Caitlin Gould has been selling Crows players badges at Crowmania in recent months, and soon she could be selling one with her own face on it.
The utility was taken at pick No. 68 by Adelaide in the 2019 AFLW Draft and it won’t be long before her workplace also becomes her training ground.
Gould is the second Crow to be ‘recruited’ from Crowmania, two years after Lachlan Murphy was rookie listed while working in the store.
A former volleyballer, Gould only switched to football a year and a half before she was drafted.
On the volleyball court, Gould played at a high level, starting at Brighton Secondary School, before training with the South Australian Sports Institute.
She then progressed to State indoor and beach teams in Under-17’s and Under-19’s.
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Despite her love for the sport, there came a time when Gould knew she needed a change.
“When I played volleyball, I felt like I had a lot of internal pressure on myself,” Gould said.
“I played it for so long that I lost the love of the sport, but I came into footy and it was new and exciting.
“I’m so happy with the choice I made.”
And it almost didn’t happen, with the 21-year-old admitting she only got involved in football after a friend convinced her to join a training session at Happy Valley Football Club in 2018.
“I wasn’t too sure about it, but she was like ‘come and have a suss’ so I went out to training,” Gould said.
“I trained and thought, ‘this is the sport for me’, I really love it.”
Utility Caitlin Gould has become the fifth new Crow, chosen with pick No. 68 https://t.co/UhjMrVRNWG #weflyasone #crowsaflw pic.twitter.com/K7qelDFBwQ
— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) October 22, 2019
After a season at Happy Valley, Gould was selected to ruck for Glenelg in the SANFLW competition.
Having been named in the SANFLW Team of the Year in her debut season, the utility was then included in the Crows side for the SANFLW Showdown exhibition series.
The experience she gained during the series was paramount for Gould, where she trained and played in a variety of different positions.
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“I learnt so much in a short period of time, especially being coached by CJ [Crows vice-captain Courtney Cramey] as well,” Gould said.
“I also got ruck coaching from Jess Foley and Matthew Clarke, who helped me with jumping off both legs and being able to tap with both hands.
“During one of the games, I played in the backline and tried to adapt playing to a different role – and not getting a touch straight away like a ruck would.
“I was watching it unfold in front of me and once I got used to that, I thought I could definitely play that position.”
Gould will join her new teammates at West Lakes next month as the Crows AFLW side returns for pre-season.