Leader material: Melissa Hurley shows impressive leadership and has improved greatly over the past two years.
Female Joel Selwood: If she plays like her AFL hero Joel Selwood then Louise Castle will be a handful for opposition teams to contend with.
Last Hoorah: Karina Demant is playing in her fifth Champs. Can she help the younger players get into division 1 again and leave ACT to the new brigade?
Rising star: A stand out in the first U18 Youth Girls Nationals Heather Anderson was named in the All Stars team. Her competitive nature will see her enjoy the new challenges presented by the Women’s Champs.
Young gun: One of the ACT young guns Kasie Nugent has a thirst for knowledge of the game and puts it into action.
For the Love of the Game Question: who travels 500 kilometres each week to play a game of football?
Answer: Julie 'Chika' MacLean of the Riverina WFC does!
It’s surprising to think that a woman in a non-traditional AFL state loves the game so much that weekly during winter she is happy to overcome the tyranny of distance to just to pull on the boots and have a run around.
And it’s proved worthwhile for MacLean. She has been involved in the ACT Women’s AFL (ACTWAFL) since its inception and is now their inaugural Life Member.
"I originally played for the Ainslie FC but got sick and tired of driving myself the 250 Ks from Wagga to training and games on my own," MacLean said. "So I thought if I started up a team then we could train together and travel as a group."
So the Riverina Lions WAFC was born. MacLean has been their Captain for 100 games and won numerous awards including twice runner up best and fairest, two times voted the players’ player of the League and three times most consistent player. The individual recognition is okay but MacLean is desperate to win a premiership with the Lions. “That would be my proudest moment. After 10 seasons I still haven’t been part of a premiership team, which is my ultimate goal.”
Being a member of the ACTWAFL Team of the Decade and having represented the ACT eight times, you’d suspect time is running out for Julie to achieve her premiership dream. If she can’t perhaps she can help the ACT get back into division 1 at the Nationals.
