WHAT’S better than stepping up to a new representative level as an AFL player?
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How about kicking a goal in front of a national television audience?
She may not have got the win she wanted, but Parkes’ Keeghan Tucker (now living in Bathurst) got some great memories from her recent representative AFL match for NSW/ACT against South Australia at Adelaide Oval.
A great performance for Greater Western Sydney Giants against the Sydney Swans earlier in the year meant Tucker caught the eye of NSW/ACT selectors. They gave her the opportunity take her game to yet another level.
She didn’t waste her chance.
A late fight back from the hosts secured a 4-3-27 to 3-7-25 win, but not before Tucker landed her excellent effort from over 30 metres out.
Down 13-9 in the second quarter, Tucker fended off a SA opponent before snapping a major.
That put her side in front for the first time in the game and gave NSW/ACT the momentum. However, two fourth quarter goals for SA earned them the win.
Tucker - who played full forward - said it was a memorable moment to run out representing her state.
“It was pretty exciting to be out there. We started off just trying not to be too nervous and we had a great lead up to the game which helped us out with that,” she said.
“Going onto that ground was such a great feeling. The whole facility there is incredible.
“It was a pretty similar sort of game to the Swans one, just the girls were bigger. That made it much harder to get the ball cleanly.”
Tucker wasn’t confident at first that her kick had found the target, bouncing very close to the base of the right goal post.
“For a while I was hoping that it would bounce the right way,” she said.
“I was just happy to be out there playing, but that goal just topped it all off.”
Tucker’s Adelaide adventure comes at an exciting time in the sport, with last Wednesday’s announcement of the inaugural women’s national AFL competition structure.
Eight teams, including GWS Giants, have been named for the new six-round women’s national competition next year.
That will give not only Tucker, but fellow Bathurst GWS Academy senior squad members Kelsey Smith and Jess Scadding the chance to play in the inaugural competition.
While Tucker said she’s unaware of how selections will be made for the competition, it’s given her something new to aim for.
“[The chance to play] seems real now that they’ve made the announcement. It’s what all the girls will be working towards. I’ve got to make sure that I keep up my training,” she said.
“It’s good having the other girls at the academy because it creates that competitive environment where you know everyone else is also working really hard to earn those spots.”
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Keeghan left Parkes in 2012 after a stellar sporting career which saw her represent NSW in another sport, cricket from aged 14 to 19.
She attended the Goulburn Police Academy before being stationed in Bathurst.
The general duties officer continued playing cricket, but passed up the representative duties to play with the men’s competition in Bathurst.
It was only pure chance she became involved with AFL.
She went to watch her brother, Brent playing in Bathurst, when she was approached by a friend and told about the local womens AFL side.
She started training and playing, and then became aware of training sessions in Sydney with the Greater Western Sydney Academy.
“I had nothing to do so a few of us went down to try out and got selected in the squad.
“We had to attend training a couple of times a week.
“Then there was an exhibition game between the Sydney Swans and GWS Academies.”
From that match, Keeghan completed her meteoric rise by being selected in the NSW side which played the match against South Australia.
There are no more games this year, but extensive training.
Next year will see the introduction of the national competition - and Keeghan is eagerly looking forward to taking part.
As for Aussie Rules?
“It’s pretty good, I really enjoyed the sport,” she said.
“There are so many skills, plenty of running. There’s more freedom than say, soccer.
“The first couple of games were pretty hard, but now I am really enjoying the room to run and get involved.”
