HIGHER GROUND
THIS time last year, Zoe Inei had never played a game of football.
Fast-forward 12 months, and the Clonard College student is preparing for her second season at the Geelong Falcons as one of the leaders of the TAC Cup club.
The endorsement by her peers has not been taken for granted, rather with surprise, considering where Inei has come from.
When the teenager arrived at a women’s footy tryout day at Deakin University in late 2016, she went there just hoping to “have a bit of fun” and try a new sport.
Now 17, Inei is hoping to build on her magical first season.
“It was amazing, probably one of the best sporting seasons I’ve had,” the Maude resident said.
“I did have a lot of fun at soccer, but it was next level.
“There’s definitely a feel, when you go out onto the ground and you’re playing the games, you’re playing for the team and not yourself — even more so in footy, I feel.
“Coming into that team, it was so welcoming, it was so easy to slot in there.”
Recently nicknamed “The Lank” for her tall and thin frame, the promising ruckman has showcased a dedication that has not only impressed her teammates, but also coach Jason Armistead.
“While she’s a real character of the group and makes everyone feel included, underneath that, she’s got a determination to improve and prove herself against the best players,” Armistead said.
“I think that’s her strength, she’s always looking to improve.
“I think that’s why she’s been voted into the leadership group and why the coaching staff hold her so highly in regard.”
Inei said it was an honour to be named as one of the team’s leaders. “It was really exciting,” she said. “It feels pretty good because I only started playing a year ago, so I feel very honoured that the girls look up to me and feel that I could be a leader of the group.”
The Falcons’ 2018 campaign kicks off today at 11am at Deakin Uni, against Sandringham, with up to a dozen players set to make their debut.
The TAC Cup Girls season has expanded from five matches last year to nine.
“I’m so excited, because we’ve been training for so long, it’s going to be awesome to start playing,” Inei said.
“I don’t want to go too far (setting season expectations), but we’re definitely trying to play as hard as we can and win as many games as possible.”
The Falcons have indefinitely retired the No. 30 jumper, worn by Amy Gorell, who tragically lost her life in a car accident in September last year.
Gorell was a prominent and popular member of the Geelong Falcons’ first ever female TAC Cup team last year, and was so highly regarded she was sworn into the leadership group despite being relatively new to the sport.