He said women should show off their bottoms to increase the popularity of their game.

The Western Knights were scathing in their response.

Carolyn Frichot, who has played soccer for 25 years, said the comments were unfounded.

"I played in NSW in smaller shirts and jump pants and nobody came," she said.

"It's not a forum for showing off femininity, it's a tough physical sport."

Imogen Shuey, 24, said the weather, if nothing else, mitigates against short shorts for Tasmanian soccer players.

"It's a winter game played in all sorts of conditions," she said.

"We don't want to be out there grazing our butts. It's not an elegant sport like netball or hockey."

The team wears exactly the same strip as the men in the club.

The shorts and tops are made as a job lot for the club and divided up among the players whether male or female.

There is definitely no concession to femininity in the cut of the shorts. While this may not be ideal it creates equality, they said.

"Not everyone's got good figures so this way we all look the same and no one feels self-conscious," Emily Cubbins, 15, said.

Glamorous outfits could even work against the game with some women too self-conscious to play, Mrs Frichot said.

Cassie Ashdown, 15, got right down to the nitty-gritty.

"It's a rough sport and short shorts could give you a wedgie," she said.

One disadvantage was that all that material got very heavy when wet, Lisa Cream said.

She confessed she would not object to a slightly shorter version that did not make her feel she was wearing a "nappy".

Mrs Frichot said wearing short shorts would not necessarily increase the popularity of women's soccer, except among men.

"It's just catering to 50 per cent of the population," she said.

"It wouldn't attract me to go and watch the sport."

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