August 14, 2025 • 25 mins
On AFLW Alexia (Lexi) Hamilton joins Alex Donnelly to talk all things Sydney Swans and her career so far. She talks about who she thinks is going to break out in 2025. Why she loves beating GWS, Geelong and Essendon + who will go to the next level and why she, her sister and Tanya Kennedy love getting into a scrap.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
How good is this first episode of AFLW today for
the new season. And you know what, We're going to
start it off with a great way with one of
my true loves, and that is the Sydney Swans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
There's no better way to start it off.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
And today we are joined by Alexia don't call Alex
or Alexa Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
How are you, Alexi?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
I'm good, I'm good. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
No, it's an absolute pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Now we'll start with some serious stuff because the podcast
before the show, as we've already done, has probably been
the best recording someone's ever going to get, but no
one will ever hear it. But let's go with the nice,
easy professional. How's the super long preseason treating you?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I know, it's.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Like we obviously played in a practice match on the weekend,
so it's been nice to someone other than each other
for once, because we've obviously been going. We played in
a series of matches earlier in the years, so obviously
to prime for those games, we had to put in
a block of work prior to those being played. So
we've been I guess in training now since probably February and.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It's now July.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
So the longest preseason i've ever participated in, and yeah,
it's been going well. We've we are very keen to
like get stuck into playing real matches against afoor W teams.
You sort of get very sick a versing each other
and bashing each other up out there. So it's it's
very close now. But yeah, it feels like we're right
(01:20):
near the end. So only a couple more weeks and
then we'll be there.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Of course we're recording this in the last week of July,
so we just shy have two weeks away from the
season beginning. But you did mention that there was that
block of games that you played. I think it was
against like intra teams from Brisbane and Adelaide as well.
How is that mentally, Like you're getting up for those
games knowing that they are important for your preseason, but
then it's the comedown because your season.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Is still six to eight weeks away.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Like that has to be tough coming from I suppose
a lot of junior footy were playing week in week
out and then all of a sudden, everything's thrown into
a three month block.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, it was pretty hard. Like obviously we.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Like we were doing matches and stuff at training as well,
so you're preparing for these games and then in those
games we were still we're all winning some of them
quite significantly because obviously in those games you're either playing
girls back from injury, we were playing new drafts, whereas
we took the approach we want to try some new things.
And then you finish those games and then your whole
sort of I guess season is put on hold for
(02:15):
another twelve weeks.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So it really just kind of like we just like.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Analyze those games so much because you just know you're
not playing another game for ten weeks. So in comparison
to sort of when you're in season or anything in
you're junior footy, you just all of a sudden you're like, yeah,
we're in a role here. We're playing four games in
a row and then you just stop for another ten weeks.
So it's pretty it's been pretty hard, and I think
that's why we're itching so hard to play again in
a few weeks time, which is super exciting.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So we'll talk about that.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Obviously, it's Round one versus the Tigers at North Sydney Oval,
and we'll talk about that.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
North Sydney Oval. I love it as the fact that
it's just out of nowhere. Well, I suppose in a.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Couple of seasons become the Swans spiritual home and every
year the game's going to kick off either on a
Saturday Twilight, which they definitely need to bring back, or
a Friday night at North Sydney Oval.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Like it's such an enclosed ground.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Being having lived in Sydney myself, it seems like a
great way to start a season because it's always packed
and just the location of North Sydney Oval is easily
accessible for everyone.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah, I think both of out I suppose, like we
haven't really played We've only played one game on the SAG,
So both North Sydney and Hanson Park are such enormous
venues for us, and especially in AFLW. Obviously the crowd
attendance isn't as large as the Men's space, but ultimately
it feels just as big when you're at those grounds
because the atmosphere is just phenomenal there. Like the ability
(03:35):
to attract just the loudest people in Sydney has got
to be like one of the talents in itself. But yeah,
like it's pretty much been a staple for us for
a few years now and it's always like no matter
sort of rivalries within the league or big games coming
up round well, Round one and obviously North Sydney Oval
has always, like the last couple of years, been something
(03:56):
we've been really looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
It's a bit of a harder ground to play on
just because.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
It's like significantly smaller than any ground you have we've
played on elsewhere. But in the atmosphere there just makes
it feel so you just feel like the tiniest person
out there. But it's always such an exciting game and
the fireworks and I guess the entertainment that goes on
with the theatrics of Round one is super exciting.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And talk to me about Henson Park because the Swans
are one of the teams in the AFLW that have
Obviously that is your home ground, Henson Park, but with
some of the teams here in Victoria, they're sort of
playing here there and everywhere. I know Gelong likes to
play all the games at GMHBA and Witten Oval for
the Dogs, but the Swan's home is Henson Park and
you've got that atmosphere that teams don't have, and regularly
(04:43):
the largest attended games throughout the season ares Swan's games.
What's it like on a Sunday, AVO Saturday, a running
out at Henson. I'm yet to have gone to a
game at Henson, but I've played some junior footy at Henson,
Like it is a great space to play football.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah, I think that's something like the club has been
super proud of, is like ow ability to actually bring
people to games, and especially at Henson in the AFLW space,
and like you don't even have to be in a
professional league to know what the atmosphere Henson can be,
like like you just go on local footy or even
just like I think they played cricket there as well.
There's like a heav of sport that goes on there.
