Deni Varnhagen has always looked up to her older brother. So when he began playing football, she naturally wanted to as well.
"My brother is three years older than me. I adored him and wanted to do everything he wanted to do," Varnhagen said after helping South Australia to victory over NSW/ACT in an AFL women's exhibition series match in Adelaide last Sunday.
"So when he started playing football, I begged my parents to let me play," she said.
Varnhagen's parents eventually gave their then-nine-year-old daughter permission to join the boys and it was soon evident she was a natural. In her first year, she finished third in the league's best and fairest.
"I thought at the time I was only awarded points because I was a girl and they were surprised I could kick and mark. But the next year I was made captain of the side," she said.
Varnhagen was made to give up football after under-11s. She could have continued playing for another year or so but her parents were worried the boys were getting bigger and stronger than her.
Varnhagen took up soccer, but returned to football at 16 when she learned of a women's league in South Australia.
The 23-year-old has developed into one of the state's best players and was instrumental in South Australia's two-point win, finishing with a game-high 25 possessions.
Her effort last Sunday followed a similarly impressive showing for South Australia in a warm-up game against the Northern Territory the previous weekend, also at Adelaide Oval. That night's work earned Varnhagen the praise of coach Narelle Smith.
Varnhagen was modest about her game against NSW/ACT, pointing to the support of her teammates.
"I think I played all right. But you can't play well unless the ball is delivered to you well," she said.
Varnhagen works as a nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide and admitted that juggling full-time work with elite-level football could be challenging at times.
"It gets a bit hectic, but work is really good with fitting in with my training needs," she said.
Varnhagen's parents are her biggest supporters and often watch her play.
"They love it. They're really supportive. Dad always tells me to run down and kick a goal, even though I've got other orders from the coach," she said.
