Last week, members of Fremantle’s Fans and Community team and two of Freo’s AFLW players, Aine Tighe and Orlagh Lally, headed up to Geraldton for three days to help conduct football clinics, coaching workshops, lightning carnivals, and assist with training sessions.
The team in purple visited multiple schools, police stations, local football clubs and academies alongside Country Football WA, interacting with and getting to know the Geraldton and Midwest community.
WA Police Sergeant and Morawa Officer in Charge Nathan Smith said the coaching workshops delivered by the team are beneficial for them, with coaching tips crossing over from football to the Police Force.
“It has been really positive for us - we have a small community here and we want to build on the relationship we’ve got with Cam (Shepherd) and make sure we’re part of what the Dockers can offer us, but also provide something for the staff in the area,” Sergeant Smith said.
“We want to make sure we have good role models for people that want to join the police force and demonstrate that our workplace can be really diverse.
“I think that using football is great to engage our community and also to make sure we can stay involved and stay in the loop.”
Fremantle AFLW player Aine Tighe said the enthusiasm, willingness to learn and sense of community the team felt in every session they delivered was special.
“I think the biggest thing for us is the energy and excitement we get (from participants) in every session.
“Especially in the primary schools – we walk in, in the Freo kit with the footballs, and they’re just so excited to get to have a run around the oval, have a kick, and learn a bit more about footy.
“With the older group, they’re super keen to test themselves, get out of their comfort zones, and learn anything they can to improve their footy journeys.”
Tighe touched on the importance of travelling to regional communities like Geraldton, in efforts to offer them opportunities they don’t otherwise receive.
“For us, it’s about giving as many regional communities as we can the same opportunities that a lot of the players and students in schools in the metropolitan area get,” Tighe said.
“We’ve been working really hard behind the scenes, especially in our schools’ programs to be able to make a lot of our content accessible online.
“The schools up here (in regional communities) can log on and learn about healthy eating and physical activity online, and then for us to follow that up and meet them, answer some questions they might have and have a kick with the footy is a cherry on top.”
Tighe said it was a big focus to showcase the pathway that now exists in female football, after consistent growth over the years.
“For a lot of girls, (lightning carnivals like this one) are their first introduction to footy, especially at school and their first opportunity to play some games and learn, so we want to make sure that’s a really positive experience for them,” Tighe said.
“For the older girls, we want to show them that the pathway is there from Amateur footy all the way up if it’s something they want to pursue, and we want to ensure the pathways and support systems are there to help them.
“They’re taking the game on, playing with no fear and they’re enjoying it, which is the most important part.”
