BEING able to fully concentrate on her next move purely in the moment helps Astrid Gooley enjoy Australian rules football more than anything else. The talented Woodville-West Torrens Women’s forward has been playing the sport throughout her high school days, and said the aspect of it that she enjoyed the most was when she was on the field, she was “not thinking about anything else”.

Making her debut for the Eagles, Gooley played all 11 games. Though she only kicked the three goals – two coming in her first three games – she showcased some upside throughout the season. The Eagles won the wooden spoon and struggled on the scoring front, but a 2022 – with some huge recruits coming in – promises to change that, and Gooley could be the benficiary.

Describing her debut as “very scary at the start” but then she enjoyed it, Gooley arguably played her best game on debut, with a goal from five marks and seven touches against Central District. She settled into the forward line, and showcased her skills and courage which she regards as some of her best traits. Though her skills are a strength, Gooley said she was still looking to improve them.

The softly spoken teenager started her journey a few years back and came through one of the more traditional pathways to reach the SANFL Women’s competition.

“I started playing footy about I think it was my seventh year,” Gooley said. “I started playing with the boys at Rosewater and then the first year that I played I tried out for Eagles. “It was the first year they had it, and I’ve been playing there ever since.”

In her two games for South Australia at the 2021 AFL Women’s Under 17 Championships, Gooley slotted four goals and averaged 13 disposals, 3.5 marks, 3.5 tackles and pinch-hit in the ruck to record six hitouts. She showcased her ability to get it done in the air and at ground level, emphasising her athleticism and upside.

Now being named in the 2022 State Under 18s Academy, Gooley is looking to continue her rise and improve her game for the future. Though she wants to reach the elite level at some stage, she is determined to continue honing her craft until then.

“Probably just get my footy to be the best that I can be,” Gooley said of her goal in the next 12 months. “I’m almost at the age where I can get drafted now, just trying my best and obviously getting drafted is the goal, but I don’t know in the next 12 months.”