Mia King returns to East Launceston junior club before AFLW clash

King was best and fairest in the second of those in 2017 and returned to her junior club on the eve of playing for North in her home town.

"Coming back here is awesome," King said at the NTCA Ground. "I have a lot of memories playing with East Launceston. I started my junior football career here, it's where I fell in love with the game."

Reunited with coach Deb Reynolds and team manager Liz Dixon, King happily shared junior memories, including losing to both Launceston and Evandale by more than 100 points and then beating both in finals.

"I remember there was one game where we scored 25 points but not a goal, I think it was against Evandale. Nobody could kick a goal. The development we had in that time was really special and I played with a lot of my friends from school so it was special to get two premierships with them."

King said she played "pretty much every sport" at Scotch Oakburn College before a casual request sparked a career which took her to statewide success with Launceston and 40 games in the national competition.

"I did gymnastics, ballet, basketball, netball ... I went through everything and transitioned to football in Year 9 or 10 when a PE teacher asked if I wanted to play for a school team.

"I loved that team environment and I say that East Launceston was like a family in a sense. My second cousin was coach at the time, Rob Dixon, so when I came down here it really did feel like one big family.

"I owe East Launceston a lot. Deb Reynolds was my first coach in junior football and I owe her so much. Not just in my game but finding that passion and enjoyment for football."

Reynolds fondly recalled her star player.

"She was a bright bubbly young personality with very raw football ability but had natural talent and game sense so it was a matter of connecting the football craft with her ability," she said.

"She had been a natural athlete though different codes at school so it was just about putting an oval ball in her hands and nurturing that craft.

"We had a wonderful group of girls I formed a close connection with and I've maintained that with Mia through Launceston and the Devils and it's lovely to watch her now because she worked really hard and continued to learn. To know in a very small way that East Launceston played a part in that and helped her with the basic fundamentals, you do sit back with some pride."

Club president Josh Nast added: "For us it's a legacy that those pioneering women started. We're very proud of Mia and all the girls that played in the inaugural year and took out those premierships."

After furthering her career under coaches Alex Gibbins and Ange Dickson at Launceston, King represented Tasmania in the NAB League and was most valuable player for the Eastern Allies at the under-18 national championships.

Selected by the Kangaroos with pick 49 in the 2019 national draft, the 166-centimetre midfielder joined Launceston team-mates Daria Bannister and Chloe and Libby Haines as well as fellow Tasmanians Emma Humphries, Nicole Bresnahan, Brittany Gibson and Ellie Gavalas at the club.

"Daria was definitely a role model for me growing up when there wasn't a pathway," she said. "It makes me happy to see the talent coming through. The numbers are just going to keep growing because we have such a big talent pool in Tasmania.

"When I was in Grade 8 I don't think AFLW actually existed. I picked up my first football in Grade 10 and when it kicked off, I started to see that there was a pathway in AFLW and that was when I started to dream a little bit and think that I could make it at the elite level if I tried."

King debuted in 2020, was named the Roos' best young player the following season, earned a rising star nomination in 2022 and finished that award in third place.

She is wary of two records heading into Sunday's fixture and admitted playing in her home town does come with added significance.

"I've played at UTAS a few times now and when I'm with the North girls I do have little flashbacks and remember when I used to play there with East Launceston or later on with Launceston in TSL. It's special to have those connections to that ground.We've never beaten Brisbane Lions and we've also never lost in Tassie so we've definitely got a challenge."