NICOLE Callinan‘s footy journey began all the way back in 2006, where after playing indoor cricket for both Victoria and Australia, she played her first game of Aussie rules for Melton Centrals in the now defunct Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL). She then moved across to Darebin in 2012 and as part of one of the most dominant football sides many fans will ever see, she won five flags with the Falcons.

In that fearsome Falcons side, she played with the likes of Daisy Pearce, Lauren Pearce, Elise O’Dea, Darcy Vescio and many others that are now household names at AFLW level.

Describing the experience of playing in that team as “pretty amazing,” Callinan says rubbing shoulders with all those stars has made her the player and person she is today.

Callinan didn’t play in the pre-AFLW exhibition games that ran from 2013-2016, but was still picked up by the Western Bulldogs in the inaugural AFLW draft. Known as “Mum” during her time there, she would go on to play four seasons at the kennel, including in the Bulldogs’ 2018 premiership win.

Callinan spoke glowingly of her time at the Bulldogs, saying that she felt “very valued”, labelling that period of her career as something she will always cherish. Having retired from the AFLW in 2020, she returned to the Falcons and is still playing in their VFLW side.

“I think in my mind I wasn’t done playing footy,” Callinan said. “It was more probably the mental side of playing high level, like the top level.”

Callinan was self employed at the time, and with the long training nights on top of full-time work it meant she got to a stage where she needed “a breather”.

But physically, she wasn’t done playing footy, and she had a clear motivation. The choice of where she would play her footy was obvious.

“Coming back to the Falcs, I definitely wanted to play footy and VFL suited me so that’s why I got back into it last year, and the Falcs was a no brainer,” she said. “To come back to the club that helped me get to where I am today and also to give back and help players coming through.

“We’re playing against other teams that are AFL affiliated, so they’ve got the support of that AFL club. Darebin, as a standalone club, for me to be able to come back and help and sort of be a coach on the field, I’m happy to do that. I love that, because I’m able to help people and guide them.”

As one of the most experienced players at the club, Callinan has seen a lot of change at her beloved Falcons. In her time there, they’ve gone from seemingly unbeatable, to struggling the past few seasons, and now having a bit of a resurgence in 2022.

“It has changed a bit,” Callinan said. “Obviously since AFLW and with all the players going off to be part of their own AFLW clubs and things like that, it’s very different from where we all finished up. 2017, I think was the last time every one of us played, and we won that Grand Final.

“It was pretty cool to finish off like that with everyone but not there’s still players who played in that Grand Final team here, which is a credit to them to be here and the drive and passion they have for the club, they’ve kept it going, so I really admire them and their hard work as well.”

This season she is now coached by a former teammate in Kate Tyndall, which is a rare occurrence in football at any level.

Callinan had nothing but praise for the way her former teammate is coaching at the moment and has a lot of respect for her.

“She’s such an experienced and knowledgeable player as well coming to coach, I think she’s just coaching the way she played,” Callinan said. “She’s such a team player and what she’s delivering is exactly do the team things, team first and I think that’s what we’re taking on board.”

“I don’t think anything has changed for us. We’ve always been good friends, played for years. I’ve known her since 2012, I think we both started in the same year. We’ve just got that mutual respect, we were wing buddies the last few years playing at Darebin together and then we got recruited to the Bulldogs together as the wings.

“I think we know each other well and we probably think very similarly in the way we think about footy and it’s team first for both of us. I love how she’s coaching at the moment and how she’s including everyone and also noticing the things that it’s not just the players on the field, it’s off the field, and she really recognises those things, so you’re making everyone feel valued.”

Alongside all that she does at the Falcons, Callinan has a lot on her plate that she describes as having “been pretty full on.”

At St Kilda she has been a Player Wellbeing Mentor since 2021, and a Development Coach role was added to her position ahead of the 2022 season.

Not only that, but she is a remedial massage therapist too.

Callinan said that clear communication has helped her be able to balance it all.

Having achieved just about everything she can in football, the question remains; what drives her now and what’s the ultimate career goal moving forward?

Although she doesn’t want to ‘think too far ahead’, Callinan has some pretty clear ideas.

“I’m pretty basic,” she said. “Darebin, it’d be nice to get to the finals I think for this season, I think we’re on track for it. But if not, I just think massive improvement from last year to this season already and if I can see the girls develop and developing and doing the best we can, that’s going to warm my heart.

“For me in general, I think being a part of AFLW in whatever way it may be, whether it’s wellbeing, player development or coaching, I think for me it’s just ‘go with it’.”

With the way her beloved Falcons are going this season, Callinan just may be able to tick at least a couple of those goals off.