By RUSSELL BENNETT
IT WAS like something straight from a Toyota AFL advertisement… Oh, what a feeling!
Endeavour Hills 18-year-old Ellie Blackburn received a handball from Bronwyn Davey, sister of AFL stars Aaron and Alwyn, on the MCG’s hallowed turf.
She turned, snapped from the forward pocket, and goaled.
Blackburn had become the first woman to kick a goal in an AFL-sanctioned match on the MCG and, days later, she still can’t get her head around it.
She, along with a host of other players from across the south-east, were drafted in to take part in the inaugural women’s AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs as a curtain-raiser to the sides’ AFL clash on Saturday night. Blackburn represented Melbourne.
Perhaps in a sign of things to come that night, or maybe inspiring what was to follow, the Demons secured a memorable win over the Dogs – 8.5 (53) to 3.3 (21).
Blackburn could be forgiven for just remembering her memorable goal but, overall, the perfectionist said: “I went alright in stages.”
She said the goal pumped her up even more than when she first took to the field, as hard as that is to believe.
“Everyone jokes when they’re a kid that one day they’ll be on the MCG playing AFL,” she said.
“I used to say that if I got the chance to create history, I’d kick the first (women’s) goal.”
Blackburn was encouraged by the show of support she, and her team mates, received from both the 7500-strong crowd in attendance, and the sporting public in the lead-up to the clash.
“It was really unexpected, the attention it received,” she said.
“But it was a great surprise to see how accepting everyone was.
“This is something I’ll remember for a very, very long time.”
Not only did her side win by five goals – she got to sing the club song on the ground before a lap of honour.
Talk about a perfect day.
