In the space of a year, Stevie-Lee Thompson has gone from first-time footballer to being part of the first Crows women’s team in the AFLW competition.
The 24-year-old grew up in Brisbane, with her family hailing from Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s north island.
Some girls grow up with a footy in their hands, but how far back does Thompson’s time with a Sherrin go?
“Not far, not far!” Thompson said. “I only moved to Darwin last year, and only started playing football last year as well.”
Selected with pick 106 in the AFL Women’s national draft in October, Thompson is part of the playing group based in Darwin.
The AFL must look like a brave new world for a girl who grew up without any awareness of the game.
“I’ve never had AFL in my life,” she said. “I’ve literally only just started, I don’t even know who the teams are sometimes! But I started watching last year to get a bit more understanding.”
Friends talked Thompson into joining the AFLNT league when she arrived in Darwin, and her touch football background helped her spring into the new game.
“There are a lot of teams up there, it’s exciting,” she said. “I started playing for the Wanderers last year.”
After just one season with the club, Thompson found her place as a midfielder.
“I just get in there as hard as I can, get the ball and try to get it out as clean as I possibly can,” she said.
Being part of the AFL Women’s competition never occurred to Thompson, so she has those same footy friends to thank for encouraging her.
“I never actually knew how far it would go, I thought the NT league would always be my sport,” she said. “But my mates just pushed me to keep going.”
Thompson continued training during the AFLNT off-season and now has three weeks of an official AFL pre-season under her belt.
“It’s a lot of running but it’s all going to be worth it in the end,” she said. “There’s been a lot more ball skills, a lot more being on the move. But it’s been great, I’ve enjoyed it so far.”
During the week, Thompson works as a cleaner at the Darwin barracks, and more footy training just made those long days even longer.
“I’m used to it, it’s always good to be busy. Eat, sleep, repeat!” she said.
It’s no surprise, then, to hear that Thompson likes her movies as action-packed as her week.
“I love action movies! Sometimes the soppy ones get me though,” she laughed.
A highlight of her AFL experience so far was getting stuck into the first pre-season training camp at West Lakes earlier this month.
It was not only her first opportunity to play with all of her teammates, but also her first visit to Adelaide, a place she admitted she hadn’t heard much about.
“City of Churches… that’s all I’ve got!” she said. “And there’s lovely weather, it’s not as hot as Darwin. I enjoy the heat though, it doesn’t bother me.”
Thompson’s new sport keeps unlocking new destinations and new possibilities.
