SFNL: Tabatha Jones will play her 200th women’s game on Saturday

Tabatha Jones will reach a mighty milestone on Saturday but it hasn’t come without adversity. Read her story.

Tabatha Jones just loves footy.

On Saturday, Jones will reach a mighty milestone for any footballer, let alone one facing the restrictions she does.

Jones, 20, has Autism Spectrum Disorder and while it has its limitations to everyday life, it hasn’t constrained her passion for the game.

A game she will, come Saturday afternoon, have played an incredible 200 times.

Jones plays for Chelsea Heights in the Southern Football Netball League and values the united culture of the club.

“At Chelsea Heights I really like the culture, it’s not separated between the boys and the girls – it’s one club,” she said.

“I love how everyone can get around it at the moment, I love how it’s grown from where it was when I was in under-9s where there was no girls’ teams.

“It’s seven or eight years ago now since they started the girls league and it’s just grown.”

Having played footy for over a decade, Jones has found a routine that suits her on game day.

Although that wasn’t always the case.

“I have to have a set routine,” she said.

“If it’s a 10 o’clock game, I have to get up at around 6 o’clock to get ready.

“When I was younger it took ages to just get a pair of socks on, pair of football boots, a helmet, a mouth guard, but now it’s all just second nature.”

Tabatha Jones playing for Chelsea Heights. Pictures: SUPPLIED

Jones’ mum Pauline said the milestone didn’t come easy, as a collection of clubs weren’t willing to take Tabatha on board.

“As a junior, it was really difficult that was willing to take on, first of all, a girl, secondly, someone who is autistic, and thirdly, she was non-verbal until the age of seven,” Pauline recalled.

“I approached three or four different clubs before I found somebody that was willing to take her on that was Seaford Junior Football Club.

“Because it’s not normal for a kid with ASD to play football, it was difficult for the clubs but they worked with us.

“As a senior, I can approach the coach or captain and say ‘look, Tab is struggling today’ and they already know she is in that space at the moment and she needs to be left alone.”

Jones in her first years of juniors at the only club that would take her in, Seaford.

Jones, who wears number 21, has played five matches this season and enters her milestone game in form, having been named best afield in last week’s match with Lyndale.

Saturday’s match against Skye is set to be a thriller, as it’s not only Jones’ milestone game, against one of her former teams, it’s also a battle between two sides that are evenly matched.

Jones said she doesn’t have a favourite position but, like any truthful footballer, doesn’t mind getting on the end of a goal.

“I don’t really have a favourite position, I play football just for the fun of it,” she said.

“I get chucked everywhere… but I don’t mind kicking a couple of goals.”

Jones’ 200th will commence at 10am at Chelsea Heights on Saturday.