AFLW: St Kilda recruit Jesse Wardlaw ready to tackle the Lions

A premiership winner with the Brisbane Lions, Jesse Wardlaw moved to Melbourne for the full football experience, and she brought an odd habit with her.

Jesse Wardlaw moved to Melbourne and joined the Saints for the full football experience. Picture: Getty Images

Jesse Wardlaw can just as likely be found with Rubik’s cube in hand as she would a Sherrin.

St Kilda’s spearhead recruit might be one of the coolest and most unique figures in AFL Women’s – think hot pink suit and sunglasses at the W Awards, mixing with top Australian artist G Flip – but it’s her “dorky” pastime that brings her peace.

Wardlaw, now 23, was tossed the famed 3D combination puzzle when she was about 12, by her grandfather.

These days, it serves as both party trick and pre-game settler with her fingers whizzing about the cubes to – as evidenced by a recent social media video – solve in less than 60 seconds.

“My grandfather just gave it to me one year and said ‘if anyone is going to be able to solve this, it’s you’. I was like ‘watch me’,” Wardlaw recalled.

“I just practised and over the years would do it for fun. Now, I don’t really think about it.

“My fingers just kind of do it and it just happens. I’ve probably solved it over 1000 times. It’s something about solving things – it’s so satisfying to me.”

Numbers, shapes, colours, puzzles – it’s her “puzzle brain”.

Jesse Wardlaw is one talented athlete! 🧩 pic.twitter.com/8D3jw2KCF2

— St Kilda FCW (@stkildafcw) August 18, 2023

“I love maths and it’s a bit dorky, but that’s just something I’ve learned when I was younger,” the Saints forward said.

“Now, I just do it to fiddle around before footy games and at airports. It kind of stimulates my mind. It has to be done properly.”

The maths is simple for the Saints this weekend. They just have to keep winning to keep the slimmest of finals embers alight.

Against her old team, no less, the dominant Brisbane Lions where Wardlaw claimed a premiership in 2021.

She – with a handful of other star Lions – left at the end of last season, having garnered interest from a number of clubs before St Kilda came up trumps.

Round 9 has long been circled on the calendar, as both four points and bragging rights go up for grabs at Moorabbin.

“I am excited to see them, but there has already been a little bit of banter via text from a few of the defenders,” Wardlaw said.

She’s not naming any names.

Jesse Wardlaw (2R) has kicked six goals for the Saints so far in 2023. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I’m just looking forward to seeing Belle Dawes – she’s one of my close friends and is killing it at the moment, so some friendly banter there for sure,” she said.

“We trained and played with each other for five years, and the group just jelled so well over that period of time. The way they play footy is still very similar to the way they’ve been playing the whole time, as well.

“It’ll be weird being on the other team and not being the person that they kick to, because I’m so used to knowing where they want me and where they’re going to kick it and being that person.

“It will definitely be a strange feeling going out there against them, but I don’t think I really know what to expect yet. It is strange. I’m looking forward to it because I love those girls.

“We created such a sister-like bond, so they’re all very special people to me.

“But when I get onto the field, it’s going to be game mode and they’re going to be my enemies. I’ve been telling myself this all season to prepare myself – that they’re not my friends anymore, they’re my enemies.”

Jesse Wardlaw at the AFLW season launch. Picture: Jason Edwards

Wardlaw – who goes by 2K on social media given her birth year of 2000 – has been in Melbourne since just April and has already made it to being on the MCG on grand final day.

The star forward came to Melbourne for “the full football experience”.

And as last season’s AFLW leading goalkicker, she got it last month with a grand final parade – St Kilda victory – grand final motorcade treble that has whet her appetite for what the city can continue to offer her and her football.

“That was just top-tier footy experience.

“We had a massive win against the Bulldogs (on the Friday night), too, so it was a pretty sick weekend. I just soaked up every second of it, because it was just pretty unreal being on the back of the trucks and being on the MCG.

“This girl from Logan in Brisbane made it to the MCG – I don’t know how I got there, but I did.”