Bella Ayre’s ‘crazy’ commitment to play for Carlton

BY day Bella Ayre is a Year 12 student at Bendigo Senior Secondary College, but as soon as the bell goes she’s a Carlton footballer.

Bella Ayre kicks one of her two goals against the Bulldogs. Picture: AAP

BELLA Ayre lives a double life.

By day she’s a Year 12 student at Bendigo Senior Secondary College. But as soon as the bell goes, she’s a Carlton footballer.

Three times a week Ayre, 18, travels two hours up and back to Ikon Park with three Blues teammates.

They leave Bendigo when Ayre finishes school at 3.30pm and don’t make it home until midnight.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Ayre said.

“The travel would definitely be the most exhausting part of it. The club’s been really good helping me juggle everything and my parents are really easy-going and school’s been great as well — it’s easier than what I thought it was going to be.”

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Her commitment is paying dividends. Ayre starred in Carlton’s win over Western Bulldogs on Saturday, kicking 2.2 and scoring an AFLW Rising Star nomination.

Talented Bendigo-based teenager Bella Ayre on her way to kicking one of her two goals for Carlton on Saturday. Picture: AAP

It was a double win for the Blues — Ayre’s teammate Tilly Lucas-Rodd also was nominated for the award.

“My forward line coach just said play with confidence and composure and so I went out there and I just made the ball mine,” she said.

“I have such good players around me that motivate me and make me want to become better.”

Ayre and her family were committed to AFLW long before the training started, moving from Kerang to Bendigo late last year to make it possible for Bella to play.

The whole family is enjoying the ride.

“My brother (twin Liam) loves it,” Ayre said.

“He thinks it’s crazy, people yelling your name out from the sidelines.

“My parents, I think they’re just super proud.

“They’re pretty happy I’m playing at the elite level now and all that hard work they’ve all put in — it’s been a massive team contribution — I think they’re just happy it’s all come to this.”

Ayre scored a Rising Star nomination against the Bulldogs. Picture: AAP

Ayre, who will play with Diamond Creek in the VFL Women’s this season, has been destined to play at the elite level since her pre-teens, when she was banned from playing inter-school footy with Liam.

“I just wanted to play school footy, that’s all I wanted to do, and I wasn’t even allowed to do that and now we’re playing women’s AFL,” Ayre said.

“Look how far we’ve come.”

Meanwhile Carlton will be without dynamic Nat Exon for the remainder of the season after she broke her ankle against Western Bulldogs.

The Blue play Fremantle at Subiaco on Friday night.

Originally published as Bella Ayre’s ‘crazy’ commitment to play for Carlton