(05:17):
And because of the like geometrics of the field, it's
like a fish bowl essentially, so no matter where you're
sort of positioned in the field the hill, it's just
like the most like everyone's just looking down on into
the field, so it almost feels like you're in a
stadium essentially. I think one of my favorite games of
Henson's and we played a Pride round maybe last year
(05:40):
or the year before, and it was just like huge,
it was huge like the crowd was insane.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It's just it was like the perfect day rugs on
the hill.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
But to really have somewhere you call like an actual
home ground, I think it is super special to the
club because anyone coming to Henson, whether they're a top
performing team or someone that's growing, like, they feel that
no matter what. So we just like try and turne
up and the crowd turns up every time and gets
behind us and momentum is huge.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So yeah, we take Henson every day of the week.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I have booked my tickets to come to Henson for
the Pride match against Carlton.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Later this year. I will be having a doozy on
the Hill. I cannot wait for that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, that'll be unreal.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
With Henson.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You've obviously said you've played one game at the SCG
and we'll move on from this just after this. But
do you eventually want to play games at the SCG
as well as having maybe a game or two at Henson,
just to not lose that connection you do have with
Henson Parkers. I assume playing in front of fifty thousand
at the SCG is the.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
End game here.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, And I think it's like ultimately obviously everyone, Like,
that's a dream to play in front of that many
people at at a stadium, at an oval that is
so sacred to obviously the Swans and like the South
Melbourne Football Club and all the rich history of a
transition up into Sydney.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But then ultimately, like grassroots.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Henson was sort of there for us when we weren't
able to perform in front of the CG. So ultimately,
like I guess the end goal would to be able
to sell out an SCG and play at the SEG
and have that atmosphere brought to that like to that ground,
but also recognizing that Henson has just done so much
for us in any games that we probably shouldn't have won,
(07:17):
we've won there. So yeah, ideally, like playing in front
of the SEG. We've played once and I don't think
the atmosphere just wasn't quite the same, like because it's
obviously a massive ground. I think even we might've even
still had like seven thousand people there, but you put
seven thousand people in Henson and all of a sudden
it's great. You put seven thousand people in SG and
it's just empty. So ultimately, yeah, that'd be the end goal.
(07:38):
But Henson's Henson's really good for now.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I like, let's quickly sort of talk about last year,
because after making the finals in twenty three, last year
in all honesty was a bit disappointing, but everyone was injured.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
There is no understating that, how is it?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
We've you talked about the super long preseason, but does
it feel you and the rest of the squad with confidence,
players like Chloe Ally Laura Gardner are all running around
without strapping on their clid ready to go into round one.
Obviously you had the disappointment of last year, but coming
into twenty five, everyone must be so pumped that the
squad looks as strong as it does.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, I think coming off twenty twenty three, and like
most of the players, if you ask someone what's their
most memorable game in like their swan's career or whatnot,
with most of us would probably say our first final wins.
So just coming off that year, we were on such
a high and we sort of thought we were invincible.
And then obviously Chloe goes down, Morph goes down. You've
got people running around strapping their broken fingers up. So
(08:36):
we just had absolutely we were just torn apart, and
I mean, similar to the boys this year, we can
sort of sit back and be like, oh, you know,
it's the injuries and et cetera, et cetera, and there's
nothing like you can't speed up or give someone anything
that'll just automatically put them back on the pitch. But
I think coming into this year, there was a lot
of girls last year who really stepped up for us,
(08:58):
Brenda Tarrant being one, Alice Mitch and other midfielders were
able to step up as well with you know, some
of our key mids being out, so coming into this season.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Those girls have stepped up.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
We've also got our more talented players coming back, and
it's just it's so challenging for our own group because
we've just we've just got such an elite team now,
like you've got people who have stood up and then
you've got people coming back and we've got barely any injury.
So it's like we're we're really really happy where we
(09:29):
are at the moment, and it's been such a long
time coming. Like the extended pre season has allowed us
as well to like I suppose, like move girls through
rehab quicker and do heaps more prep in terms of
like acl prevention and soft tissue prevention. So from a
point of view, we're like, oh, we've been going on forever,
(09:49):
but also like there's no surprise that we don't really
have anyone on a long term injury list at the moment,
which is great, And.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You did talk about that, like squad list, squad depth.
So had the first official practice match against the Giants
last week.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Talk to me about Zippy Fish.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I feel like she's going to become a cult hero
very quickly just on pure name alone. But she looks
to be chock full of talent but also has one
of the best footballing names ever.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I know, I know.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
I think when we first drafted her, I saw, like
Dan does we hear did some things like Zippy Fish
has gonna be like the coolest name in football. But no,
she's been really exciting to come to the club and
she's just such a young, like raw talent and coming
from Perth as well, like in the Melbourne Like if
you pick someone up from Melbourne, they sort of already
introduced to pathways and they've got their foot in every door.
(10:38):
But zipp is really raw, so it's been super exciting
to like help her through this pathway but she's just
such a talented footballer in terms of her skills, Like
she's one of those like she can kick left foot,
right foot clean like darts, and her ability to like
read the ball has been super powerful for She's starting
(11:01):
actually in a defensive role, but I wouldn't be surprised
if that moved throughout the year and she kicked out
first I think our first goal for us on the
weekend on the back of it fifty. But she's just
such a versatile player, so she's someone that could very
much move through the ranks. She'd be able to essentially
play anywhere I feel like at the moment, which is
so powerful for us in versatility.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Is that something that you've noticed with like this year's
draft crop and even last year's as well. Now that
the players who have been able to play footy all
the way through their life, which is one of the
great things that the AFLW was allowed, is the participation
for young girls around Australia from when they're six all
the way through to drafting. Have you noticed the players
who haven't had that gap seemingly have just that sort
(11:44):
of I guess it's that extra step and understanding of
football whereas players who might have had a cut leaves
off here and there take a you know, maybe a
season or two to really get back into the groove.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
And I think one of our biggest examples of that
is Amelia Martin, who's a sitnix One's Academy product, and
so just being able to have her in the system
from such a young age, like I think she was
a part of the inaugural Swans Academy, like the City
Swan's w Academy, which is just like an enormous stat
but she's come in and already like sort of lifting
(12:17):
more than girls who have been in the program for
a long time. So like to have girls that already
built to play is super helpful when you're drafting someone,
because you don't want to draft someone not be able
to play them until around six round seven because they're
not quite up to like physicality, but they're ready to
go essentially and then their football brains, their skills because
(12:39):
they've been playing for so long, there's no gap, Like
you don't have to introduce them to the program because
they're very familiar with the program and they've probably been
doing a similar program from under eighteens anyways. But yeah,
just their ability to like come in and impact straight
away just I think as a testament to the pathway
that's been set up by the AFL and those clubs
(13:00):
that are aligning with under eighteens, which is just huge
for any club. Really. It just means that there's more
talent and the there's actually a future for younger girls
and they continue to play the whole way through.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
It's almost as if academies are a good thing. Hello
to jobs in Melbourne who don't like them.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, no, they're very good for us.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But let's talk about your story a little bit, because
yours is I found it extremely interesting when doing some
prep for this. So you grew up in Queenbyan and
unlike Alice Mitchelle spent a cup of coffee in Gannada.
