'NO MATTER who you are, if you want to play football, Bayswater will make it happen.'

These powerful words aren't a throwaway catchphrase at Perth Football League's Bayswater Football Club, they embody the warm, embracing environment that the club provides.

For anyone.

"We value inclusivity … if you want to come to Bayswater, we make it happen," former club president and life member Danielle Santoro says.

"There's no judgment at our club, people feel really comfortable, and they come back over and over."

Bayswater was established in 1946 and enjoyed many golden years before falling on hard times that threatened the club's survival.

But an inspiring resurgence over the past two decades has seen the club's team numbers grow.

Danielle, also a former long-serving secretary of the club, describes 'Baysie' as 'a small, little heritage club' that offers something more than just competitive sport.

"We talk about it getting in your blood, and it really does," she says.

"For us, it's been a big thing in our family, my daughter volunteers in the canteen, my son runs the boundary now. My middle son was 18 months old when we came to the club and now, he's 16 and running the boundary.

"It's pretty cool to see the impact, that they've been able to see what a community club is, and have some really good people around them.

"For us, it was really important for our children to see great role models."

In 2018, Bayswater was one of the first clubs in the PFL to introduce a women's side.

Just a few years later, some players approached the committee with an idea about celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and the Pride Cup was born.

With sponsors coming on board to help fund pride guernseys and a groundswell of club and community support, the idea became a reality in 2022.

"Our values of inclusivity, respect and community … they all just came together with the Pride Cup," Danielle says.

"It's pretty special. It's very colourful. The girls put on an awesome night at the club … they've had everything from drag to prosecco nights, they get a DJ in, and the entire club gets around it.

"So, it's not just our women, and that's what I think makes our girls feel so welcomed is that it actually doesn't matter who you are, you fit in."

That inclusivity isn't just a mindset; with the support of the local council the club was able to upgrade changeroom facilities last year to make them gender-inclusive and accessible.

"We had women coming to play footy in a facility that was built in the '80s, which was not very inclusive for women at the time it was built," Danielle says.

"But now we have purpose-built change rooms that have made the girls feel very welcomed.

"Women have to feel safe and included and I think that's what we offer at Bayswater."

Ann Lord is a psychologist in the education field who has a passion for photography.

After first picking up a camera five years ago to capture her son's football games, Ann has progressed to regular work with the Perth Football League and was delighted to shoot this year's Pride Cup.

ENTER NOW Submit your best grassroots footy photos for Footy Focus 2026

"The mood at the ground was fantastic," Ann says.

"It was really colourful, and they were having a social event that evening, which they do every year, in association with the Pride Cup.

"'Camp Rodeo' was this year's theme for the Baysie Pride Cup and in the second half I took the opportunity to get some images of the set-up and supporters in their denim and Western outfits.

"It showed so much about the ethos and spirit of community they have developed.

"What's happening on the sidelines, for me, is just as important as what's happening on the field.

"I think that's where the magic happens really, it's seeing the joy and the way that community football, amateur football, really brings people together.

"I think being at a game like that, you're really excited about what it means for the club and what it means for the community.

"So, I really enjoyed that one and was just trying to interact with as many people as I could."

While delighted to attend, the timing of this year's game provided some technical challenges for Ann.

>> See more of Ann Lord's photography HERE 

"I was really nervous about shooting the game as it started after 5pm and I knew I would struggle to get usable images of the game in the second half," she says.

"I concentrated on the play in the first half, walking the boundary with my 70-200 2.8 lens and waited for the ball to come near me.

"It was a crisp autumn evening with a beautiful sunset, and I was lucky to get some great action photos of the women in their colourful guernseys."

Ann is out shooting games for the PFL most weekends and is devoted to improving her craft.

"I think I've got more keepers this year than I had in previous years, but it's just all about practice," she says.

"A lot of photographers now are amazing professionals with really high-end gear, but I think that, even if your equipment is moderate, you can still capture a nice picture that just reflects the spirit of community football."

Footy Focus 26, thanks to Toyota's Good For Footy program, is now open for entries! Here's your chance to shadow and shoot with Michael Willson at a game in 2027.  We want to see your photos that capture the essence of our great game at a grassroots level. To enter, upload your best community footy photos taken during 2026 to: afl.com.au/footyfocus