Fearless: The Inside Story of the AFLW

I was the lone young girl running around for a long time.

A few clubs didn't even allow women to play.

There was this lady on the fence yelling out, "Knock her down!".

"You belong back in the kitchen.'

"Why is your daughter playing a rough sport?"

I was in under 14's, and I played my last game

and I was bawling my eyes out.

We didn't have anyone to aspire to be like.

These athletes have different professions.

A different walk of life. People really have a big connection with AFLW players.

And I wanted to prove people wrong

because women do belong on the big stage

and they've got something to offer this great game.

Go!

It's the hardest game in the world. But that's what makes it great.

We're not here to be a good football team.

We're here to be great.

We're on each other's side.

We're in each other's corner and have a lot of fun.

Fuck! The garlic bread's in the oven.

I officially have a boyfriend.

All we're going to talk about is the love in this group.

I'm really, really proud of you.

- You okay? - I gave everything.

Think I realised how much football changed my life.

I'm so proud of you.

It actually scares me to think of life without football.

I just want to play. We need to win today.

We haven't got enough players to play this weekend.

Why do we do this?

I'm playing this weekend.

Oh, my God, Abbie. That is sensational.

Let's chase greatness. Let's do it together.

We've got everything to lose, girls. Play like it.

Let's go!

Touchdown!

You're a full forward, not a boxer.

Who's going to step up?

If this shit doesn't mean anything to you,

the game doesn't as well.

If you want have success, and have respect,

put your head over the ball and fight!

Do you want a fucking cup?

Crows!

And she wants to go out with it.

I'm so honoured to represent women's footy.

You get to create joy.

- Can you be my captain? - I can be your captain.

You're building a pathway for other girls and creating a society

where people can be whoever they want to be

and achieve whatever they want to achieve.

When I'm playing footy, nothing else matters.

It's the greatest game on earth.

I wanna feel it on my skin

I'm gonna get it, you know that I will.

Oh, come on.

Light the fire in me.

Oh, come on.

Light the fire, light the fire in me.

Light the fire, light the fire in me.

Light the fire, light the fire in me.

C'mon, use those muscles.

Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it!

I'm trying! I'm trying! I'm trying...

I'm going to actually smash my face.

I first started playing footy when I was 11 years old.

I remember being asked if I wanted to fill in for the boys.

The opposition spotted me and my ponytail and lost it laughing.

So I just kind of picked the prick that was laughing the hardest,

and I kind of tackled him into the ground in about the first 30 seconds

and pinned him for holding the ball, and I thought, "I kind of like this game."

Help her. Help her.

Go for her, go for her, go for her.

Before AFLW...

Kick, kick, kick.

There was an element of disrespect, I guess, towards women playing football

and comments like "You belong back in the kitchen.

"Go and play a sport for girls."

Let's go.

Yeah, that was great! That was real good, mate.

So I wanted to prove people wrong, because women do belong on the big stage

and they've got something to offer this great game.

Come in!

Chelsea. She's just an amazing human.

Well done, guys. Keep getting better.

She's the heartbeat of the group.

Her perspective, her care for her teammates

and the way that she leads them on field are all massive parts of our program.

Have we got everyone in this room?

Just make sure you can come in and, and that you can see.

Girls, I just wanted to quickly take a moment to...

Just think about this right here.

Which is pretty bloody special.

There's only 53 people that have ever got the chance to ever wear this.

And I think it's time we just take a moment to really, truly,

respect this guernsey as a symbol,

and when we're out there playing,

we represent so much more than just ourselves.

So any opportunity that we get the chance to respect the jumper

and leave a good legacy for those that come after us

that get to wear it, it's pretty special.

The Adelaide Crows women's team in the last six years

have won two premierships.

The Adelaide Crows are the first AFLW premiers.

We want to be the best.

Two out of three ain't bad.

The Adelaide Crows are AFLW premiers for the second time in three years.

Last year we... we came so close to our third premiership.

There's something about three premierships that is the pinnacle of champion team.

This season, that's what we're going to try and do,

so, we'll see how we go.

What do you want me to do?

- Uh, I need you to... - Yeah.

Clear the table. Clear the table here... and I'll set up maybe on the table.

Yes, sir.

- Can I have a satay? - Yeah, it's cooked.

Oh, sick.

Too hungry.

How many have you eaten?

Only two.

My family's from Malaysia, originally, and I was born in Melbourne.

Our culture, you know you grow up

go to school, you know be, do the best that you can,

get a good degree and kind of just work, and...

I'm kind of the opposite to that.

Do we need these?

Just leave it over there, so we can just put in the dishwasher later.

I think mum always knew, you know, school wasn't where I wanted to be.

I've always kind of got through school to look forward to training after school.

It's like, get through this six hours and

you get to train for two hours, that's great.

Just get through it.

Ever since when I came to Australia, I heard about AFL.

And you always thought that it's something you won't even get close to.

Uh, it's something that you see on TV.

It's something like superstar stuff.

I tell the manager of the team, "Can you just get me to cut oranges?"

I said. I can't do anything else because

I don't even know how to score and all that.

Yeah. So, I make sure that my oranges are sweet.

Where do we want this?

I was 19 when I got drafted to the Bulldogs.

Like, yeah, it was unreal.

So I'm hoping I can play my first game this year.

Just bring your plate over.

Chopstick skills! You can't hold chopsticks properly.

I have two chopsticks skills.

- Someone's gotta teach you how... - I got it.

I don't know where you got your skills from.

Doesn't matter as long as you can pick up the food and put in your mouth.

No, no no... There's a proper way.

Dad taught me how to hold chopsticks the right way.

And that is how we do it.

I started footy when I was 14. Dad passed away when I was 12.

So he, he never really got to see me run out on a footy field.

Yeah, I've got that tatted on me. It's the date that he, he passed away.

Every game I play, it's been for him.

Like just hoping that he was, he was watching,

um, some way or another, just being there.

Um, I do hope that he's proud of what I've done

and what I've been able to accomplish.

Drive your legs, drive your legs.

Go, go, drive, drive again, drive again.

Good, good. Have a crack, chase, chase, chase.

Good, we caused a ball up.

We don't win the footy back, we cause a ball up. I'll take that.

Coming to training. It's the highlight of my week.

All right. So you guys going that way, you guys going this way.

The vibe in the general group, they haven't seen each other for two days,

but it's like they haven't seen each other for a month.

I think we've got 15 of them under the age of 21.

I love this time of year.

They are a very unusual group.

Are you guys excited? I'm fucking excited.

I'm excited.

Lingy, are you pumped! Yeah!

That's what we do here.

They want to enjoy their lives, don't they?

I mean, at the age of 18, geez, all I wanted to do was have fun

and I think that's what our team really drives for at the moment.

Hey, guys, it's Celine Moody here, taking over the Bulldogs women Instagram.

Go!

But now it's time to really translate that onto the football field

whilst still being able to have fun.

All right listen up. Listen up. This is, this is really important.

Listen up, girls!

You're all lovely, nice young women.

None of you have got that angry dirty bone in your body.

But we've gotta find it. We can't afford to be nice.

Okay? Nice girls finish last.

And that's just a mental state.

Okay, that's just a mental state.

Am I going to go out to be mean or am I going to go out to be nice and play nice.

Yeah. Why are we here? We're here to win grand finals.

We're going to build this team that we've got up to win one.

If we win one, why can't we win two?

In our development, where we're going to get to,

we're going to win two grand finals by 2025.

Call me the eternal optimist.

I look at the fixture and I think why can't we beat all of them?