You are from the country, like we can climb that
you're from Queanbean. But what was the footy scene like
in queenban around camera AFL camera for years with the
Queanbian Tigers, Bell conn And has been very strong in
(13:43):
the male competition with the old Nethle. What was it
like growing up as a young woman trying to find
your way in footy.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Yeah, so we like, I'm one of six kids, so
we grew up like I guess like sort of some
like close to Queenbian. We grew up in Marion Bateman,
which is sort of we were out in property and
then we played for Queenbian growing up, but we sort
of did a lot of other sports because there was
no pathway essentially, which is why I'm such a big
advocate for the academies, because you can really just see
(14:10):
yourself way the whole way through the pathway. But we
were sort of dabbling around in basketball and judo, martial
arts and a few other things that were sort of
around the area at the time. My brother was playing
AFL for obviously just community league, and I wanted to play,
but there was no league at the time, and essentially
I just waited a couple of years for it to
(14:31):
come around. And I first actually started playing for bell
Connan and that was sort of closest to home and
just loved footy, loved footy, And it wasn't long after
that I moved over to Queenbean to play there when
I started really taking my football series and Queenian just
really like they've got people playing in all sorts of
(14:52):
AFL W teams and AFL teams now that they've been
able to produce and even if you just look under
that in that was either had the need for competition
and they had team and that, and then they've got
a lot of players playing throughout the VFL and samful.
But yeah, they really just I think advocated for me
to just be. It wasn't necessarily like oh we've got
to get you drafted, where you just wanted to be
(15:12):
the best football that I could be essentially, and even
obviously I spent some time at Gold Coast and come
back home after not being offered a new contract, and
as soon as I come home, it wasn't our Paul
LEXI like, you know, this is the reality. It was like,
let's get back to work is what we've got to
work on. So they've been massive in my actual football development.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And anytime I actually go back to Canberra, I was
back there on the weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I went back and watched the Creamian team play. So yeah,
a lot of love for that club for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So you did mention Gold Coaster and that's another thing
I want to talk about you. So you spent some
time with Golko Sons and the North Melbourne Kangaroos as well,
And now you found your way from the Swans. Was
that just through not getting offered other contracts and then
eventually when the Swan's expansion squad came in you saw
an opportunity or the Swan's also contacted you like, take
us through that, because I don't think many people would understand,
(16:03):
especially in AFLW, just how I suppose how cutthroats some
of these contract calls are given the smallest squad lists.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Yeah, for sure, like I think, and that's like the
most important I think were not like important, but like
unrecognized things that like everyone's journey to this space is
so different, Like the draft is so different for everyone.
Being on a list is so different from everyone. And
obviously trade like you've got that many girls who aren't
even from Sydney that are actually on the Swan's list.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Now, so like how do they get here?
Speaker 4 (16:31):
But yeah, So, initially drafted to Gold Coast, Ecstatic moved
up there. I was just eighteen and at the time
it was obviously the financial gain from playing football was
not as significant as it is now, So I was
studying full time at Uni, working pretty much part time
hours and doing my football on type of that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah, it was pretty much. I was like, no friends,
no life.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I was just and you're living on the Girl Coast
with no life.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah yeah, I mean I'm literally in paradise and I'm
just like napping during the day.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah. But I found that first year really really tough.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
And I mean it doesn't really help that that was
Gold Coasts, like it was the Sun's inaugural year as well,
so they were learning so much and the boys hadn't
been around for long, so they just they just didn't.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It was just so.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Fresh for everyone, whereas here, you know, they had the
academy setup, they've already seen all the clubs go through
the process and they've learned so much from that. What
we what do we want to do, what we want
to stand for, what we don't want to do. And
I think just seeing the two inaugural programs in comparison
was so different. But ultimately, yeah, like a Gold Coast,
I made some really good friends there, but I just didn't.
(17:42):
I wasn't in my best football phase. I wouldn't say.
cobD came shortly long after moved back home, had a
stint with Queenban and then moved to North started in
their VFL team, then got picked up as an injury
replacement mid season. And I loved my time at North Melbourne,
like they were just such an amazing club, such an
obviously successful club as well with the recent premiership, and
(18:06):
they were just such a phenomenal, like cultured team. And yeah,
I saw the expansion opportunity coming with Sydney Swans coming in,
Cynthia was entering her draft year and Camberon and Melbourne,
Melbourne and Sydney, it was kind of an easy decision
to make into where I saw the rest of sort of,
(18:26):
I guess, like in a longer term vision of where
I wanted to play my football. I've been a Blood
supporter forever anyway, so I was like, as soon as
they come in and I was like, ultimately I wanted
to play for Swans and then yeah, I guess like
the rest is history. He sort of at the time,
I can't remember if where you reached out or they
(18:47):
reached out. Scott Gowan's had been involved at North previously.
