Tending turf keeps Giants pair grounded

PEPA Randall and Aimee Schmidt will aim to rip it up when they step on to the Giants Stadium turf for a historic clash.

Then it will be a case of treading carefully as they work to smooth over any surface tensions after a double-header which sees both the Giants’ women’s and men’s sides tackle Geelong on Saturday March 21. The Giants’ AFLW duo are among the groundskeeping team responsible for keeping the playing surface pristine at both the club’s stadium and training oval.

Defender Randall and forward Schmidt are part of a squad that will be part of the competition’s Conference A in 2020, along with Adelaide, North Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Richmond.

And while thrilled to be part of the first AFLW/AFL doubleheader, they hope the green, grass of home won’t get chewed up in the process.

“Yes, Aimee and I certainly know that turf well,” Randall said. “We also curate the field that we train on so it’s not unusual to see us duck out of a drill to just mark where a weed is. But it’s going to be really cool to play [at Giants Stadium] and know there’s potential for big crowds.

“After the men’s AFL season there’s a big hunger for success at GWS. We’re very clear about where we’re heading and pretty excited about it.”

Her teammate and fellow custodian of the turf said having both teams play on the same day was fitting for a club where there is no huge divide.

“It’s one big family as opposed to two separate teams,” Schmidt said. “It’s exciting that we have the chance to hopefully convert some more people to AFLW as well as AFL.”