ATHLETIC utility Ruby Lynch is willing to play anywhere, and expects she may well roll between a number of positions in 2026. The Woodville-West Torrens talent crossed from basketball a few years back and looms as a prospect with great upside and is one to watch this season.
We spoke to Lynch at the recent South Australian Preseason Testing Day about her football journey, game, inspirations and goals for the year ahead.
Q: Ruby, tell us a little bit about your footy journey?
RL: “This is going into my fourth year [of footy], so I’m still pretty fresh. I was playing basketball from the age of five. I started footy as more of a chill thing, just have a bit of fun, and exactly what it was was fun, and it was all I wanted to do. So I quit basketball and have focussed on footy since. That’s how I got into it, just to play with friends.”
Q: What level did you get to with basketball?
RL: “I was playing Division 1 and captaining Under 18s Div 1, and I was in a few state squads. But last year I quit that to just focus on footy.”
Q: What was the step up like starting at local footy into SANFLW and state programs?
RL: “The biggest difference for me going from local to seniors was just the mentors. I’ve been mentored by ‘Cutters’ (Leah Cutting) who was playing AFLW. I think its just everyone wants to help each other out and that was the biggest difference.”
Q: Is there a person whose had the most influence on your career?
RL: “Probably her (Cutters), but also a lot of basketball coaches as well just pushing me to do my passion even though basketball was there first. They pushed me to do what I loved, which was footy. A few basketball coaches out there helped me with that as well.”
Q: What is your preferred position at the moment? Where do you think you’ll fit in?
RL: “That’s a hard one because I do find myself playing pretty much everywhere on the field. I love playing forward. I got thrown into mid a bit last year towards the end of the season for Eagles, which was really good to learn from some new people as well. I like rucking, but I think forward would probably be my position.”
Q: What do you see as some of the strengths and your improvements?
RL: “I think my strength [is] I can play pretty much anywhere, and I’m open to doing that as well. Then just for my height, basketball’s given me a bit more movement, quick hands, agility, that kind of stuff. I think my biggest weakness is my confidence. Being pretty fresh to footy, not backing myself sometimes and I’m also looking to get fitter and faster.”
Q: Do you watch a lot of footy?
RL: “I do, yeah. A fair bit.”
Q: Which club do you support?
RL: “In the AFL I go for Essendon, and in the AFLW I go for Gold Coast or Carlton.”
Q: What’s the reason behind all that?
RL: “Well I go for Carlton in the AFLW because I really like the way Poppy Scholz plays and Soph McKay, all of those girls who I really look up to. I just really like their vibe the way they play. Essendon I’ve always gone from them, my parents just convinced me at a young age they were a good team.”
Q: Are there players at the top level you look up to or model your game on?
RL: “At AFL/AFLW level, Poppy Scholz is a big one for me. But genuinely I look into my teammates out at Eagles the most. I try and pick up stuff from them, [they] teach me directly which is probably the best way to go about it.”
Q: What goals have you set for the year?
RL: “I’m in Year 12 as well, so I’ve got a few for that. But footy wise I just want to put myself in the best position. I’ve set some real nutrition and recovery goals to set myself up off-field as well, not just on-field. Then I have a big mental focus like trying to back my confidence and learn some stuff around footy. Then a big goal of mine is to be drafted, but I think the little ones along the way will probably have the biggest impact.”