I didn't really have much to do with him, but
I sort of said so I managed at time like
I wouldn't mind going to Swans and there was some
interest there and then yeah, like obviously that season, the
ability to sign had to have been so quickly because
they were like essentially given no time to create a little.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
So it wasn't I think.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I was on my football trip with the girls when
I was like, yeah, I'm going to Sydney and they
were all.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Like, are you serious, Like it just we just finished
the season. But yeah, no, I've been.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
This is like the place that I now call home,
and I'm yeah, very grateful for Sydney and for this
ones for embracing everything that comes with the football.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So you did mention your sister there. Cynthia, who obviously
got drafted, is a part of the squad this year
as well. And it's something that I maybe a few
others would have noticed last year. And they're starting to
be a little bit more tension between teams in games,
a little bit of fifty cuffs here and there.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Why is it that you.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Your sister, or even just Tanya Kennedy probably cushes Iris
seemed to find yourself in the thick of these fights.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Oh my goodness, I know.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I love it personally, I love the rivalry and the
anger and the passion that plays are showing.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Yeah, I know, I think I'm going to like blame
it anyways on Like I was to come from quite
a big family, so I'm like quite a protective person
or those like close to me. So I reckon if
someone like when it made, I probably wouldn't even like
give too much like care for it. But it's when
like people or like say someone dogshots or like just
(20:19):
some hit someone late.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Oh my god, how dare you do?
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Like one of my friends, And I don't mind like
the physicality of the game, Like Sincera and I both
grew up doing judo, so we've had our fair share
of like being thrown around.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
So yeah, I don't mind it. There's a father.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
There's a few other girls who don't mind it either,
like Tanya loves it, Sophia Hurley sometimes gets into it,
and like I think sometimes it even like boosts our morale.
I think it was a game against Essendon and we
all I think a few of us got fined.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
But we were I was there.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
We were getting beaten I think a little bit, and
at halftime we sort of like said, actually we're not
taking anymore of the like where we're getting beaten in
the contest, we're getting beaten in physicality, we're just getting
we're getting pushed under the ball, and we just like
turn around and said like actually, like we're gonna take
like we're going to do the first hit here. And
I think we ended up maybe only losing by a
couple of points or something. But yeah, I think sometimes
(21:15):
it can really boost the energy of the group. I
don't know if it's in a positive way, but yeah,
there seems to be a few of us that run
around with with a few closed fists ready to go.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So I do remember that night.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That was Friday night, unfortunately before the men got spanked
in a Grand final. But I just remember that night
there was about one hundred and fifty of us on
the hill, all there watch for the weekend obviously, but
watching the game, and I just remember one polyporoge are
part of True Bloods is like, oh, Cynthia's in a
brawl and then all of a sudden, there was you
just straight in there after it, and it just lifted
the one hundred and fifty people and then it just
(21:50):
it spurred this one on. Obviously the game you lost
the game there, but the energy for the last fifteen
minutes was palpable. But have you noticed that between obviously
you don't play everyone because of twelve rounds, and we
can ask about that as well. Have you noticed that
there's a bit more spice between a few teams as
well as I suppose expansion has gone on and rivalries
have been built.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Yeah, Oh, I mean it's hard to go past Giants
like you see it in the Weekend, you see it
in like the VFL, you see it now. It's like, obviously,
just being from the same state, we everyone ultimately wants
to be superior to the other one. And yeah, so
I think Giants will always hold like a special place
in our heart for rivalry.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
We seem to always I'm trying to think.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Seems to be something with Geelong.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I've noticed, right, Geelong will always like quite hot on
it as well. I think I don't know, I don't
know how it happens because like I don't really now
that I'm recalling, like we don't actually.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Have anything to biff about with Giants.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
We're like, oh, we want to like be better than
them in terms of state, Like Geelong. It's like why, yeah,
maybe because of like the boys' history and like the
Grand Final, like we're like, let's just get them in
those girls or whatever. But I feel like Essendon now
that like we've had an initial like squirrel with them,
(23:16):
it'll always like it always just has.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Just like the Men.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
One and then you're like, Okay, this is gonna happen
for the next hundred years. But or Bulldogs. I feel
like we got in a bit of a toughle with
Bulldogs as well.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
But yeah, not really, we're not too I'm like trying
to think of anyone that's the main one. I suppose
this year we'll really see now that we have like
sort of everyone back and like a whole different team looks.
So yeah, it'll be interesting to see who we come
up against and hopefully nothing too crazy, but yeah, nothing
wrong with It's like a little bit of band to
full pushing around.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I look forward to that.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
I think there's actually probably no better way to finish
off than that, other than who do you think of
this one squad coming into twenty twenty five is going
to break out and have a season that I suppose
fans aren't haven't been able to predict.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I think you could see, like I haven't been able
to predict is like I feel like the key part
like you expect like people to play well, and you
expect our new like the Trades to play well. But
Amelia Martin then I mentioned before from the Sydney Swans Academy.
She's a sort of hybrid forward but can play sort
of a bit taller than her size.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Her hands are just elite.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
I don't really think I've seen her drop many balls lately,
and her communication for such a young age has just
been so phenomenal. So she's someone I think that's really
going to like surprise people, Like I think she's been
overlooked heaps throughout this entire pre season, in in our
pre match games as well that we played not long ago.
