AFLW: Katelyn Pope’s touches on remarkable journey to the Power ahead of Erin Phillips’ farewell

Katelyn Pope thought her footy career was over, then a phone call changed everything. She touches on her journey to Port Adelaide as well as the farewell of teammate Erin Phillips.

Port Adelaide AFLW player Katelyn Pope. Picture: Matt Sampson

Katelyn Pope thought her footy career was over, and she was OK with that.

After having a taste of the AFLW as an injury replacement player for West Coast in 2021 the 27-year-old was of the view that was it and was content with playing for North Adelaide in the SANFLW.

“Definitely, I thought my career in football had ended to be honest after West Coast, I was just more than happy to play SANFLW at North Adelaide,” she said.

“And Port Adelaide gave me a phone call and said we might be interested, which came at a huge shock to me and then obviously getting picked up too was quite a whirlwind.

“I was pretty much in disbelief until we started training in may so that first month after getting drafted I couldn’t believe it still.”

It continues a remarkable story for the speedy wing/half forward.

Pope only started playing footy at 23.

Katelyn Pope in her Power colours. Picture: Matt Sampson

Prior to that she played five seasons for the South Australian Scorpions and Adelaide Strikers in cricket.

But she was delisted at 21-years-old and as a way to get over the devastation, she decided to take up footy.

After a couple of seasons as Broadview, she was picked up by North Adelaide.

But Pope is still heavily involved in her first love, working for SACA as a strength and conditioning coach with underage state squads.

“I still love it, still a SACA member still get around it as much as I can with the Scorpions girls, the Redbacks boys and the Strikers teams,” she said.

“It is obviously hugely different, there are obviously more people and the continuation of the game – it never stops.

“Where as cricket it can be a bit more individual whereas in footy you need that cohesion as a team if you want to play well.

“I think if anything the mental side of cricket, because it is such a mentally challenging game. You need such a big amount of resilience to bounce back in it.

“But also even stuff like ground balls and that, that has really helped because I was always a good fielder in cricket so I’m better with ground balls than overhead marks.”

After its final home and away game of the season against GWS at Alberton on Saturday, Port Adelaide will farewell AFLW legend Erin Phillips - who will retire from playing.

It will leave Pope as the most experienced cross-code player at Alberton, providing she gets another contract.

Pope with ball in hand. Picture: Getty Images

But she is not planning on stepping up and filling the sizeable hole Phillips will leave for the Power.

“I haven’t thought of that,” she said.

“It is very exciting and it will be a massive game for us as a club and Erin as well. Pretty much a legacy is ending.

“It has just been amazing to play a couple of games with her, you look back on her career and it is amazing what she has accomplished and the fact I got to play with her is just unreal and probably something I will look back on at how cool it actually is.

“Obviously massive because she has been the driver and the heart and soul for the club because she has that connection through her dad. It creates a massive hole but one for us to step up and fill and drive that Port Adelaide way.”

Port Adelaide have won just once and drawn once in its second season at AFLW level.

Pope said it would be huge to end the season with a win.

“I think if anything we have had too many close games, where if we did this and things went our way we would have had more wins,” she said.

“So it has been disappointing, the win loss ratio, but overall we are still building - we are still learning the best way to play together and ideally we finish this season with a win this weekend.”