If you thought it was a long road to the AFL Women’s competition, try the six-hour round trip from Katherine to Darwin for footy every weekend.
That was the life of Sally Riley, a teaching graduate from country Victoria who moved to the Northern Territory four years ago for work, and found footy as well.
Riley was recently announced as the Crows inaugural joint vice-captain, alongside Angela Foley. The duo will lead the playing group based in Darwin.
“I was completely shocked, put it that way,” Riley said after the announcement.
“I’m very very honoured and proud. To represent the footy club and NT and SA, I couldn’t be happier.”
“We’re a group of many leaders amongst the team, so to be chosen (as co vice-captain])for my peers, it’s a great honour,” Riley said.
The 26-year-old’s dream job as a PE teacher has turned into a dream of a different kind.
“If it wasn’t for teaching, I wouldn’t be in the Northern Territory and wouldn’t be where I am today,” Riley said.
“I love the Territory lifestyle. I wanted to move from Katherine to Darwin to play football week in, week out, rather than travel 300km and back.
"Now it’s taken me here.”
Growing up in Ballarat as an avid Essendon fan, Riley remembers the “good old days” of Matthew Lloyd and James Hird, and can recall Gary Moorcroft’s 2001 Mark of the Year like it was yesterday.
Now, she’s part of a world that previously only existed in the posters on her bedroom wall.
“I think it’s an honour, really, to be selected in an AFL team. Adelaide is now the club for me!” Riley said.
The Crows squad played their first practice match against Fremantle at TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday 14 January.
Despite going down by 22 points, the side showed plenty of passion and forward pressure, promising signs for the season ahead.
“It was really good to get out there and play with the girls,” Riley said.
“It was exciting. We had some good passages of play and everybody had their moments of glory which was fantastic.”
Riley’s football career only began three years ago, if you discount childhood AusKick clinics where the girls were outnumbered 98 to 2.
She had been a life-long netballer, citing her co-vice captain as part of her inspiration to switch leagues.
“When Ang Foley gave up netball to concentrate on football, my Mum said, ‘would you ever do that?’ I thought ‘no way, I love my netball too much.’ But everything developed and that opportunity presented, so I did”.
Riley now gets to don the number 8, which has followed from school, university and local footy, all the way to the AFLW.
“I’ve probably got 12 different number 8 jerseys by now!” she said.
There were even a few 8s in the crowd at the practice game, organised by Riley’s local club, Tracey Village.
“The whole community is genuinely interested in the sport, in our players and in the SA girls,” she said.
“We’ve got not only one state, but two states behind us.”
It’s also an opportunity for some critical figures in Northern Territory football to be recognised for their efforts.
Riley is rapt to be working with the Crows’ Darwin-based senior assistant coach Andrew Hodges and assistant coach Colleen Gwynne.
“Hodgey is a very experienced coach. He’s been involved with all of the Academy systems and was a bit of a mentor for us, so we’re pretty privileged to have him on board,” Riley said.
“Colleen Gwynne is an icon of NT footy. She’s someone who has been a very good person for the women’s league and the sport in general. We lost the Grand Final when she coached the opposition the other year, so she’s pretty good!”
Being part of the inaugural AFLW season means most players could already be seen as role models for young female footballers.
“I’m a high school PE teacher so in my every day life I feel like I’m a bit of a mentor, whether that’s around work or school or my home footy club,” Riley said.
But her warm personality, enthusiasm and positive attitude sets Riley up as more than a mentor – she’s a ready-made hero who could well end up as a poster on someone else’s wall.
“That’s a bit scary,” she laughed. “The poor kids!”
