“Unreal” premiership journey driving Healy to future success
NORTHERN Territory Under-18 representative Alysha Healy might be a year older than many of her AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships peers, but is still learning everything she can about the game. Hungry for knowledge on and off the field, the exercise and sports nutrition student said whatever happens with her on-field career in the future, her […]
Martin leans on Stanton for football journey
WHEN you are new to a sport such as Australian rules football, you always look to find a mentor who can fast-track your development. When your football coach at your high school is an AFL Women’s player, then it is even better. For Haze-Lee Martin, that was exactly the situation she found herself in when […]
Tabb narrows footy focus to find school-sport balance
WITH two separate South Australian seasons, AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships and of course school studies every year, it was becoming quite the work load for Jaimi Tabb. The Under-18 draft prospect had to juggle her South Australian National Football League (SANFL Women’s) season with West Adelaide, her South Australian Women’s Football League (SAWFL) commitments with […]
Watson thrives on Aussie rules aggression
ORIGINALLY hailing from the rugby league heartland of Sydney, Serene Watson grew up trying her hand in multiple sporting codes. She was “born and bred” through rugby league, went on to find herself fouled out in her attempts at basketball, but found a true home for her competitive spirit on the football field. It has […]
Future Saint already making waves at VFLW level
SINCE earlier this year, Dandenong Stingrays’ Isabella Shannon has known her fate for the 2020 AFL Women’s season. Unlike many of her peers, Shannon was pre-listed by the St Kilda side set to come into the top-level competition at the beginning of next season. Joined by Stingrays’ teammate and captain Molly McDonald, Shannon has followed […]
Saxon-Jones ready for the next step
FOR Western Jets’ Cleo Saxon-Jones, the journey through to the big league has been a bumpy road with plenty of footy action along the way. Despite starting Auskick at a young age like a lot of other Aussie kids, she explored other sporting avenues before ultimately coming back to where it all began. “I started […]
Family support inspires Zanker-Close to footy pathway
HAVING so many footballers in the family certainly helps. It is even more beneficial when one family member has reached the elite level of AFL Women’s football. For Queensland AFL Women’s Under-18 representative, Emmii-Lee Zanker-Close, she has been surrounded by footballers and always seemed destined to cross into the sport from her chosen code of […]
From junior permit to SANFL, Emma Smith has done it all
THE journey for Emma Smith has had no shortage of ups and downs, with the youngster forced to jump through hoops. But that did not deter her from playing the game she loves. “I love the game and the camaraderie that everyone else has outside thinking that women’s sport in general and in footy is […]
Miskin-Ripia developing on and off the field
FOR Northern Territory (NT) prospect Shantel Miskin-Ripia, her football journey is as much about past experience and future endeavours as it is about the now, playing with NT Thunder in the Victorian Football League Women’s (VFLW) and gearing up for the 2019 draft. Like many others the full-back said the ultimate goal is to get […]
Hickie dives into football pathway
MANY AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships players have played other sports at some point in their life before ultimately choosing Australian rules football. But for Tahlia Hickie, she had a few less talked about individual sports, partaking in gymnastics and diving, and then getting involved in Oztag which proved to be a transition sport into her […]
