After a protracted time away from AFL to have a child, and then after an abbreviated return to the game, Naomi Simmons has resumed her footy career.

The married mother of one had a lot to talk about at a Tamworth Swans meet and greet/training run at Riverside 5, but it was the 26-year-old's recollections of her late father that resonated the most.

Allan Bourke died in 2018. And while his granddaughter, Billie, never met him, Simmons has ensured that her little girl knows what sort of man he was.

This is a love story.

"He was the best man ever ... ever," said Simmons, a team leader at Centacare. "I get so sad that Billie didn't get to meet him, but she knows about Poppy Bourke."

At the Swans' get-together at Riverside, Simmons introduced herself to her new teammates as an Old Girl - signifying her status as a member of the club's 2019 foundation women's side.

Dealing with her father's death was the biggest challenge of Simmons' life, although her mental wounds were salved by her involvement with the Swans. She said the club helped her "tremendously" following his passing, and she would never forget how "incredible" they were.

The popular player also won't forget how "very proud" her dad was as a man, as she put it, and how much she "loved his quirkiness".

"I think I've got a bit of that," she said of his quirkiness, while adding: "I like how determined he was, and his worth ethic was second to none."

Her father had "a range of jobs" in his life, Simmons said, including working as a removalist and confectionary distributor, before delivering the Tamworth Times in his final years.

His work ethic also rubbed off on his daughter, who wants to be remembered as a hard worker, as well as a smile-inducing presence.

"I think that I'm a half-decent human," said the McCarthy Catholic College graduate.

She continued: "Like I said, mental health is important. So if anyone was ever to feel in doubt or concerned, I'd love for them to know that I'm reliable."

That can sometimes be challenging for someone as busy as Simmons. She would like to slow down a bit.

"Because being a full-time working mum, being a wife, being a friend - that's all so hard. So I'd love to be able to give everyone the most I can, but it's tricky."

That was especially the case when her husband, Ben, broke his ankle in three places playing for the Swans against the Kangaroos at No. 1 Oval in June, 2023.

Simmons, who became his primary carer, has described that period in their lives as "really hard".

Ben, a Farrer alumnus and the Swans' secretary, has jettisoned his wheelchair but is awaiting more surgery. Simmons described him as "just the most resilient guy".

"Ben has done incredible in terms of his recovery," she said.

Allan Bourke would no doubt have also admired such grit.