AFLW stars reveal their superstitions and pre-game rituals

Richmond midfielder Monique Conti has to put her footy socks on in a certain order. A Magpie can only play in black undies. And they are just two of the strange superstitions revealed by AFLW stars.

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Whether it is pulling on the left sock first followed by the right sock, wearing certain underwear or a particular hairstyle, AFLW players stick to certain routines and superstitions before games.

Richmond midfielder Monique Conti reveals she is rather specific about how she wears her hair on game day and how she pulls her kit on.

“I must wear my hair in a high, straight ponytail,” Conti, 20, said. “When I change it must be my left sock then right, then left boot and then right boot.”

She is not the only AFLW player gearing up for the 2020 season who adheres to game-day superstitions.

Collingwood’s Jaimee Lambert has a few. “I always wear black undies, go for an activation walk and do Sudoku,” Lambert, 27, said.

Collingwood’s Jaimee Lambert pre-game routine paid off this day.

West Coast Eagles midfielder Dana Hooker is busy doing a load of washing before a game – to ensure her boots for the big day are clean.

“My boots need to be fresh going into the game,” Hooker, 28, said.

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“I will often wash them in the lead-up so they are crisp white.”

Then there’s Geelong’s Mel Hickey, 35, who needs to make sure she gets a caffeine hit. “The only thing I have to do is have a coffee before the game or else I don’t feel ready,” the defender said.

Getting the right fuel before a game is also important to Adelaide forward Ailish Considine, 27, who ensures she has protein pancakes for breakfast for game day.

For several other AFLW players, it is all about arriving for a game fully prepared.

Gold Coast Suns player Sally Riley, 29, said: “I need to have my bag packed the night before and I always get a flush leg massage and glute release pre-game.”

Meanwhile, Melbourne midfielder Karen Paxman is an early bird.

“On game day I try and arrive to the ground extra early, so I can take my time settling in and soaking it all up,” Paxman, 31, said.

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“Aside from this, I make sure I have a very early night and get enough sleep. Apart from making me grumpy, without enough sleep I find I’m not as sharp out on the ground.”

For more on the AFLW players ahead of the 2020 season launch on February 9, make sure you pick up a copy of Women’s Footy magazine – available in participating newsagents from January 22.

Originally published as AFLW stars reveal their superstitions and pre-game rituals