After coming out of retirement, new Crow Courtney Gum is soaring after being nominated for AFLW Mark of the Year
Courtney Gum had hung up the boots. But Adelaide’s comeback queen has shown the AFLW competition she still has what it takes after her one-handed grab against St Kilda was nominated for Mark of the Year.
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After her AFLW career was given new life, Courtney Gum has chalked off an item on her footy bucket list – just not the way she originally intended.
After two seasons with the GWS Giants, the 38-year-old was planning not to play any more AFLW footy and called time on her career in March last year.
“I had retired and I was really happy with that decision, but I got the phone call from Doc (Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke) and decided to go again, kind of the phoenix rising,” she said.
“He just asked if I would be interested, and I feel like with opportunities you have to consider them and take them if they are there.
“The most important thing was (asking myself) ‘are you fit enough?’ and ‘do you have the skills required?’
“I felt with training and commitment that I still had what it took.”
She showed the rest of the AFLW competition she’s definitely still ‘got it’, as she played a key role in the Crows claiming their first win of the 2020 season against St Kilda last Sunday at Richmond Oval.
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Getting better and more influential as the game – a thriller won by the Crows with just minutes to go – went on, Gum also managed to put her hat in the ring for honours at the end of the season.
With the Crows a goal down as the minutes ticked away in the fourth quarter, a kick to a back-pedalling Gum in the middle of the ground looked to be an easy intercept for the Saints as they sought to maintain their narrow lead.
But the forward/midfielder had other ideas and plucked the footy out of the air with just one hand, and despite a Saints defender breathing down her neck.
.@CrowsAFLW midfielder Courtney Gum only needed one hand to claim the Mark of the Year vote for Round Two 😳 #AFLWvote
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) February 19, 2020
Head to Google and search ‘AFLW vote’ next week to have your say 💻📱 pic.twitter.com/njo00ExIML
It earnt her a Mark of the Year nomination – a footy goal ticked off for Gum.
“I think there was a bit of luck involved in that mark, but maybe a combination of luck and skill,” she said.
“It’s very unexpected, but I’m very excited.
“It’s kind of been on my bucket list to get Mark of the Year, so I’m pretty happy.”
The match against St Kilda was also a memorable one for Gum as her five-year-old son Buz was the Crows’ mascot for the game.
“The girls have been fantastic and the administration really welcoming to allow me, Krissie (her partner) and Buz to come into the club,” she said.
Phoned up by Doc to restart her AFLW career after Hannah Martin went down with a torn ACL, Gum is well aware of her role in a Crows side short on experience because of their spate of injuries to key players.
“With the injuries they had, they probably would be considered more on the inexperienced side,” she said.
“I think they just wanted that balance between youth and athleticism, and a little bit of an older head.”
Now with a win on the board in their second AFLW title defence, the Crows face a test that should look almost straightforward on paper, but is set to be a challenging one.
Geelong may be winless to start the 2020 season, but was a preliminary finalist last year.
Gum said Adelaide, which will again be without Erin Phillips, would be in for a tough game.
“I think this year in particular it shows that you can’t take any team for granted,” she said. “You have to come out firing, and Geelong will be a great team.”