Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's always dangerous to predict the future, but I'll give it a shot. I think in my lifetime women's AFL will be as big and successful, if not more so, than the men's game. I've seen an inkling of this in my own electorate while I watched the emergence of the Northwest Lightning Girls AFL Club. It's a club that cares about its players and has a winning culture. The club is the initiative of Pennant Hills, Westbrook and Hornsby Junior football clubs. In its inaugural season in 2016, it fielded an under-14s team. It's been growing ever since, with teams across five age groups.

The club has celebrated a wonderful milestone. Tara Coopman, known to everyone as TC, recently played her 100th game. I was there for the game and got to catch up with TC, a remarkable, competitive player who just loves AFL and her parents and her brother who are involved in the club. She is happiest when she is putting on a pair of boots and playing, which is practically every day.

TC is the first player in the club to complete 100 games. She has achieved this in over seven calendar years, but, because of COVID, she has effectively done this in five, which is, in itself, breathtaking. She's been with the local club since the under-9s and won awards every single year. This year, TC has been accepted to play in the Under-15 Youth Girls Sydney Swans Academy. I hope one day to see TC play at the G. TC is a wonderful athlete, nurtured by wonderful club and wonderful family. I want to congratulate TC and everyone at Northwest Lightning on this great achievement and the great success they're having mentoring and encouraging a great emerging talent and a great football club.

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