The ‘special’ reason AFLW star returned
A CRUCIAL piece to the CTB Bulldogs’ grand final bid has attributed her return to Far North footy to the person who got her into the sport to begin with.
AFLW back Leah Kaslar said outgoing Bulldog teammate Kat Fatnowna roped her into rejoining the club after she travelled to the region to visit family following her second season with the Gold Coast Suns.
“She’s the person who first got me involved in football. She got in touch and said I should come down and play a game with her,” she said.
“I loved the spirit of the team and kept coming back.”
“I go down to training and there’s junior girls across all ages, you’ve got some of the boys running around with you, too.
“It’s just a really good community spirit down there.”
It had been more than a decade since Kaslar had donned the red, white and blue, after she ventured south to play 36 AFLW games for the Brisbane Lions and Suns.
The 35-year-old key defender has been touted as one of the veteran players that’s helped steer the Bulldogs to a turnaround season, coach Dale Farrell said.
Despite starting 1-3, the Doggies put together a campaign that has yielded the team’s first finals win in over a decade in the form of a 5.3 (33) to 0.1 (1) elimination win over the Cairns City Lions.
“It’s absolutely crucial to have her [Kaslar] in there, she’s someone the younger players look up to,” Farrell said.
“When you see someone giving it a crack, win or lose, it raises the confidence of everyone else.”
Kaslar said the finals victory was a tribute to Fatnowna, and the team would do be doing all it could to make her final season one to remember.
“I think her impact’s been huge and she’ll have a lasting legacy with the club,” Kaslar said.
“It’s special for me to be here for that.”
The Doggies will do battle with the Manunda Hawks at Cazalys Stadium on Saturday, with the winner moving on to the grand final against the Cairns Saints.
“I think we’ve been the underdogs all year and we’ve managed to exceed expectations and that’s what we’ll be looking to do as we move through this finals series,” Kaslar said.
First bounce will be at 12.30pm.