Athlete finds field of dreams
HOPE Island’s Casidhe Simmons still remembers collapsing on the track.
Her dream of competing at a home Commonwealth Games in the heptathlon in 2018 had been dashed by an untimely illness.
It wasn’t meant to end like this.
After fighting back from salmonella poisoning, and having her appendix removed, Simmons was in the best shape of her life.
It ended with her sprawled in her home stadium during the national athletics trials.
“On day two of the trials I collapsed after the first event, I was put on a drip and told I couldn’t finish,” Simmons said.
“It was really tough because I had been in the shape of my life. I had had six weeks injuryfree leading into the trials, I couldn’t have had a better preparation, I’d never felt better.
“It was heartbreaking I couldn’t get to see what I could have done had I been healthy, but it wasn’t to be.”
Simmons — who represented Australia at the 2014 world junior championships — made the tough decision to retire from the sport last year.
That’s when friend and Brisbane Lions player Taylor Smith convinced her to give AFL a go.
The Gold Coast Suns invited Simmons to trial in a 10week rookie program with athletes from other sports. “It was very tough to retire, transitioning from the elite athlete lifestyle to adulting and having a full-time job,” she said.
She joined Bond University’s AFL team. “The girls are really supportive, the atmosphere and environment is so fun, I’m really loving it.”
Simmons made an immediate impact. She rocketed to the top of the goal-kicking leaderboard with 10 goals in her first four games in Bond Uni’s development team.
It earned her a call-up to make her senior debut, where she bagged a couple more goals.
Simmons is making genuine inroads into her new sport.
“I’m loving it. I’ve been lucky enough to kick a few goals and I feel my speed is very useful,” she said.
“I’d love to have the opportunity to play at the AFLW level.”