Stephanie Williams left her NT home, aged 11. She left her mum and sister, for the opportunities an education down south presented. Little did she know that after three years at Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville that a Smith Family Scholarship would bring her to Geelong College and then to the Geelong Cats as the College’s first listed AFLW player.
Steph describes her childhood memories of football as mixed. While she loved kicking anything she could find on the ground, she hated what football stood for, in her mind.
“I loved all sport, but we never really had the time or money for all the sports that I wanted to play,” Steph explains.
“I hated football though; up north at the time all I could relate footy with was alcohol and violence.”
It all changed when her friend invited her for a kick of the footy when she arrived at Worawa, where they had a girls’ footy team.
“My friend changed my whole view. When we were out kicking the footy, she told me I was good at it and asked me to be on the team, so I thought ‘whatever’, and I did.”
From there Steph began to turn heads with her dashing game style and natural talent.
“Eventually I got really good and people noticed. I started playing in different teams in Victoria and the NT.
“I found I loved it because of the sisterhood, looking after and celebrating each other.”
After just two years at Geelong College, in her final year Steph was the Mossgiel Captain, a Prefect and Captain of the Inaugural College AFLW team.
“I loved it all, being a leader was good. I didn’t know if I could do it, but obviously I did! Being a part of the first girls’ footy team was awesome because it’s a real change for our school, football is now a girls and boys sport, just like it is everywhere else.”
But after her 2019 season was disrupted with injury and she was devastated by the passing of her sister, Steph became unsure if footy was for her, after all.
“I didn’t really play footy that much,” she said. “I put on a bit of weight, I was eating a lot of cookies and getting a bit sad and I didn’t know if footy was going to be my thing anymore.”
And then Covid-19 hit, and seasons, games and draft combines were cancelled, so Steph headed home for four months and decided to hit the training track, hard.
In those last few games in Geelong recruiters had noticed her and her form in the NT backed up what they saw.
Fast forward to 6 October in the girls’ boarding house, and a nervous Steph is watching a live stream of the draft waiting for her name to be called and hoping she will get to stay in her adopted home of Geelong.
“I kept thinking ‘I hope they still want me’ because they were calling out all these other girls’ names,” Steph said.
“I thought what if they don’t want me, or if they don’t get me in time someone else might… or someone else might not…
“But then 27 came and I thought they might pick me and that it would be cool because I was born on January 27.
“Then they said my name and I just started crying. It is a dream come true, I didn’t think it would ever happen and I’m still pinching myself. I think I will be for the next two years.”
Geelong College, Talbot Street, Newtown. Enquiries: 5226 3156 or visit www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au
