The Pom who rules in a foreign game
NICKNAMES are part and parcel of playing team sport.
Common examples include shortened names, highlighting a player’s key skills or in Ellie Parker’s case, referring to her country of origin.
Parker, originally from the United Kingdom, first picked up a Sherrin footy two years ago and now cries of “Pommy’’ echo around Robina Roos football club each weekend after her teammates affectionately christened her in honour of her heritage.
“There are always some jokes about the UK like how ‘the weather could be worse and could be raining like the UK’ at training and things like that but I love the banter,” she said.
The 24-year-old has spent the past few summers travelling to compete in Australia’s surf lifesaving circuit.
She met her now partner Nick one summer and decided to relocate to the Gold Coast for good.
“I discovered Aussie rules though my partner,” she said.
“The first year I came to his games I had no idea what was going on.
“It looked like there was no rules and just looked crazy but after watching for a year I wanted to give it a crack.”
Up until her first game for Beenleigh in the QWFA Division 2 league in 2017, Parker had never played team sport.
“I have been a swimmer my whole life and was an indoor velodrome sprint cyclist so I had never done ball sports in my life or worked in a team which made me so excited to give it a go,” she said.
“My first few games I was playing for Beenleigh and I had no idea of the rules, only to get it through the two posts in the middle.
“Once I understood more throughout the season I played a lot better”
Parker spent 2018 with Bond University in the QAFLW before making the move to Robina’s QFAW Division 1 side this year to be at the same club as her partner.
Eight rounds into the season Parker is in the form of her life, thanks to a gruelling pre-season training program which saw her named the global F45 eight-week challenge winner after shedding 12 per cent of her total body fat.
“The challenge lined up pretty well with the finish of our pre-season before our first round,” she said.
“I’m stronger, leaner and not carrying an extra 12kg on the field. My engine is faster and healthier than ever.”
I HAD NO IDEA OF THE RULES, ONLY TO GET IT THROUGH THE TWO POSTS IN THE MIDDLE