Flying from home to home, as our extended ‘family’ unites in the NT

CROSSING the country to reach the second home of the Crows’ women’s team, co-captain Chelsea Randall reveals how her side defeated the tyranny of distance to form a close “family”.

Chelsea Randall gets her kick away against Brisbane at Norwood Oval. Now she’s headed to Darwin for another vital game. Picture: Sam Wundke

STARING out of the aeroplane’s window, I am contemplating the thoughts that roll through my mind.

I remember the build-up of travelling an hour for junior football into the city. It seemed to last forever, and now I get the opportunity to travel a few thousand kilometres across states to play a game of football. How unreal is that?

I’m on my way to a beautiful part of the country, Darwin, our other home.

It’s where nine of our AFLW Crows players are based. I think it has been greatly under-reported, that these amazing girls have travelled every week since the AFLW season started. Now it’s the SA-based players’ turn to travel for a home game.

Travelling for a home game ... that sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it? We are the only AFL Women’s team that does this.

Here’s a bit of background. At first, SA wasn’t going to have a team representing it in the inaugural AFLW season as the talent pool was seen to be too shallow.

The Adelaide Crows and AFLNT partnership allowed us to combine talent pools to apply for a women’s team license, providing a great opportunity.

It also gave a much-needed boost to the push to grow female football and fast track the participation and talent pathways in both regions.

It is great to see all elements of SA footy aligning their thinking in this way too — as evidenced by the new SANFL women’s league this year.

During the week, SA-based players train at the Adelaide Football Club at West Lakes and our Northern Territory-based players train at the Michael Long Centre in Darwin, home of the NT Thunder team.

W

Home away from home ... Crows co-captain Chelsea Randall with students from the St Andrew Lutheran College in Darwin during a visit.

e unite a day before the game and make the most of our time together. We had two weekend camps as a team in the pre-season, one in Adelaide and another in Darwin.

This second one was tied in to our first trial match against Fremantle Dockers in January — the first time we played together.

Many questioned how we were going to bring a team together that was based in two different cities. We’d never met each other and didn’t know much about each other at all — let alone any of the understanding of each other as footballers — players’ strengths, kicking depth, preferred foot etc.

The modern IT world made things easier through Skype, Facetime, social media and messaging. Now it never feels like we are truly apart.

Our coach, Bec Goddard has done extremely well in ensuring all the coaches and staff in SA and NT were well and truly on the same page.

Training is mirrored in both states, as well as the weights programs (held on the same day), and the wellbeing sessions cover the same content.

Goddard will agree that every player, staff member and support person has played a significant role in bringing this family together.

The coaches drafted not only talented footballers but good people, just as the Crows do in the men’s competition. You could be the greatest player in Australia, but if you have a negative attitude, you are not prepared to work hard and are not prepared to listen, learn, take criticism and follow instructions, then all that talent doesn’t matter — it is a team sport.

This is even more profoundly important given our separation by distance.

There is so much hidden talent in Darwin and I’m excited to have the opportunity to travel up here early in the week pre-game to check it out and help promote this weekend’s match to all the local schools.

As part of my fulltime job as a community programs officer for the Adelaide Football Club, I’ve got 16 schools to visit across four days.

Travel does takes its toll though.

Adjusting to different time zones can be difficult, and sitting in the same position for a few hours tends to stiffen up the body.

Then add delayed planes, loss of hydration, along with any bruises or injuries that tend to swell up from the altitude and pressure in the cabin.

Other elements can catch you by surprise — such as if you’re “lucky” enough to sit next to Anne Hatchard (AFLW Player No. 33). Her snoring will keep you wide awake so you don’t miss a thing!

There are a lot of positives about travelling, for me.

I love jumping on the plane ... it allows me to have some “me” time.

It’s a little adventure, a chance to see something new, meet new people and gives us time to bond as a group ... plus there’s always free time for charades. Georgia Bevan (AFLW player No. 4) is the queen of this game, so always have her on your team!

It’s going to be a massive day of female football on Saturday at Darwin’s TIO Stadium — a youth girls grand final followed by the Women’s League grand final and finally our AFLW Round 6 match against Melbourne Demons ... all free entry!

At the free Super Clinic before our match we will give away 200 Crows footballs to the first kids who walk through the gates.

In Adelaide? Don’t miss the game — tune in to Channel 7 or Fox Footy at 6.30pm (Adelaide time).

Until next week, Ciao!