Hannah Scott is relishing being part of a competition that has rapidly dispelled the myth that football is a game for men and boys only.

Scott and Bulldogs AFLW coach Paul Groves, who spoke with SEN breakfast on Tuesday morning, are both proud that just a month into the AFLW season, gender barriers are tumbling.

Said Groves, “Footy’s now becoming normal for a young female. The six-year-old and eight-year-old [girl] can now run around at their junior footy club with the clothes on at match reports on a Sunday night and not be looked at by boys thinking ‘that’s a bit different.’”

Scott agreed: “To see the girls running around in our team [the Western Bulldogs], little boys – and little girls as well – now growing up, won’t know any different. They’ll just think this is the norm.”

For Scott, who turns 27 in March, that is a far cry from her younger days.

“Once I hit 12, I was told ‘that’s it, you’re not allowed to play anymore’ and I went off and played basketball, so it was definitely not the norm for girls to be playing footy. I was the only junior in my team.”

Groves said that while the evenness amongst the eight AFLW sides was great for the competition, he admitted the Bulldogs' recent results had been disappointing.

“How even the competition is, is really great for where [women’s] footy wants to go [but] it’s a bit disappointing for our girls not getting the reward for the effort that they are putting in on the scoreboard ... but we’re certainly thereabouts in most of the games.”

Scott was full of praise for her coach.

“He approaches it really well and the way he gets his message across is great.”

Notwithstanding the Bulldogs’ recent narrow losses, Scott has been impressive in her four outings, averaging 13.3 disposals a game, with standout matches against Adelaide and Melbourne.

The Bulldogs take on Carlton at Ikon Park this weekend. For more information click here.