Lily Mithen is the new breed of the new breed after achieving her dream as an 18-year-old

HELMET or no helmet? Lily Mithen’s mates reckon the young gun would get plenty of attention but the Demon is out to prove size is no disadvantage.

LILY Mithen and Liam Higgins have been best mates virtually since birth.

So when Liam called the new Demon, who stands 159cm tall, to suggest she wear a helmet in her AFLW debut, just like Western Bulldog Caleb Daniel, she was touched.

“I thought that’s nice, he’s concerned. I said ‘Liam, it’s fine, I’m used to playing against bigger bodies’,” Mithen said.

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“And then he said ‘No Lil, it’s nothing like that. The media will love it, imagine you running around with a helmet on, you’d get so much more attention.”

Mithen was quick to laugh off the suggestion. Higgins still backs his judgment.

“She certainly doesn’t need it to protect herself, but it would be funny,” Higgins said.

Lily Mithen with Liam Higgins, her dad, Anthony, and mum, Selina. Picture: Jay Town

Mithen will run out for Melbourne against Brisbane at Casey Fields on Sunday afternoon as a new breed of the new breed of footballers.

Unlike many of her teammates at the Demons who have had interrupted, disjointed football journeys and in many cases have only just returned to the sport, 18-year-old Mithen has been playing since she was a five-year-old at Auskick.

Higgins was there then too, and also by her side when she played junior football with the boys at Newtown & Chilwell Football Netball Club.

It was there she quickly made an impression.

“She was bottom age under-14 … that year she won the league best-and-fairest by 23 votes,” dad Anthony said.

“That was probably the year that I thought, gee, this is starting to get a bit more serious.”

Lily Mithen in action for Geelong. Picture: Nathan Dyer

After under-14 she was told she could no longer play with the boys.

Luckily Geelong had a girl’s competition and not wanting to lose their prodigy, it was Newton who became first movers.

“As soon as I was out of the boys my club Newtown said we’ll put a girl’s team in,” Mithen said.

“They were always very supportive being one of the only girls at the club playing. When they said we want to keep you around, we’ll put a team together, it was (a realisation), ‘This is a pretty good club I’m at’.”

Mithen probably should wear protective gear. She’s fearless and not afraid to throw her body around.

Anthony, the TV reporter turned horse breeder, could tell his daughter would make a gritty footballer after she fell and cracked her tooth on a seesaw at 18 months and there was barely a tear.

“I looked and thought this child is weird, she should be screaming and howling, I realised then she was tough,” Anthony said.

Mithen will have between 50 and 100 supporters at Casey Fields — there’s talk of a bus setting out from Geelong.

Of course, Higgins will be among the throng. It will be a special moment shared between friends.

“To see your best friend fulfil her dream at the age of 18 is amazing, really,” he said.

Originally published as Lily Mithen is the new breed of the new breed after achieving her dream as an 18-year-old