Ash Brazill set for rare AFLW-netball weekend double
The pull of netball and AFLW is very real for Ash Brazill. But the star athlete refuses to choose between the two, producing the rare occurrence of an appearance with Collingwood and then the Australian Diamonds in the same weekend.
AFLW
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFLW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Cross-code star Ash Brazill will attempt to complete a rare sporting double by playing for Collingwood in the AFLW and netball’s Diamonds on the same weekend.
The Magpies take on Melbourne in the curtain-raiser for the AFL’s bushfire relief game from 5.35pm AEDT at Marvel Stadium on Friday evening.
The Diamonds will face an All-Stars side in Netball Australia’s bushfire charity match in Sydney on Sunday and Brazill is confident she can feature in both.
Watch every match of the 2020 NAB AFLW Season LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
“I’m hoping I pull up well,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“There have definitely been talks about how much time I can get on court and is it even possible.
“It’s still touch-and-go how much I’m going to play but if I have my way I’ll be playing both, 100 per cent.”
The cause is close to Brazill’s heart with her family’s property near the NSW town of Bargo narrowly avoiding being claimed by the bushfires that ravaged the area.
“It’s really special to be a part of, especially for me after my home town was really affected by the fires,” she said.
MORE AFLW:
Damien Hardwick among Tigers to check in with struggling skipper Katie Brennan
Justine Mules on balancing being a council labourer and an AFLW gun
Tayla Harris responds after ‘useless’ sledge as Carlton defeats the Western Bulldogs
“I think the fire ended up being between 500m to a kilometre away before the wind changed, so we were extremely lucky.
“(But) we lost a lot of animals just because of the heat.
“So many of my school friends and family members lost their houses, it’s devastating, but to see the community get behind them (is great).”
Collingwood’s clash with the Demons is a pivotal Conference B match-up, with the second-placed Pies and their fourth-ranked opponents separated by percentage only.
Both suffered their first losses of the season last weekend, Collingwood going down to Fremantle by three points and Melbourne losing to St Kilda by five points.