Hammans builds new foundation with Suns
AS a junior footballer on the Gold Coast Charlotte Hammans dreamt of playing at Metricon Stadium alongside her AFL idols at the Suns.
The AFLW didn’t exist and neither did junior female teams on the Gold Coast but Hammans looked past the barriers and pushed on.
“From when I was really little I always wanted to play footy even though there wasn’t anything for the girls at the time,” Hammans said.
“I just thought, ‘I can play with the boys, can’t I?’”
Hammans and her family, including parents Judi and Mark, brother Matthew and sister Tiffany, are Suns foundation members.
She was at the club’s first AFL game in 2011 at the Gabba and saw them win for the first time at Carrara against GWS in 2012.
A photo of the family is displayed in the grandstands at Metricon Stadium, where she will now build her career.
The 17-year-old has the rare chance to play for the club she supports after being one of the first three players signed by Gold Coast for the team that will enter the AFLW in 2020.
“It’s pretty surreal,” the 172cm forward said.
The AFLW is full of players who have crossed over from rival sports due to the chance to play at a higher level, increased financial incentives or to merely return to a game they cherished but could not see a pathway to build a career from.
Hammans said she wanted to help foster a culture of togetherness at the Suns.