But I just think that she's just going to come
(24:45):
out and just start crashing packs and people are going
to like love her physicality as well.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Obviously, the season kicks off in a couple of weeks
time the Swan's take on Tiger's Round one at North Sydney.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Ivill can't watch it.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You can watch every game on KO and there's also
a bunch your bars you can all watch the footy
at this season I won't call you alex or Alexi,
Alexia or Alexa, but Lexi Hamilton, thank you for joining
us today on ifl W today.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
How good is this first episode of AFLW today for
the new season. And you know what, We're going to
start it off with a great way with one of
my true loves, and that is the Sydney Swans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
There's no better way to start it off.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
And today we are joined by Alexia don't call Alex
or Alexa Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
How are you, Alexi?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
I'm good, I'm good. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
No, it's an absolute pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Now we'll start with some serious stuff because the podcast
before the show, as we've already done, has probably been
the best recording someone's ever going to get, but no
one will ever hear it. But let's go with the nice,
easy professional. How's the super long preseason treating you?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I know, it's.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Like we obviously played in a practice match on the weekend,
so it's been nice to someone other than each other
for once, because we've obviously been going. We played in
a series of matches earlier in the years, so obviously
to prime for those games, we had to put in
a block of work prior to those being played. So
we've been I guess in training now since probably February and.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It's now July.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
So the longest preseason i've ever participated in, and yeah,
it's been going well. We've we are very keen to
like get stuck into playing real matches against afoor W teams.
You sort of get very sick a versing each other
and bashing each other up out there. So it's it's
very close now. But yeah, it feels like we're right
(01:20):
near the end. So only a couple more weeks and
then we'll be there.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Of course we're recording this in the last week of July,
so we just shy have two weeks away from the
season beginning. But you did mention that there was that
block of games that you played. I think it was
against like intra teams from Brisbane and Adelaide as well.
How is that mentally, Like you're getting up for those
games knowing that they are important for your preseason, but
then it's the comedown because your season.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Is still six to eight weeks away.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Like that has to be tough coming from I suppose
a lot of junior footy were playing week in week
out and then all of a sudden, everything's thrown into
a three month block.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, it was pretty hard. Like obviously we.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Like we were doing matches and stuff at training as well,
so you're preparing for these games and then in those
games we were still we're all winning some of them
quite significantly because obviously in those games you're either playing
girls back from injury, we were playing new drafts, whereas
we took the approach we want to try some new things.
And then you finish those games and then your whole
sort of I guess season is put on hold for
(02:15):
another twelve weeks.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So it really just kind of like we just like.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Analyze those games so much because you just know you're
not playing another game for ten weeks. So in comparison
to sort of when you're in season or anything in
you're junior footy, you just all of a sudden you're like, yeah,
we're in a role here. We're playing four games in
a row and then you just stop for another ten weeks.
So it's pretty it's been pretty hard, and I think
that's why we're itching so hard to play again in
a few weeks time, which is super exciting.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So we'll talk about that.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Obviously, it's Round one versus the Tigers at North Sydney Oval,
and we'll talk about that.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
North Sydney Oval. I love it as the fact that
it's just out of nowhere. Well, I suppose in a.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Couple of seasons become the Swans spiritual home and every
year the game's going to kick off either on a
Saturday Twilight, which they definitely need to bring back, or
a Friday night at North Sydney Oval.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Like it's such an enclosed ground.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Being having lived in Sydney myself, it seems like a
great way to start a season because it's always packed
and just the location of North Sydney Oval is easily
accessible for everyone.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah, I think both of out I suppose, like we
haven't really played We've only played one game on the SAG,
So both North Sydney and Hanson Park are such enormous
venues for us, and especially in AFLW. Obviously the crowd
attendance isn't as large as the Men's space, but ultimately
it feels just as big when you're at those grounds
because the atmosphere is just phenomenal there. Like the ability
(03:35):
to attract just the loudest people in Sydney has got
to be like one of the talents in itself. But yeah,
like it's pretty much been a staple for us for
a few years now and it's always like no matter
sort of rivalries within the league or big games coming
up round well, Round one and obviously North Sydney Oval
has always, like the last couple of years, been something
(03:56):
we've been really looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
It's a bit of a harder ground to play on
just because.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
It's like significantly smaller than any ground you have we've
played on elsewhere. But in the atmosphere there just makes
it feel so you just feel like the tiniest person
out there. But it's always such an exciting game and
the fireworks and I guess the entertainment that goes on
with the theatrics of Round one is super exciting.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And talk to me about Henson Park because the Swans
are one of the teams in the AFLW that have
Obviously that is your home ground, Henson Park, but with
some of the teams here in Victoria, they're sort of
playing here there and everywhere. I know Gelong likes to
play all the games at GMHBA and Witten Oval for
the Dogs, but the Swan's home is Henson Park and
you've got that atmosphere that teams don't have, and regularly
(04:43):
the largest attended games throughout the season ares Swan's games.
What's it like on a Sunday, AVO Saturday, a running
out at Henson. I'm yet to have gone to a
game at Henson, but I've played some junior footy at Henson,
Like it is a great space to play football.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah, I think that's something like the club has been
super proud of, is like ow ability to actually bring
people to games, and especially at Henson in the AFLW space,
and like you don't even have to be in a
professional league to know what the atmosphere Henson can be,
like like you just go on local footy or even
just like I think they played cricket there as well.
There's like a heav of sport that goes on there.
