Jessica Stassi ‘pretty proud’ after winning first Maggie Varcoe Medal at Around the Campfire Cup
Australian Defence Force Guyala ruck-rover Jessica Stassi feels “pretty proud” after claiming the first Maggie Varcoe Medal as the best-on-ground at the Around the Campfire Cup football tournament.
- Around the Campfire Cup best-on-ground medal renamed in honour of Maggie Varcoe
- AFL star Travis Varcoe’s sister dies at Royal Adelaide Hospital after football game accident
JESSICA Stassi says winning the first Maggie Varcoe Medal at a women’s football tournament that promotes inclusiveness is a special moment she will never forget.
Stassi claimed the Around the Campfire Cup’s best-on-ground honour while playing for Australian Defence Force Guyala in the competition’s grand final against Woodville-West Torrens at Alberton Oval on Saturday.
Tournament organisers last week announced the medal would be renamed after Varcoe, who died in August following a head injury in an on-field collision.
Varcoe had featured in the Around the Campfire Cup with an Aboriginal All-Stars side over the past two years.
Stassi was a standout in her side’s 2.3 (15) to 2.0 (12) loss to the Eagles.
Varcoe’s twin brother, Adam, presented the medal to Stassi after the match.
“I felt pretty proud receiving the Maggie Varcoe medal and honoured to be given it by Maggie’s brother,” Stassi, 20, says.
“It was pretty special.”
Varcoe, who was also a member of North Adelaide’s SANFLW side, collided with an Angle Vale teammate during the division two women’s Adelaide Footy League grand final against Mt Lofty at Thebarton Oval.
Stassi hails from a small town on the NT’s northern coast called Milikapiti, which has a population of 447.
It was her second time in the Around the Campfire Cup after competing in the tournament last year.
“I like coming to Adelaide, it is very different to where I come from, though,” Stassi says.
“It’s very big, cold and has a lot of people.”
The Around the Campfire Cup featured seven teams comprising indigenous and non-indigenous footballers.
It culminated in a grand final between the top two finishers in the round-robin format.
