One of the brightest young stars of the Swisse VFL Women’s league - now a Western Bulldog marquee player - was almost lost to the sport of cricket, as Tim Sperliotis reports.
Ellie Blackburn of the Melbourne University Women’s Football Club grew up playing a variety of sports, however it was cricket in which she began to play at a high level.
“I played cricket at a regional representative level and was a part of a state academy for a little bit,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn’s love for Australian Rules Football started at a young age and she credits her family for her love of the game and the level at which she plays in now.
“My mum and dad have been really big supporters of me in footy and life in general and probably my brother and sister from the times we would have a kick of the footy at the front and make it a bit competitive,” Blackburn said.
The 21-year-old regards her grandmother as another figure who has helped her get to where she is, who also ignited her love for the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL.
“My nanna pretty much took me to all the St Kilda games when I was growing up and we still go whenever we can,” she said.
In addition to her position at the Melbourne University Women’s Football Club, Blackburn has represented the Melbourne Football Club women’s team in their matches against the Western Bulldogs women’s team and Blackburn considers this as a career highlight.
“Being able to play for Melbourne at the AFL level, it’s a pretty amazing opportunity to get given that and to represent women’s football in general,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn’s big opportunity to represent her clubs and women’s football was the result of hard work and persistence.
“I started playing footy in general to fill in for a team and when I got involved in women’s AFL, I got a call pretty much the night before the first game of the year to fill in for a team again and just continued on from there,” Blackburn said.
Off the field, Blackburn works at a supermarket in a managerial role. Unlike the AFL, players of the VFL Women’s League are not full time athletes.
“We all pretty much have our regular jobs and some of the girls have uni as well.
“We mainly have training on a Tuesday night and for us at Melbourne Uni we go through a bit of revision on a Tuesday night and then train for the rest of the night. On a Thursday we have training again and then play on a Sunday and in between I am at work.”
Despite this, Blackburn is happy where the Swisse VFL Women’s league is at and feels it has improved greatly.
“It has been really good, it has been amazing to see how far it has come and the level of footy that’s being played.
“We have more of a competition now with the four teams coming up into the state league that were in the lower division last year and the teams in that top state league have improved, especially because of the AFL Victoria Women’s Academy that was held over the pre-season.”
In order for women’s AFL to get even better, Blackburn believes that she and her fellow players need to nurture the younger generation.
“Being involved with the younger girls and going out and just being involved with the junior clubs and helping out at trainings and game day, I think that’s a massive key to it.”
Photo: Cameron Grimes
Last Modified on 27/07/2016 12:28