Two years ago, when Alice Mitchell first set foot in Gunnedah, she was close to giving away Aussie Rules forever.
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The former Sydney resident had lost her love for the game, and it was only through happenstance that she managed to rediscover it.
"Before I started playing in Gunnedah, I lost a little bit of motivation to play AFL," Mitchell said.
"When I started playing for [the Bulldogs], I reconnected with the sport. I found that family union that you get with a team, it was kind of the perfect combination.
"This was a starting point to get to know other people, and having this team and the success that we've had has definitely made me more driven and helped me love the sport again.
"If it wasn't for the Gunnedah Bulldogs, I don't think I'd be here today ... I'm very grateful."
Mitchell's confession is startling considering she is fresh from a run with the Swans Red in the newly-launched Women's Summer Series, which features over 120 of the best footballers from NSW and the ACT. The players are split into four sides, two of which are affiliated with the Sydney Swans and two with the GWS Giants.
Selection for Sydney's first-ever AFLW team is on the line, and though the Swans Red were roundly beaten by the Giants Charcoal team on Saturday, Mitchell feels that their young and inexperienced outfit gleaned some valuable lessons from the game.
"We didn't know what the other team was going to be like, we just wanted to go out there and give it our best," she said.
"A lot of our girls have never played in an opens division before, so this was their first time playing against a really good quality side like the Giants.
"It was definitely an eye-opening experience for them, but I think a lot of the girls stepped up and showed their skills. I don't think we should dwell on it as a negative, I think it was a positive even though we did lose."
Having spent several years being touted for higher honours, Mitchell's career hit its nadir in 2020 when she left Sydney assuming that she was done with Aussie Rules.
Mitchell chalked up her resurgence to an afternoon at Wolseley Oval with her partner, Will.
"One day, we were just sitting at the oval eating a bacon and egg roll and I saw that there was a Come and Try Day with the AFL," she said.
"I was in my pyjamas, so I wasn't going to just waltz up, but it got me thinking that it would be a good chance for me to get back into AFL."
The decision to attend a Bulldogs training session was momentous for Mitchell, who said she has "never been as nervous" as she was that day.
Her future in the sport all hinged on one afternoon, with a new club, new teammates, and in a new town. If it went badly, there was no recourse, no alternate team to play for.
Luckily, for herself and the Bulldogs, Mitchell loved the atmosphere among the side and hasn't looked back since.
So strong has her desire become once again that the six-foot-tall utility player is again targeting selection in the AFLW. And, even though her partner's sport of choice is rugby league, he fully backs Mitchell's ambitions.
"Will's not a huge follower of AFL, but he will support me in whatever I do," Mitchell said.
"Even though he's not a big supporter of the AFL, he tells me that he's proud of me and what I'm doing. That means a lot for me."
The older she gets, the more Mitchell realises that life is constantly in motion. Situations change by the day, and she knows that right now is her best chance to push for a spot in the professional leagues.
"[The Summer Series] is a pathway into the AFLW and I think it's an awesome thing to be a part of," Mitchell said.
"To be a part of the Sydney Swans' first ever AFLW team, that would be crazy. These opportunities don't come up all the time, so when they do, you just have to take it and roll with it."
The second round of the Women's Summer Series will take place this Sunday, February 20, at Tom Wills Oval in Sydney Olympic Park. Both Giants teams will play first at noon, before the two Swans teams face off from 2pm.
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