Auskicker Abbie Dare a Giant fan of AFLW captain Amanda Farrugia
Schoolgirl dares to dream thanks to a very special friendship with an GWS Giants AFLW gun.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It is one of sports most special friendships between a little girl and one of Australia’s leading athletes.
But to Abbie Dare her mateship with Giants AFLW captain Amanda Farrugia is just normal.
“She thinks all little girls have friends like Amanda,” her father, Chris Dare, said of his daughter who hounded him to play Auskick at Lane Cove after meeting with the AFLW gun at a WBBL match at North Sydney Oval.
OFFER: NewsLocal digital subscription offer: $1 a week for the first 8 weeks
“They know her on a first-name basis now. It’s not superficial. It’s real and they (players) see the need to inspire the young girls. And they do.’’
Abbie is proof that the time spent by Farrugia and her teammates to establish themselves as proactive role models works.
“You can’t be what you can’t see,” Farrugia said.
After her chance meeting with the Mostyn Medal winner who wrote a page long letter of inspiration for the Epping schoolgirl, Abbie is a convert to the game and honours the Giants captain and other stars of AFLW in her own special way.
Abbie, the Lane Cove AFL Auskicker of the Year nominee, now makes uniforms for all her Barbie dolls with the Amanda Barbie taking pride of place in her bedroom alongside AFLW stars including big kicking Carlton gun Taylah Harris and veteran Daisy Pearce.
WNBL: Lara a lucky charm for Sydney Uni Flames
SURF’S UP: Father, son chasing Gold
“We get balloons and textas and make them. I have quite a lot of them but most are for the Giants,’’ said the nine-year-old, one of 21 AusKick nominees invited to Melbourne for the AFL grand final and who presented Richmond players with their medals.
“I like Amanda because she was the first AFLW player I met.
“And I like AFLW more than AFL. They are not as popular as the men because they haven’t been around as long as the men. And they come and talk to me when I’m at a game.’’
The sport loving Abbie now has 15 messages of inspiration from top athletes including Matilda Sam Kerr and cricket superstar Ellyse Perry, with Farrugia telling her to ‘‘never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because you are a girl’’.
She also wants to play in the AFLW competition one day.
“I don’t really like tackling that much. I like the running. I like the marking the most,’’ she said.
“I might get used to tackling in a while when I am older.”
IN OTHER NEWS
