Jacqui Yorston has overcome tragedy to become one of the most exciting young talents on the Suns AFLW list
Family is the cornerstone of Jacqui Yorston’s life.
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FAMILY is the cornerstone of Jacqui Yorston’s life.
As one of six children, the sole girl among five brothers, footy was the Yorston family’s weekly sabbatical.
Her brothers played it, her dad coached it and footy proved Yorston’s saviour when she lost her brother Josh to suicide in 2016.
Away in Melbourne playing for Queensland at the national championships, Yorston was woken in the early hours of the morning by the team manager and father and told her brother had taken his own life.
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The next day, Yorston braved the pain and represented her state because it’s what her brother would’ve wanted.
“I was 15 at the time and I looked at it in like I didn’t know whether to be angry or sad,” she said.
“My brothers and I are a lot closer because of it.
“There’s nothing wrong with you and losing someone, whether that’s someone passing away or losing a friend or partner, it’s unfortunately part of life and everything is going to be okay.
“I’m healthy, I’m happy, I live a great life, I’ve got my parents and brothers.
“It hurt us a lot and losing an older brother is hard but nothing is going to be harder than that so if you’re struggling, speak up.
“Now if you’re struggling with one little thing, you message the group (family).
“Footy can bring the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
“I’m not afraid to speak up when I’m struggling.”
That was three years ago.
Now, the 19-year-old is one of the most exciting young AFLW prospects going around but it wasn’t always the case.
“I was always around sport,” she said.
Her mum played basketball and netball, her dad loved footy so at the age of seven, Yorston turned to her mum and said ‘mum, I need to do something.’
That ‘something’ was netball and Yorston was soon a state representative and received a scholarship in year 11 to attend Wavell Height’s state school.
She started playing football at age 13 as well and quickly started reaching the same heights in footy, representing her local region and state shortly after picking up the game.
“I was always at the footy fields watching my brothers play and one day I just turned to mum and said ‘why can’t I play’ and she said ‘you never really wanted to and I guess you never asked’ so I decided I wanted to play,” she said.
Yorston quickly reached the crossroads and decided she would have to make a choice between the two.
“I loved netball but I realised being five foot three that making it in netball was going to be almost impossible,” she joked.
“I was doing well in footy and decided to stick with and try and play professionally.
“It sounds bad but I don’t think I could play a sport and not do it professionally because I’m too competitive.”
From there, Yorston went on to play for Queensland at the AFLW under 18 national championships and was named in the All-Australian squad.
Draft day rolled around and Yorston was two days away from turning 18.
“People were saying that the Lions only had a certain number of picks so they selected five or six players and I wasn’t called out so I wasn’t drafted as far as I was concerned,” she said.
“Then they said the Lions had two more picks and my name was read out and my phone blew up.
“I was turning 18 so I was like am I allowed to drink and go out?
“I had my 18th and then pre-season started a week later.”
Yorston had finally achieved her dream but the industry quickly cruelled her the pre-season grind quickly exposed her.
“I struggled a lot and mentally I wasn’t as strong as I am now,” she said.
“I was behind a lot of other people.
“I went away over Christmas and got myself extremely fit.
“I ran every day and was at the gym.”
Yorston even trained alongside her partner, then Broncos now Titans halfback Tanah Boyd and his dad in a bid to come back fitter than her teammates.
“I came back a completely different person who was confident, happy and actually wanted to play,” she said.
The first few games of the season passed and each week, Yorston’s name was overlooked.
Frustrated, she spoke to then Lions midfield coach, now Suns head coach David Lake who told her she was good enough to be playing but had to put her best foot forward at training.
That week at training, she won every stoppage and was named to make her debut against the Bulldogs in round four after an impromptu meeting at the club with Lions women’s CEO Bree Brock.
She played three more games and earnt an AFLW rising star nomination in round six before facing the excruciating decision of whether to re-sign with the Lions or join the Suns.
“I had two contracts in front of me and I had to weigh up leaving my brothers and parents who I’m really close to and my partner as well,” she said
“I was established at the Lions.
“My best friend Lauren Bella and I were having the same conversations because we didn’t want to influence each other.
“I called her before I called Lakey (David Lake) and told her I was moving but said I didn’t want it to impact her decision and she said she was just about to call me.”
Now working part-time in the Suns partnerships department, Yorston is eyeing off a round one spot and the chance to continue doing her family proud at the highest level.
“I’ve had dreams about it actually to go out and wear the number five which is the number my older brothers have always worn,” she said.
“Not many people achieve their dreams at age 19 and I always thought it was unrealistic.”
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