My journey into the AFL ecosystem...

Last night was fascinating for me, sitting in a room I never really saw on my bingo card a few years ago. I spent an hour and half at Gold Coast SUNS HQ participating in the "Women & Girls Coaching Masterclass Forum / Q&A".

As far as the game of AFL goes for me, my mother was born across the road from Punt Road Oval and the family were Tigers fans through and through. I however was born on the Gold Coast and didn't really know that side of the family well nor that world of religious football. I can say though that I was at the first ever Brisbane Bears game under lights at Carrara (coincidentally we lived across the road) and have recently evolved into a Gold Coast Suns fan as the team has slowly established itself in SEQ. But to be brutally honest, I couldn't really tell you much bout the game prior to 2019.

Somehow I've found myself firmly entrenched in AFL culture now and on reflection last night, feel that my journey into the AFL ecosystem is fascinating given that it's evolved away from some kind of family indoctrination of my Victorian foremothers and forefathers.

This isn't meant to be long winded so I'll try and summarise quickly but what I found fascinating was the touch points to the game in South East Queensland that got me sitting in that room last night with some other legends of club football (I use that term sincerely because I think anyone giving their time to community sport at all is a legend):

• One of my male children took up Junior football several years ago to play with his mates.
• He enrolled in Club football but also School football.
• The School Coach/Teacher was AFLW Suns player Sally Riley.
• Our young fella wanted to go to a Suns game early to watch Sally play in the AFLW curtain raiser for the Suns.
• Sitting in the stands watching the girls play, my daughter said "wait, we can play AFL too?"
• Recently hitting her teenage years, she's now entering her 4th year of Club Football and loves it (side point here, our Club has 3 teams in our female age group which is outstanding).
• Short on Coaches this year, I figured it was my time to give back and put my hand up.
• Rather than go and make up the numbers, I've invested time in educating myself not just about the game but how to train juniors, completing several online Coaching Courses and last nights Session.

The surge in female sport has been great to see in recent years. Yes it has a long way to go and I'd rather not go down that line here as the point I'm making is the nature of the sporting ecosystem and how all of these parts really do come together (both male and female).

A few weeks ago I was chatting over a beer late Sunday watching my 3rd game of AFL for the weekend (a combination of Club and Suns football), simultaneously breaking down my daughters earlier game and what we need to work on this week before I remarked to a family member "How on earth did I get here? I don't remember being a football fan".

Let's not get a head of myself, I can't see myself coaching any first grade games soon but right now, I'm loving my part. The ecosystem is alive and well and the importance of all of its parts has never been more evident.

Thank you to Brad Moore Cameron Joyce Kieran Daley & Jamie Stanton for a great night... And thank you to the AFL - Australian Football League .

Your sincerely

A grateful parent!