICYMI: Kelli is one of the biggest sports journalists in Australia, and was the first woman to commentate an AFL match on television and radio in the country - a feat that cannot be understated.
Kelli says she developed a keen interest in sport from an early age. "I grew up in a sports mad family where birthdays and celebrations were always times with a sporting event," she says. "Whether it be an Adelaide Crows game, a tennis match, or an Australia v West Indies one dayer [of cricket], there was always sport on in the background of our special family occasions....it was talked about and debated and it just got in my blood and never left."
As a student who loved studying English at school, one thing was also certain from the outset: she wanted to become a sports journalist. "My dream was to become a newspaper journalist writing sport for the Adelaide Advertiser. I would always read the paper starting at the back - because that’s where my passion was."
Starting out in sports media in the late 90s, Kelli admits that she never really had any mentors - and it has continued to be a struggle. "There weren’t many women working in sports journalism then, and no-one went out of their way to help me. It was as simple as sink or swim. So I definitely couldn’t afford to make any mistakes."
It wasn't until she travelled overseas during the off season and met with English sports broadcaster Clare Balding that she found her first female role model in the industry. She also shares that former ABC executive producer Susie Robinson was the first person to approach me to commentate and she’s been a mentor at times".
Kelli says that being a woman breaking into the traditionally male-dominated industry has been a "bumpy ride" at times. "There’s been little bumps and big bumps and there’s plenty of stories of setbacks behind the scenes," she says.
"From not being allowed to enter the change rooms after a game in the early days (because I was a woman) to a commentator at another radio station declaring on air that the 'ABC was treating their listeners with contempt because they had a woman calling an AFL game' - to never ending social media criticism," she shares.
"I never set out to be the first woman to commentate AFL on radio and TV. I’ve only ever wanted to be good at my job. I started as a radio reporter and I just wanted to be a good radio reporter. And then came television reporting. Followed by stints as a boundary rider. And I’ve only ever concentrated on doing each role to the best of my ability and finally the opportunity to commentate. Being the first you are always going to cop it. It’s different, it’s new and it is polarising. So there’s been plenty of challenges along the way."
Despite the challenges she faced starting out in her career, Kelli says that the way that female representation in sports media has evolved has been "astonishing." "I’ve just finished covering my 25th AFL season. Years ago just getting a foot in the door was tough and you couldn’t afford to make a mistake," she says.
"But the introduction of the AFLW competition has been a game changer. Suddenly women have been taken seriously on our radios and TVs. We’re not just there because of what we look like, or to do news updates or boundary interviews. Women are being used because of what they know about the sport. And I love seeing more women getting these opportunities and flourishing." She acknowledges that there's still a long way to go - including getting more sponsors involved and "for the AFL to pump more money into the AFLW so the players can eventually become professional athletes and don’t have to also hold down jobs. We need to see a longer season with the games played at better stadiums."
You'll now catch Kelli hosting Kayo Sport's AFLW on Fox - a new platform dedicated to AFLW. "A dedicated platform like this is important because it celebrates the amazing athletic abilities of these women but also gives them a chance to share their stories. The AFLW doesn’t take itself as seriously as the men’s competition. Players aren’t afraid to show their personality and even take the mickey out of themselves," she says.
"And in modern day sport, that’s really refreshing."
Learn more about AFLW on Fox here.