Sam Birrell (Nicholls, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge Seymour's Sophie Locke, a player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFLW competition. I was fortunate enough during my campaign to have a kick-to-kick with Sophie. I can safely say it was more likely for her skills to rub off on me than for her to take anything meaningful from my skill set!

The first week of the AFLW season was an emotional one for Sophie. She was named for her first game, Hawthorn's inaugural game, but her mother, Sarah, would not be there to see it after losing her battle with cancer just two weeks earlier. For the record, Sophie kicked Hawthorn's first ever AFLW goal, and immediately kissed the black armband she wore in honour of her mum and looked to the heavens. It was a great day for Sophie and her family.

It was also a great day for the AFLW, as Hawthorn and Essendon fielded teams for the first time. This year, for the first time, every AFL team is represented in the AFLW. The season is longer, the pay is better and the crowds are gathering. Young girls now have a clear pathway to semi-professional and, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, professional ranks in our national game. This year, 2022, is a landmark year for the women's game, but it will be hard to beat the joy and tears of Sophie's debut as the highlight of the season.