It has been a rough year for the AFLW as COVID-19 pandemic threw off the season, without the chance of crowning a premiership team.
The teams continue soldiering on, with the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos confirming jersey numbers earlier this month for the 2021 season.
Midfielder and Hobart local Ellie Gavalas is looking forward to donning her number 22 jersey yet again into a fresh season and spoke to Neos Kosmos about her love for the game.
READ MORE: Q&A with AFLW Western Bulldogs forward Elisabeth Georgostathis
What drew you to Aussie Rules?
Essentially I played soccer my whole life, but my brother was playing footy and my family has always been into the footy so I always wanted to play as a kid. But as a girl growing up it wasn’t really a thing. I actually grew up in Tassie and my whole family lives there. So there was definitely no pathway in Tassie for the girls to play footy, but I wanted to play soccer as a kid anyway but then a few years ago I started playing football. I think I just always loved watching it to be honest and I thought ‘yeah that’d be a bit of fun to give it a crack’.
It’s game day, what do you do to get pumped up before the match?
On game day, I’d probably get up at around eight o’clock and then just have some breakfast. I’ll probably pop some tunes on. Just pretty low key music, nothing too pumped up yet and then I just like to be in a good mood on game day to be honest, so that’s my thing to just feel content. I don’t like to be too pumped up until I get to the ground.
What are some of your favourite training songs?
I’m a massive Justin Bieber fan so any Bieber. I’ve met him! Just any Bieber songs, any top three of those.
What do you find most challenging about the game?
Sometimes balancing your life, as women we have to work as well. So just the balance between being an athlete and also balancing work, family and friends, things like that. It’s challenging, but it’s good and it’s worth every second but it can be challenging sometimes.
What has been a highlight in your football career thus far?
I’d say debuting with North Melbourne and playing every game it awesome. Playing every game last year and playing with the girls was just awesome.
How has footy impacted your life?
It’s impacted it a lot because obviously this has been my first season and it is a big commitment. In saying that, at my work where I’m a physio, my boss is amazing and has been supportive always. Especially when it came to changing my hours and chopping and changing times to fit training in. It’s pretty awesome being able to play and live your dream and getting the opportunity to do that. I feel pretty lucky about it.
What is something you learned about yourself through playing the game?
Last year I played in the VFL with the Bulldogs and I learnt the importance of just going and getting something if you want it. So I never really held back with asking for help, so I really learned about the importance of just believing in yourself and knowing that everyone is on the same level.
What do you hope to achieve in the next year?
I hope to put my best foot forward with North and just play my role with the team. I want to be a good mentor for the new girls coming through and just to continue to work on all the things I’m working on with my footy.
What do you think is the biggest misconception of women in football?
There’s always going to be people who are going to hate and I try not to read too much into all that. I think that’s also part of how I was brought up, my parents were very supportive and if there was a footy team I could’ve played for they would’ve had me signed up playing there as well. There are just a lot of people who don’t think women should be playing football and I’d be happy to have a chat to them about why we should and why it’s okay that we are.
Favourite way to unwind after a game?
Probably to have a good meal, just some good food with the fam! Maybe some good Greek lamb!