A RISING talent in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division, Lucy Yates is a top-ager who has shown she is more than capable of punching above her weight. Despite standing at just 159cm, Yates has regularly taken on much bigger midfielders both through the Coates Talent League Girls and AFL Sydney competitions.

Yates is a Sydney Swans Academy representative, and though she missed out on Allies’ representation, has been performing strongly in her local city’s league where she has been named in the best across the past four games. She has also represented the Swans Academy in the Under 22 Summer Series, as well as her school – Pymble Ladies College – in the Independent Schools Girls Opens Division 1 competition.

We spoke to Yates at the Sydney Swans Academy Preseason Testing Day to find out about her football journey, her against-the-grain support of the Geelong men’s program while living in Sydney her whole life, and her aspirations when running around on the field.

Q: Lucy, tell us a bit about your footy journey?

LY: “I was soccer girl and I found soccer, I struggled a lot because I was very physically so I played a season where I did a bit of both, then I gave up the footy for a bit, back to soccer, and then I was just like ‘nah footy full-time’ so got into it. My first proper season I think I was 13, so played not too long, had a lot of injuries. But yeah, love it, adore it, it’s great.”

Q: What is it you love about the culture and environment of footy?

LY: “I just love the team environment, especially here at the Swans, the way the culture, the way everyone gets around each other, picks each other up on and off the field. It’s a lovely environment to be a part of and I’m so lucky to be here at the Swans.”

Q: Experience playing in the Talent League in the Swans girls?

LY: “It’s great. You learn so much from them. Brenna Tarrant the other day I was asking her for marking tips, contested marking, and you just get so much out of it. It’s an experience like no other, it’s so good.”

Q: What do you see as some of your strengths on the field?

LY: “I’m an inside mid, so I think I like to be first to the footy, I’m hardball get. I like to get the dirty work that no one else doe, but just play my team role, what I can do to help the girls get up at the end of the day.”

Q: What are you looking to improve on at the moment?

LY: “Definitely some of my contested work, especially overhead as I’m quite on the small side, but just improve my marking and being able to spoil the taller girls as well as holding tackles, a big thing for me.”

Q: AFL/W club you support?

LY: “In the men’s I’m Geelong Cats all the way, but in the AFLW it’s hard to go past the Swans. They’re such a good team, where they’ve come from it’s so good to watch, and to be around those girls all the time, it’s an awesome opportunity so obviously Sydney girls.”

Q: The Geelong element, where did that come from, have you always lived here?

LY: “Yes I’ve always been in Sydney but I played at the Lane Cove Cats when I was younger, so just got behind that. Didn’t want to be basic, my dad’s a big Swans supporter so kind of wanted to go against him, so got on the Cats bandwagon nice and quick.”

Q: Who do you model your game on or look up to at the elite level?

LY: “Probably Belle Dawes, Brisbane Lions. She’s very hardball get, inside mid, love what she does. I think she’s got a great personality, lovely girl, works hard on and off the field, just a great inspiration to look up to a lot.”

Q: Who’s had the most influence on your individual career?

LY: “Probably my parents. Just supporting me, getting me to where I am, helping me through the tough times, the injuries, they’re just there 24/7 when you need them, so definitely my parents.”

Q: Mentioning injuries, what kind of injuries have you had over the years? How much time off have you had?

LY: “My main one a few years ago I had a back stress fracture, so that put me out the entire footy season. Very frustrating, couldn’t do very limited rehab stuff, so struggled with that a lot. But I’ve just leant you’ve just got to get through it, you’ve got to embrace the grind as they say at the Swans a lot. Yeah it’s taught me a lot just to keep me a lot to keep going, push through, times are going to get tough but stick with it.”

Q: Finally, what are you 2024 goals?

LY: “Just to play as much footy as I can, and help these girls get up as often as we can. If we can beat a few Victorian teams, hopefully the Queensland teams if we play them, just get the girls a win, that would be great.”