Brisbane Lions forward Greta Bodey has no regrets about changing codes

Greta Bodey once had aspirations of playing for the Matildas. Now she has her sights on a second AFLW premiership with the Brisbane Lions.

Lions star Greta Bodey is chasing a second AFLW premiership. Picture: Albert Perez / Getty Images

She once had dreams of representing the Matildas, but Greta Bodey has no doubt she made the right choice to switch codes as she edges closer to a second AFLW premiership with the Brisbane Lions.

The Lions start their latest finals campaign on Saturday when they host Richmond at Metricon Stadium, with Bodey’s goals and attacking skills to prove crucial to Brisbane’s hopes of a second flag in three seasons.

But had it not been for a work move to Cairns in 2019, Bodey might never have discovered her love for Australian football and instead, still be chasing her original goal of playing the round-ball code for the Matildas.

“The Matildas have always been a pretty high profile sporting team, so it was easy to aspire and look up to them,” said 27-year-old Bodey, who was a successful striker for The Gap’s NPLW Queensland football team.

“I won a few premierships with the Gap Gators … then I moved to Cairns for work.

“Cairns has a really lively AFL scene; my housemates were all playing, and I was a physio at the hospital there and a lot of the hospital staff were all playing footy, so I went down to the local club and started playing.

“I fell in love with the game straight away. It was an easy transition and I’ve never really looked back since.”

Greta Bodey celebrates kicking a goal for Brisbane against Hawthorn. Picture: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

Bodey said the growth and popularity of the AFLW competition meant younger athletes playing other sports might by inclined to make the switch to Australian football sooner rather than later.

“Growing up, there were no real female AFL role models like there are now. There are so many households names in the AFLW now,” she said.

“That’s pretty cool for something to change so drastically and pretty cool in terms of where the sport’s going.”

Bodey was the Lions’ leading goalkicker last season but she would happily trade individual success for another premiership.

“Winning the flag was such a good experience and such a good time, and it certainly adds to our motivation of wanting to get back to the top,” she said.

The Lions will also be motivated on Saturday to turn the tables on a Richmond team which beat Brisbane by four points in round five of the regular season

“It’s a great chance at redemption this weekend,” Bodey said.

“Richmond are a great side and we respect them highly, so we’ve learnt some lessons from that loss and we’re really looking forward to taking them on in our home state and in a stadium where conditions really suit us.”

Originally published as Brisbane Lions forward Greta Bodey has no regrets about changing codes