Darcy Vescio: Juggling work and study while playing AFLW is becoming much harder
Career or football? It’s a tough call more AFLW players are faced with as they try to juggle the growing commitments of the league with full-time work. Carlton’s Darcy Vescio reveals the toll.
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We are Gen W — the women who have the opportunity to wear AFL colours and become household names as elite footballers.
But most AFLW players still juggle work and study with training and playing at the elite level. It’s a lot harder than you think.
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A typical training night at Carlton goes like this: Arrive about 5pm, seek treatment (physio/massage), gym, team meeting, on the track for training, more gym, recovery, then dinner about 9:45pm.
Most clubs run similar sessions and times and that’s all after most players (and many staff) have already worked a full day in their “real world” job.
It’s becoming harder and harder to manage and it has been a juggling act too hard for some, with several players walking away from football to focus on their career, while others have stepped back from their work so they can meet the growing demands of AFLW.
You can do your best to manage your own expectations for your career prospects and projections playing AFLW but at the same time it’s somewhat out of your hands.
You need to cross your fingers that your employer will be flexible and understand why you’re darting off early or a little sluggish in the mornings.
Premiership Bulldog Hayley Wildes, 23, stepped away from the game in August last year so she could fully commit to a media role with Melbourne United in the NBL, GWS captain Amanda Farrugia, 35, retired just before the start of pre-season because “this isn’t a competition you can do half-hearted”, while last month Demon and former first-round draft pick Bianca Jakobsson, 26, withdrew because she couldn’t juggle police academy training with her football commitments.
Meanwhile, Collingwood’s Steph Chiocci, 31, and Adelaide’s Courtney Cramey, 34, have spoken about the work sacrifices they’ve made to help manage their training loads and dedicate time to the game.
Both have taken leave without pay from their jobs for season four.
I understand there’s no simple solution to this issue. Growing pains are inevitable and they’re a positive sign that what we’re building is flourishing.
But as the game grows each year, the pinch on players tightens, with players at the crossroads – is it football or your career?
While only a handful of players have left the game so far, the timing of progression is crucial to keep players in the game for future years.
I’m one of the lucky ones – I have my work/football/life balance in a good position – I can commit to the demands of AFLW and I’m ready to take on Richmond with my teammates.
Nights like Friday night make the hard work and sacrifice worth it, so I don’t want any current player or aspiring footballer, given the current demands, to have to choose one or the other.