How Sydney Swan who wanted to be A-League gun ended up in AFLW for Indigenous round

She was a soccer gun who wanted to play in the Women’s A-League. So how did she end up playing in the AFLW with the Sydney Swans?

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

2 min read

September 7, 2022 - 12:17PM

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They have been so many twists and turns on Aliesha Newman’s journey to the AFLW it’s remarkable she didn’t get lost along the way.

The former postie and mad AFL supporter was originally kept from playing the game competitively by her mum as a kid because of injury concerns.

“Dad played for Footscray U19, my uncle was training with the Swans a long time ago

and I grew up a mad supporter but mum told me I was too small to play. She didn't want me getting hurt,’’ Newman said.

So Newman, now a wily forward with more than 40 games of AFLW experience, grew up dreaming of playing soccer in the A-League Women's comp rather than making a mark in the AFLW.

Then her best friend saw a post on Facebook advertising a rookie day at Melbourne and Newman’s life changed forever.

Aliesha Newman of the Swans is tackled by Saints player Clara Fitzpatrick in the round one match of the AFLW.

“I nominated and got picked up as a rookie but I didn’t even watch the draft to be honest,’’ said Newman, who works in taxation and lives at the University of NSW.

“Two weeks later in the free agency period I got a call and was asked to come down and have a kick.

“I was back playing soccer and I had just trialled for Melbourne City. Then I trialled for the Melbourne Demons. City said no the Demon said yes and that was that.’’

Sydney Swans player Aliesha Newman is a veteran of the AFLW.

The 26-year-old made her AFLW debut in 2017 with the Swans her third club after Melbourne and Collingwood.

Now a valuable member of the Sydney club which joined the AFLW this year, Newman is preparing for what she considers one of the most important rounds in sport.

“Indigenous round it is important to have, we need more of it,’’ she said ahead of the Swans match against the GWS Giants at the SCG on Saturday. .

“I’d been pushing for five years to get a fully fledged AFLW indigenous round and we finally had it last year so it means a lot to me and my people.

“For me it’s a conversation starter. A lot of people don’t know about our culture and everyone needs to know something about it.

“To have a round where we can showcase our talent and our culture and artwork is so humbling.’’

(L-R) Isabel Huntington of the Bulldogs, Mia King of the Kangaroos, Stephanie Williams of the Cats, Maddison Gay of the Demons, Natalie Plane of the Blues, Aliesha Newman of the Magpies, Tilly Lucas-Rodd of the Saints and Harriet Cordner of the Tigers pose during the AFLW indigenous Round last year.

This weekend’s matches mark the beginning of the NAB AFLW Season Seven indigenous Round, which will be celebrated across round the and four and acknowledges the contribution of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian football and the broader community.

All eighteen AFLW clubs will wear specially designed Indigenous Round jerseys.