(05:17):
And because of the like geometrics of the field, it's
like a fish bowl essentially, so no matter where you're
sort of positioned in the field the hill, it's just
like the most like everyone's just looking down on into
the field, so it almost feels like you're in a
stadium essentially. I think one of my favorite games of
Henson's and we played a Pride round maybe last year
(05:40):
or the year before, and it was just like huge,
it was huge like the crowd was insane.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
It's just it was like the perfect day rugs on
the hill.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
But to really have somewhere you call like an actual
home ground, I think it is super special to the
club because anyone coming to Henson, whether they're a top
performing team or someone that's growing, like, they feel that
no matter what. So we just like try and turne
up and the crowd turns up every time and gets
behind us and momentum is huge.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So yeah, we take Henson every day of the week.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
I have booked my tickets to come to Henson for
the Pride match against Carlton.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Later this year. I will be having a doozy on
the Hill. I cannot wait for that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, that'll be unreal.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
With Henson.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You've obviously said you've played one game at the SCG
and we'll move on from this just after this. But
do you eventually want to play games at the SCG
as well as having maybe a game or two at Henson,
just to not lose that connection you do have with
Henson Parkers. I assume playing in front of fifty thousand
at the SCG is the.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
End game here.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, And I think it's like ultimately obviously everyone, Like,
that's a dream to play in front of that many
people at at a stadium, at an oval that is
so sacred to obviously the Swans and like the South
Melbourne Football Club and all the rich history of a
transition up into Sydney.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But then ultimately, like grassroots.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Henson was sort of there for us when we weren't
able to perform in front of the CG. So ultimately,
like I guess the end goal would to be able
to sell out an SCG and play at the SEG
and have that atmosphere brought to that like to that ground,
but also recognizing that Henson has just done so much
for us in any games that we probably shouldn't have won,
(07:17):
we've won there. So yeah, ideally, like playing in front
of the SEG. We've played once and I don't think
the atmosphere just wasn't quite the same, like because it's
obviously a massive ground. I think even we might've even
still had like seven thousand people there, but you put
seven thousand people in Henson and all of a sudden
it's great. You put seven thousand people in SG and
it's just empty. So ultimately, yeah, that'd be the end goal.
(07:38):
But Henson's Henson's really good for now.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I like, let's quickly sort of talk about last year,
because after making the finals in twenty three, last year
in all honesty was a bit disappointing, but everyone was injured.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
There is no understating that, how is it?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
We've you talked about the super long preseason, but does
it feel you and the rest of the squad with confidence,
players like Chloe Ally Laura Gardner are all running around
without strapping on their clid ready to go into round one.
Obviously you had the disappointment of last year, but coming
into twenty five, everyone must be so pumped that the
squad looks as strong as it does.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, I think coming off twenty twenty three, and like
most of the players, if you ask someone what's their
most memorable game in like their swan's career or whatnot,
with most of us would probably say our first final wins.
So just coming off that year, we were on such
a high and we sort of thought we were invincible.
And then obviously Chloe goes down, Morph goes down. You've
got people running around strapping their broken fingers up. So
(08:36):
we just had absolutely we were just torn apart, and
I mean, similar to the boys this year, we can
sort of sit back and be like, oh, you know,
it's the injuries and et cetera, et cetera, and there's
nothing like you can't speed up or give someone anything
that'll just automatically put them back on the pitch. But
I think coming into this year, there was a lot
of girls last year who really stepped up for us,
(08:58):
Brenda Tarrant being one, Alice Mitch and other midfielders were
able to step up as well with you know, some
of our key mids being out, so coming into this season.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Those girls have stepped up.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
We've also got our more talented players coming back, and
it's just it's so challenging for our own group because
we've just we've just got such an elite team now,
like you've got people who have stood up and then
you've got people coming back and we've got barely any injury.
So it's like we're we're really really happy where we
(09:29):
are at the moment, and it's been such a long
time coming. Like the extended pre season has allowed us
as well to like I suppose, like move girls through
rehab quicker and do heaps more prep in terms of
like acl prevention and soft tissue prevention. So from a
point of view, we're like, oh, we've been going on forever,
(09:49):
but also like there's no surprise that we don't really
have anyone on a long term injury list at the moment,
which is great, And.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
You did talk about that, like squad list, squad depth.
So had the first official practice match against the Giants
last week.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Talk to me about Zippy Fish.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I feel like she's going to become a cult hero
very quickly just on pure name alone. But she looks
to be chock full of talent but also has one
of the best footballing names ever.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I know, I know.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
I think when we first drafted her, I saw, like
Dan does we hear did some things like Zippy Fish
has gonna be like the coolest name in football. But no,
she's been really exciting to come to the club and
she's just such a young, like raw talent and coming
from Perth as well, like in the Melbourne Like if
you pick someone up from Melbourne, they sort of already
introduced to pathways and they've got their foot in every door.
(10:38):
But zipp is really raw, so it's been super exciting
to like help her through this pathway but she's just
such a talented footballer in terms of her skills, Like
she's one of those like she can kick left foot,
right foot clean like darts, and her ability to like
read the ball has been super powerful for She's starting
(11:01):
actually in a defensive role, but I wouldn't be surprised
if that moved throughout the year and she kicked out
first I think our first goal for us on the
weekend on the back of it fifty. But she's just
such a versatile player, so she's someone that could very
much move through the ranks. She'd be able to essentially
play anywhere I feel like at the moment, which is
so powerful for us in versatility.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Is that something that you've noticed with like this year's
draft crop and even last year's as well. Now that
the players who have been able to play footy all
the way through their life, which is one of the
great things that the AFLW was allowed, is the participation
for young girls around Australia from when they're six all
the way through to drafting. Have you noticed the players
who haven't had that gap seemingly have just that sort
(11:44):
of I guess it's that extra step and understanding of
football whereas players who might have had a cut leaves
off here and there take a you know, maybe a
season or two to really get back into the groove.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
And I think one of our biggest examples of that
is Amelia Martin, who's a sitnix One's Academy product, and
so just being able to have her in the system
from such a young age, like I think she was
a part of the inaugural Swans Academy, like the City
Swan's w Academy, which is just like an enormous stat
but she's come in and already like sort of lifting
(12:17):
more than girls who have been in the program for
a long time. So like to have girls that already
built to play is super helpful when you're drafting someone,
because you don't want to draft someone not be able
to play them until around six round seven because they're
not quite up to like physicality, but they're ready to
go essentially and then their football brains, their skills because
(12:39):
they've been playing for so long, there's no gap, Like
you don't have to introduce them to the program because
they're very familiar with the program and they've probably been
doing a similar program from under eighteens anyways. But yeah,
just their ability to like come in and impact straight
away just I think as a testament to the pathway
that's been set up by the AFL and those clubs
(13:00):
that are aligning with under eighteens, which is just huge
for any club. Really. It just means that there's more
talent and the there's actually a future for younger girls
and they continue to play the whole way through.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
It's almost as if academies are a good thing. Hello
to jobs in Melbourne who don't like them.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, no, they're very good for us.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But let's talk about your story a little bit, because
yours is I found it extremely interesting when doing some
prep for this. So you grew up in Queenbyan and
unlike Alice Mitchelle spent a cup of coffee in Gannada.
