The Seven‑Year Battle That Inspired Suzie Miller’s “Strong is the New Pretty”

Suzie Miller grew up in a football‑mad family in Melbourne, but because the AFL had no girls, she felt excluded and even boycotted the sport her family loved.

In 2017 she was invited to the inaugural AFLW grand final on the Gold Coast, where the Brisbane Lions faced the Adelaide Crows. Miller recalled, “When they finally announced there was going to be a women’s league, I thought, ‘oh my goodness this is something I never even imagined,’” and added, “Women were running out into a green field under a beautiful blue sky and all these little girls were cheering them on, and I just thought ‘this is a generational shift.’”

Inspired by the atmosphere, Miller began interviewing people involved in the new league and soon conceived a play. The resulting production, Strong is the New Pretty, is a fictional re‑imagining of the real events that led to the AFLW’s formation, and it made its world premiere at the Brisbane Festival.

The play’s narrative is anchored in a 2010 AFL‑commissioned report that recommended establishing a professional national women’s competition by 2020. Miller’s script follows the seven‑year battle to turn that recommendation into reality.

After debuting in Brisbane, Strong is the New Pretty will tour other Australian cities, with scheduled performances in Canberra, Geelong and Sydney.

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