Lifelong Hawks supporter Steph Carroll will make history this weekend when she becomes the first Hawthorn player to reach 50 games in the VFLW.
Carroll is only the second player in the competition’s history to reach the milestone.
It’s a feat that’s taken three years and two clubs – the Eastern Devils in 2017 and the Hawks in 2018 and 2019.
The VFLW is a relatively new competition, having re-branded from the Victorians Women’s Football League (VWFL) in 2017.
After the first season of the VFLW, AFL Victoria made a number of changes to its premier women’s competition.
Clubs that had played at the highest level for a long period of time no longer had licences and new clubs were introduced.
Unfortunately for Carroll, her Eastern Devils no longer had a side.
However, her situation quickly turned from a negative to a positive when she learnt the club she had barracked for her whole life, Hawthorn, now had a team.
“It was sad when the decision was made that the Eastern Devils wouldn’t continue in the VFLW, but it was exciting because you knew you would be able to access better resources.
“I grew up watching the Hawks on TV and following players like Shane Crawford and Jason Dunstall and always wanting to achieve something like that.
“So that step up and being able to play at a higher level, the highest level I could, and to do it at the club that I’ve always barracked for, it is a cliché, but it’s a dream come true.
“The opportunities and the experiences I’ve had at Hawthorn are just things I could never have imagined and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”
The step up in professionalism was something Carroll secretly craved and she now found herself in the elite environment she’d always wanted.
“The fitness, the training, in terms of learning structures and game sense, are all things that have really increased from the previous competition.
“I also think because there’s something bigger to strive for, everyone’s working harder because it is harder to make it to the next level.”
In her first year at Hawthorn, Carroll achieved ultimate team success. She was part of the club’s premiership-winning side. Carroll was also awarded the team’s Best Club Person.
Such is her nature as a ‘best club person’, Carroll’s goals this season are, of course, team oriented.
“For me this year’s really not about any sort of personal goals.
“I feel like I’ve achieved more than I ever could have on a personal level.
“It’s more about the club and the players that are coming through.
“My goal for playing this season was to continue to help build the culture at Hawthorn and to help those younger players coming through to reach their dreams.”
