AFL is not just a man's game as a determined young woman is hoping to prove in Mount Isa.
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Cheraine Sewter, 21, was born in Mount Isa and grew up on Mornington Island where there must be something in the air having produced the prestigious talent of Charlie Cameron who is leading the Brisbane Lions to success at the moment.
Sewter is a first cousin of Cameron and very much in the same football mould.
When she moved to Cairns she played AFL at a high standard even playing representative football as centre half forward for North Queensland, even making the Queensland Indigenous team.
Now based in Mount Isa with Gidgee Healing for the last 10 months, Sewter wants to start a competition for ladies in the North West.
"I'm an advocate for local footy and watch the boys each weekend, and I'm thinking, where's the ladies?' Sewter said.
So Sewter put the word out via the AFL Mount Isa page for ladies who might be interested in playing the game.
They have started training at Sunset Oval and their opportunity to shine came on Saturday when one of the men's games was scratched and the ladies were offered the slot to play on Legend Oval on a modified shortened field with 10 minute quarters.
"The girls came from different sports, there were a lot of netty girls, but it was a blast," Sewter said.
"Initially they were scared to get tackled but after the first quarter they got into it."
As a result there was increased interest in training on Tuesday night.
"We scared a few of them off but had a lot more girls come down to training," she said.
Sewter says the plan now is for a few more scratch matches this year each week at the end of the men's game with a view to organising a proper ladies league in Mount Isa in 2021.
If you are 16 or over and interested joining in come along to training at Sunset Oval every Tuesday 6.30-7.30pm or contact Sewter directly on cheraine.sewter@icloud.com or 0484 902 814.
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