Overview

Equal the Contest, the photobook, redefines what a football player looks like and who belongs on the football field. It celebrates not only what our bodies are capable of, but the stories that bring us to the field and equal importance of the spirit in which the game is played. This Photobook is a 188 page book celebrating the founding players of the Mt Alexander Falcons football club, a club started in 2021 by and for women and gender diverse people. Within 12 months of launching the club, it had attracted 70 playing and training members and throughout practice matches, despite being rejected from the league, gave 45-50 people the opportunity to take the field and play AFL. 19 players stories are represented alongside their portraits in Chapter 2 The First Quarter: In our bodies, in our stories. The book is interrupted by chaotic, immersive scenes in the moment of play, which are stills taken from footage that Mitch captured from the perspective of their body during the filming of the feature documentary Equal the Contest (see below). More portraits of players are interspersed between the stories and game play footage, to show the diversity of players and redefine what a football player looks like. Players chose for themselves how they wanted to present themselves, some choosing to smile as football is so joyous to them, some choosing to look strong and reflect how they feel in their body while playing. The following chapter Second Quarter: In action, visible shows players photographed from a sideline perspective. For many players, this is the first time they've seen themselves playing sport as, despite many having played sport their whole lives, their games have never been worthy of having a photographer turn up. The Third Quarter: In solidarity is a celebration of the connection and camaraderie experienced by teammates, family and spectators. The book culminates in the Fourth Quarter, a rewriting of the official AFL glossary of terms. Equal the Contest is a joyous reclamation of our bodies, of access to long denied sports and a tribute to the pioneers of the game of AFL. Along side this book, a ground breaking feature documentary film was also released, was selected for 9 film festivals in Australia and Internationally, won a number of awards and is still rolling out as part of an impact campaign. Head to equalthecontest.au for more information.

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9781763697201

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Mitch Nivalis (they/them) is a photographer, film maker, speaker and consultant. Through their work, they advocate for change and tell stories primarily across diversity, inclusion, gender equity and the prevention of gender based violence. In 2023, Mitch released their first feature documentary film Equal the Contest, which was selected for 9 film festivals in Australia and Internationally and won several awards, including the Positive Media Award at the Australian Pride in Sport awards. The film is creating ongoing impact, with over 35 public screenings in the last 12 months, and Mitch is now developing a workshop based on a shortened version of the film to take into sports clubs in 2025 along with a touring exhibition of players portraits and stories and a published photobook. In addition to this work, Mitch co-hosts a community sports radio show with some of their footy teammates, called On the Wing.

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