There’s a whole lot of Canberra women who love the game of American Football. This year sees the launch of the Ladies Gridiron League in October, and as The Canberra Mustangs prepare for their inaugural season, we talked to three of the team, Pettra, Dani and Kat, who are gearing up for a team appearance at The Dock for Superbowl on Monday.

We’re excited to catch up with you for the Superbowl. What will people learn about you all at the meet-and-greet?

Pettra: That we’re dedicated the sport, and that we take it seriously we want Canberra to get behind us before the season starts.

Dani: Yep – we’re not prissy little girls. We’re looking to build support for what we’re trying to achieve as a team.

Kat: We’ve got to get the name out there – so this will be great in front of a bunch of NFL fans. Also, that our version of the game is really fast – the closest thing you can compare it to is Sevens Rugby.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned as a part of The Mustangs?

P: How far I can push myself! The training is full-on. We often do two gym sessions a day, and I’m amazed how much stronger I’ve become.

D: Commitment is really important. Team is a really big thing for me, and all the girls have great drive, which is what I love!

K: How to share my experience. I played for Sydney Surge, so with some of the girls new to the game in the Mustangs I can really help them learn.

What would you say is The Mustang’s team philosophy?

D: Again, for me it’s the commitment. Our expectations are so high – you need to be pretty much in hospital to have an excuse to miss training!

K: Yep. We’re only going to get out of this what we put in. As a small Territory, I want to show my old team-mates that we can compete!

It’s been a turbulent few years for LGL, but the recent Tri-Nations Series looked like a great success. Can you tell us how important that was for your league?

P: The LFL (which was the American-owned competition) has fallen over a couple of times, but the Ladies Gridiron League (LFL) is Australian and looks after the players a lot better. The Tri Nations made it obvious we’re there for the game, and not just to look sexy.

D: It showed the potential of what all the teams are looking to achieve. In the old league, the players weren’t insured by the LFL. Now, with the LGL the players are looked after and it’s going to be a national competition.

K: Nothing really beats Tri-Nations. If we’d had a match between two states, it wouldn’t have had the same impact. By going with national teams, the standard was a lot higher, and showed just how tough the sport is.

Were you a football fan before taking up this sport?

P: I knew a bit about it, but one of my cousins started a team and it was then I decided I really wanted to join in. Now I love it!

D: I actually played rugby, but knew a girl who was playing LFL in the States, so kind of watched what she was doing. I really liked it. I gave it a go, and once I made the switch, I haven’t missed a training yet!

K: I came from rugby and made the leap as well. I’ve played in Sydney local teams, the ACT Monarchs, NSW State and now here for the Canberra Mustangs!

What’s something we should know about one of your teammates!?

P: We all love Jad. She’s got two kids, is a bit olde than the rest of us, but she gets out there and goes as hard as anyone else!

D: Then there’s Tamara. Tamara has no filter at all. She is what she is – which, most of the time, is hilarious!

K: Grace. There’s always a lot of talk from her – even at training today. It was hilarious. She can play though, so she backs it up.

Any great surprises out of the recent tryouts at Narrabundah?

P: We had a lot more people show up than we expected, which was great!

D: We thought we had all the players we needed, and that there really wouldn’t be too many more out there. There were so many more than we expected! it was such a great surprise.

K: Yep. Plenty of new, strong girls turned up – which looks really good for The Mustangs.

Who would you love to see play the inaugural Half-Time Show at the LGL Final?

P: Oh, that’s hard! Maybe Cher? She’s be pretty amazing, I think!

D: Robbie Williams!

D: Beyoncé? Everyone says that, though. How about Drake? Or both?

Who’s going to win the Superbowl? The Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots

P: Seahawks. Everyone seems to be against them, so I’ll go them to get a back-to-back win!

D: Pats! They Seahawks cannot win two years in a row!

K: Seahawks! I’m even wearing the colours today. I can’t wait for the game. Everyone needs to get down to The Dock to check it out!