You are from the country, like we can climb that
you're from Queanbean. But what was the footy scene like
in queenban around camera AFL camera for years with the
Queanbian Tigers, Bell conn And has been very strong in
(13:43):
the male competition with the old Nethle. What was it
like growing up as a young woman trying to find
your way in footy.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Yeah, so we like, I'm one of six kids, so
we grew up like I guess like sort of some
like close to Queenbian. We grew up in Marion Bateman,
which is sort of we were out in property and
then we played for Queenbian growing up, but we sort
of did a lot of other sports because there was
no pathway essentially, which is why I'm such a big
advocate for the academies, because you can really just see
(14:10):
yourself way the whole way through the pathway. But we
were sort of dabbling around in basketball and judo, martial
arts and a few other things that were sort of
around the area at the time. My brother was playing
AFL for obviously just community league, and I wanted to play,
but there was no league at the time, and essentially
I just waited a couple of years for it to
(14:31):
come around. And I first actually started playing for bell
Connan and that was sort of closest to home and
just loved footy, loved footy, And it wasn't long after
that I moved over to Queenbean to play there when
I started really taking my football series and Queenian just
really like they've got people playing in all sorts of
(14:52):
AFL W teams and AFL teams now that they've been
able to produce and even if you just look under
that in that was either had the need for competition
and they had team and that, and then they've got
a lot of players playing throughout the VFL and samful.
But yeah, they really just I think advocated for me
to just be. It wasn't necessarily like oh we've got
to get you drafted, where you just wanted to be
(15:12):
the best football that I could be essentially, and even
obviously I spent some time at Gold Coast and come
back home after not being offered a new contract, and
as soon as I come home, it wasn't our Paul
LEXI like, you know, this is the reality. It was like,
let's get back to work is what we've got to
work on. So they've been massive in my actual football development.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And anytime I actually go back to Canberra, I was
back there on the weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I went back and watched the Creamian team play. So yeah,
a lot of love for that club for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So you did mention Gold Coaster and that's another thing
I want to talk about you. So you spent some
time with Golko Sons and the North Melbourne Kangaroos as well,
And now you found your way from the Swans. Was
that just through not getting offered other contracts and then
eventually when the Swan's expansion squad came in you saw
an opportunity or the Swan's also contacted you like, take
us through that, because I don't think many people would understand,
(16:03):
especially in AFLW, just how I suppose how cutthroats some
of these contract calls are given the smallest squad lists.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Yeah, for sure, like I think, and that's like the
most important I think were not like important, but like
unrecognized things that like everyone's journey to this space is
so different, Like the draft is so different for everyone.
Being on a list is so different from everyone. And
obviously trade like you've got that many girls who aren't
even from Sydney that are actually on the Swan's list.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Now, so like how do they get here?
Speaker 4 (16:31):
But yeah, So, initially drafted to Gold Coast, Ecstatic moved
up there. I was just eighteen and at the time
it was obviously the financial gain from playing football was
not as significant as it is now, So I was
studying full time at Uni, working pretty much part time
hours and doing my football on type of that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah, it was pretty much. I was like, no friends,
no life.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I was just and you're living on the Girl Coast
with no life.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah yeah, I mean I'm literally in paradise and I'm
just like napping during the day.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah. But I found that first year really really tough.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
And I mean it doesn't really help that that was
Gold Coasts, like it was the Sun's inaugural year as well,
so they were learning so much and the boys hadn't
been around for long, so they just they just didn't.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It was just so.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Fresh for everyone, whereas here, you know, they had the
academy setup, they've already seen all the clubs go through
the process and they've learned so much from that. What
we what do we want to do, what we want
to stand for, what we don't want to do. And
I think just seeing the two inaugural programs in comparison
was so different. But ultimately, yeah, like a Gold Coast,
I made some really good friends there, but I just didn't.
(17:42):
I wasn't in my best football phase. I wouldn't say.
cobD came shortly long after moved back home, had a
stint with Queenban and then moved to North started in
their VFL team, then got picked up as an injury
replacement mid season. And I loved my time at North Melbourne,
like they were just such an amazing club, such an
obviously successful club as well with the recent premiership, and
(18:06):
they were just such a phenomenal, like cultured team. And yeah,
I saw the expansion opportunity coming with Sydney Swans coming in,
Cynthia was entering her draft year and Camberon and Melbourne,
Melbourne and Sydney, it was kind of an easy decision
to make into where I saw the rest of sort of,
(18:26):
I guess, like in a longer term vision of where
I wanted to play my football. I've been a Blood
supporter forever anyway, so I was like, as soon as
they come in and I was like, ultimately I wanted
to play for Swans and then yeah, I guess like
the rest is history. He sort of at the time,
I can't remember if where you reached out or they
(18:47):
reached out. Scott Gowan's had been involved at North previously.
