Tori Groves-Little used to be a competitive skipper and played rugby league before her science teacher encouraged her to play Aussie rules

If it wasn’t for her year nine science teacher, Tori Groves-Little wouldn’t be playing Aussie rules football.

IF it wasn’t for her year nine science teacher, Tori Groves-Little wouldn’t be playing Aussie rules football.

From competitive skipping to rugby league, Groves-Little did it all in high school, growing up in Beenleigh on the cusp of the Gold Coast.

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“I remember doing skipping in the court yard because all the girly girls used to do it and then one day the coach of the team asked me if I wanted to do it and compete and I’ve loved it ever since,” she said.

The now 19-year-old wasn’t afraid to mix it with the boys either and played rugby league until the age of 12 when she was forced to stop because girls were no longer allowed to play with the boys.

Tori Groves-Little. Photo by Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/Getty Images

“I watched my brother play and my dad used to play as well so I grew up in a rugby league family,” she said.

“I played a bit of touch footy instead but I wasn’t overly phased by it all.”

Luckily for Australia’s native game, her retirement from rugby league opened the door for Groves-Little to play footy.

“I remember one day my year nine science teacher came up to me and said ‘hear me out, why don’t you try footy’ and I said ‘if you drive me there, I’ll do it,’” she said.

The session ended up being a trial for the South Coast sports AFL side which Groves-Little was selected in before going on to represent Queensland and winning the QAFLW Best and Fairest award in 2018 at the tender age of 17.

“I did Auskick in grade six and got to play at the Gabba at half time one day but I just loved kicking and catching,” she said.

“I turned up that day and had no idea what a handball was or that you were allowed to knock it on and play on.”

Groves-Little went on to be drafted by the Brisbane Lions at the end of 2018, making her debut in round two of AFLW season three against the Fremantle Dockers in Perth while her family and five siblings fired up the barbecue and watched on from Queensland.

Gold Coast Suns AFLW player Tori Groves-Little with Katie Brennan. Picture: SUPPLIED

Then Groves-Little was faced with the toughest decision of her career; stay with the club who made her AFLW dream a reality or return to the Suns where she was a graduate of their academy.

“I moved out of home and to Brisbane when I was 18 because I wanted the chance to progress my career,” she said.

“I was working on the Coast (as a diversity programs officer with the Suns) so as soon as I got drafted to the Lions, I had it in my head I’d come back to the Suns.

“It took me about two to three weeks to make the decision and I’d wake up every morning and write a list of pros and cons and I would call my mum every day and tell her I was staying at the Lions but then change my mind the next day.

“I’m so glad I made the decision because it’s everything that I wanted.

“My biggest goal is to play round one and get out there with my new team and hopefully sing the song straight away.”