For Courtney Webb, the AFL announcement of its 2019 plans for the national women’s competition that includes a Tasmanian side is now a delicate balancing act.
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The 17-year-old is one of the state’s top female cricket prospects, already named in this summer’s Tasmanian Roar squad after earning a rookie Hobart Hurricanes WBBL contract just last year.
But her switch in the offseason across to the inaugural TSLW and premiership success with Launceston has proven a football revelation.
Earning a spot in the state team-of-the-year and taking out the player-of-the-match medal in the TSLW grand final has made Webb’s future look as cloudy as it is bright.
“I definitely want to be able to play both sports for as long as possible,” Webb said.
“I’ve committed to cricket for this season, so that’s definitely my priority at the moment. But my coach is very understanding that I do play the two sports at a fairly high level and they’re supportive of me playing AFL.
“Hopefully I can continue to do both for the next year at least, and as the two sports continues to grow, I think I have to make a decision eventually. But I am trying to put it off as long as possible.”
The AFLW will initially expand from eight teams to 10 to include Geelong Cats and a North Melbourne-affiliated Tasmanian side.
St Kilda, Richmond, West Coast and Gold Coast will join in 2020. Hawthorn and Essendon were overlooked.
Webb said among the dream of half of the composite’s side’s matches played in her home state – two planned for Launceston – were outcomes that appear to be “really exciting” for the women’s game in Tasmania.
“It’s great the (women’s) sport is developing and have more teams come along, especially in the region of Tasmania,” Webb said.
“It’s really exciting for girls of my age and a few years younger to have a clearer pathway into the sport and to play at such a higher level.
“To be able to do that out of Tasmania is really exciting.”
For Mia King, it’s all come so quickly. A true novice of the game to the point that when she picked up a ball for the first time less than 18 months ago, she had no clue of one of the important rules.
“My first game was quite funny,” she said. “I ran across the field and I didn’t know that you had to bounce it and the umpire was blowing the whistle to tell me to stop, but I just kept on running.”
But the East Launceston junior is now regarded the dominant force of the NTJFA.
Her shock late call-up for the Allies in the national under-18 championship has King on target to be drafted when eligible in 2019. The Blues TSLW signing added: “I’m just looking at getting a feel for the game, getting used to how women play and see how it goes from there.”