I didn't really have much to do with him, but
I sort of said so I managed at time like
I wouldn't mind going to Swans and there was some
interest there and then yeah, like obviously that season, the
ability to sign had to have been so quickly because
they were like essentially given no time to create a little.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
So it wasn't I think.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I was on my football trip with the girls when
I was like, yeah, I'm going to Sydney and they
were all.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Like, are you serious, Like it just we just finished
the season. But yeah, no, I've been.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
This is like the place that I now call home,
and I'm yeah, very grateful for Sydney and for this
ones for embracing everything that comes with the football.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So you did mention your sister there. Cynthia, who obviously
got drafted, is a part of the squad this year
as well. And it's something that I maybe a few
others would have noticed last year. And they're starting to
be a little bit more tension between teams in games,
a little bit of fifty cuffs here and there.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Why is it that you.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Your sister, or even just Tanya Kennedy probably cushes Iris
seemed to find yourself in the thick of these fights.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Oh my goodness, I know.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I love it personally, I love the rivalry and the
anger and the passion that plays are showing.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Yeah, I know, I think I'm going to like blame
it anyways on Like I was to come from quite
a big family, so I'm like quite a protective person
or those like close to me. So I reckon if
someone like when it made, I probably wouldn't even like
give too much like care for it. But it's when
like people or like say someone dogshots or like just
(20:19):
some hit someone late.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Oh my god, how dare you do?
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Like one of my friends, And I don't mind like
the physicality of the game, Like Sincera and I both
grew up doing judo, so we've had our fair share
of like being thrown around.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
So yeah, I don't mind it. There's a father.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
There's a few other girls who don't mind it either,
like Tanya loves it, Sophia Hurley sometimes gets into it,
and like I think sometimes it even like boosts our morale.
I think it was a game against Essendon and we
all I think a few of us got fined.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
But we were I was there.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
We were getting beaten I think a little bit, and
at halftime we sort of like said, actually we're not
taking anymore of the like where we're getting beaten in
the contest, we're getting beaten in physicality, we're just getting
we're getting pushed under the ball, and we just like
turn around and said like actually, like we're gonna take
like we're going to do the first hit here. And
I think we ended up maybe only losing by a
couple of points or something. But yeah, I think sometimes
(21:15):
it can really boost the energy of the group. I
don't know if it's in a positive way, but yeah,
there seems to be a few of us that run
around with with a few closed fists ready to go.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So I do remember that night.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That was Friday night, unfortunately before the men got spanked
in a Grand final. But I just remember that night
there was about one hundred and fifty of us on
the hill, all there watch for the weekend obviously, but
watching the game, and I just remember one polyporoge are
part of True Bloods is like, oh, Cynthia's in a
brawl and then all of a sudden, there was you
just straight in there after it, and it just lifted
the one hundred and fifty people and then it just
(21:50):
it spurred this one on. Obviously the game you lost
the game there, but the energy for the last fifteen
minutes was palpable. But have you noticed that between obviously
you don't play everyone because of twelve rounds, and we
can ask about that as well. Have you noticed that
there's a bit more spice between a few teams as
well as I suppose expansion has gone on and rivalries
have been built.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Yeah, Oh, I mean it's hard to go past Giants
like you see it in the Weekend, you see it
in like the VFL, you see it now. It's like, obviously,
just being from the same state, we everyone ultimately wants
to be superior to the other one. And yeah, so
I think Giants will always hold like a special place
in our heart for rivalry.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
We seem to always I'm trying to think.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Seems to be something with Geelong.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I've noticed, right, Geelong will always like quite hot on
it as well. I think I don't know, I don't
know how it happens because like I don't really now
that I'm recalling, like we don't actually.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Have anything to biff about with Giants.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
We're like, oh, we want to like be better than
them in terms of state, Like Geelong. It's like why, yeah,
maybe because of like the boys' history and like the
Grand Final, like we're like, let's just get them in
those girls or whatever. But I feel like Essendon now
that like we've had an initial like squirrel with them,
(23:16):
it'll always like it always just has.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Just like the Men.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
One and then you're like, Okay, this is gonna happen
for the next hundred years. But or Bulldogs. I feel
like we got in a bit of a toughle with
Bulldogs as well.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
But yeah, not really, we're not too I'm like trying
to think of anyone that's the main one. I suppose
this year we'll really see now that we have like
sort of everyone back and like a whole different team looks.
So yeah, it'll be interesting to see who we come
up against and hopefully nothing too crazy, but yeah, nothing
wrong with It's like a little bit of band to
full pushing around.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I look forward to that.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
I think there's actually probably no better way to finish
off than that, other than who do you think of
this one squad coming into twenty twenty five is going
to break out and have a season that I suppose
fans aren't haven't been able to predict.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I think you could see, like I haven't been able
to predict is like I feel like the key part
like you expect like people to play well, and you
expect our new like the Trades to play well. But
Amelia Martin then I mentioned before from the Sydney Swans Academy.
She's a sort of hybrid forward but can play sort
of a bit taller than her size.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Her hands are just elite.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
I don't really think I've seen her drop many balls lately,
and her communication for such a young age has just
been so phenomenal. So she's someone I think that's really
going to like surprise people, Like I think she's been
overlooked heaps throughout this entire pre season, in in our
pre match games as well that we played not long ago.
But I just think that she's just going to come
(24:45):
out and just start crashing packs and people are going
to like love her physicality as well.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Obviously, the season kicks off in a couple of weeks
time the Swan's take on Tiger's Round one at North Sydney.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Ivill can't watch it.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You can watch every game on KO and there's also
a bunch your bars you can all watch the footy
at this season I won't call you alex or Alexi,
Alexia or Alexa, but Lexi Hamilton, thank you for joining
us today on ifl W today.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
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