Richmond VFLW player Courtney Wakefield knows better than most just how hard it is to make it at the top level.
It has been well-documented that the 31-year-old mother of two makes the 1200km round trip to and from the Swinburne Centre over four days each week just to play a game of footy.
When Wakefield was growing up near Mildura there was no clear talent pathway for female footballers.
Fast forward 20 years and Wakefield is helping Richmond search for talent in her own backyard.
The Club held a Girls Talent Day in Mildura last Wednesday, to identify talent in its Next Generation Academy region and also the for the Tigers’ VFLW program.
“It’s exciting not only for female football, but for football in Sunraysia in general,” Wakefield said.
“I think young sports people in general can go unnoticed, so days like this by big football clubs like Richmond are super exciting. For young girls it’s really a positive step in the right direction.”
Richmond VFLW player Courtney Wakefield. Photo: Cameron Grimes
The session was overseen by Richmond’s VFLW and Academy coach Tom Hunter and AFLW female football operations manager Kate Sheahan at The George Gordon Oval, Dareton.
They were assisted by Bendigo Pioneers, Murray Bushrangers and AFL Sunraysia staff, VFLW Tigers’ Courtney Wakefield and Lauren Tesoriero, Richmond CEO Brendon Gale and General Manager of Football Neil Balme.
Sheahan said female football was growing at a phenomenal rate - especially in regional areas.
“I was here this time last year and we had three girls turn up and all of a sudden we’ve got 75,” Sheahan said.
“I think female football is in a really good place. Everyone on the ground up here is doing an amazing job and you can see by the fact that 75 girls have shown up that. We’re really impressed.”
The participants, aged 14 years and over, completed a skills a drills session where they were put through kicking, marking, ground balls and contested balls, followed by a modified game.
“I’ve always thought that the country girls have to do a lot more to make it at the top level,” Sheahan added.
“Simply the tyranny of distance is one factor and the fact that they’re out here, you only have to look at the surrounds of where they’re playing, they have to have a really good imagination, they have to be outgoing and creative… so there’s always a little bit of something special about the country kids.”
Richmond entered the VFLW competition this year, before the Club fields an AFLW team in 2020.
Wakefield is loving be a Tiger and said the Club's inaugural season was going well.
“After the slow start with the elbow injury, the team in general are going fantastic,” Wakefield said.
“We’ve achieved a lot but we’ve got a lot to work on which is exciting for us. Personally, it’s just nice to get some games under my belt with the girls.”
As for her parting advice for aspiring female footballers, 'Work hard and chase your goals, because anything is possible'.
