WOMEN’S football pioneer Courtney Cramey made an appearance at Willaston Football Club’s Monday night women’s training to give some advice to the Donnybrooks ahead of their under-17s and senior women’s grand finals this Sunday.
Cramey, 34, is a two-time premiership winner with the Adelaide Crows and was named All-Australian in the 2017 premiership year, but she also had an extensive footy career in the South Australian Women’s Football League (SAWFL) which included captaining a three-peat for Morphettville Park from 2014-2016.
With piles of premierships and achievements under her belt, local MP Tony Piccolo invited her to the club to answer any questions the Willaston women have, with some playing their first seasons of footy.
After some general advice on managing nerves before a big game, and what to eat on game-day, Cramey fielded questions about self-doubt and preparation to a keen audience.
“I think it’s just fantastic to see women’s footy grow, particularly out in the regions,” she said.
“When I was playing local footy in ‘club-land’ there wasn’t any AFLW competition going around, and now young kids can aspire to reach the pinnacle of the sport.”
After the group chat was over, Cramey spent more than 30 minutes chatting with any of the women who wanted some of her time.
“I think it’s good for young girls to be able to get to know people that have done what they aspire to do,” she said.
“They should know the South Australian community is really small and they can tap into those resources if they want to – people are available to help make them better if that’s what they choose to do.”