Featherston follows in Dad’s footsteps
“HE’S with us every step of the way”.
She might be shy and quietly spoken, but Gabbi Featherston knows a much-loved figure will be peering down from the heavens with immense pride tomorrow.
For when Gabbi strides onto Williamstown’s Downer Oval in Geelong Falcons’ colours, she will create history.
The Apollo Bay product will follow in the footsteps of her late father Peter Featherston — a champion local footballer and Falcon of 1995 — when she makes her debut for the club.
They will also be the first father-daughter combination in the Falcons’ 27-year history.
And the significance of the NAB League Girls clash is not lost on the 15-year-old.
“It’s like he’s with us, helping out with our footy,” said Gabbi, who will carry the spirit of her father into the match against the Western Jets.
“I’m so pumped. It means a lot to me.”
Featherston, a gifted ruckman who won two Jack Mahoney Medals as senior best-andfairest in the CDFL, as well as multiple premierships with Irrewarra-Beeac, was killed in April 2014 when he was struck by a car while riding his bike to work on the Wimmera Highway at Naracoorte, north of Mount Gambier in South Australia.
Gabbi’s twin sister Mia will also have her dad front of mind when she represents the Falcons in the Futures league clash, while mum Bec will watch on from the sidelines.
“I’m very proud of them both,” Bec said.
“I’m proud of their efforts more than their achievements. They’ve both worked really hard to get where they are.”
Bec will be especially delighted when Gabbi, named on the interchange bench for the Falcons, gets her opportunity to take the field.
“It really does (mean a lot),” Bec said.
“She had a goal to at least make selection for one game in the NAB Girls and she’s achieved that, so I’m really proud of all the hard work she’s done to get there.”
Gabbi and Mia are not unlike their father in a sporting sense, carrying the same distinct traits that held him in such high regard.
Featherston had an innate ability to find the footy and lifted his teammates on his shoulders with courage and toughness.
And Gabbi and Mia are chips off the old block.
“Their ability to play in any position, considering they only just started playing footy, is quite remarkable,” Bec said.
“They’re faster and more agile than he was. And they jump a bit higher, too. It’s quite impressive to watch the differences and the similarities that they have.
“He would be enormously proud, but I also think he’d be jealous. I’m sure he would’ve loved to have been that little bit faster or that little bit more agile. But I know he’d be really proud to see the smiles on their faces. They originally didn’t want to go and do the tryout in Colac, and to get them in the car to go was quite a struggle, but once we got there and the minute they ran out there they found their connection to their dad through footy. It’s quite amazing.”
Falcons coach Jason Armistead said Gabbi caught his eye while part of the club’s development squad last season.
“Gabbi can play anywhere, but she’s going to end up playing as a key back who could even go into the ruck as well,” Armistead said.
“She’s quite athletic for her size, but she doesn’t flinch in a contest. She’s a tall girl but she can play on the smaller girls as well. She’s pretty versatile, but she’ll probably grow a bit taller.
“She has really clean hands and she’s a great mark and Pete was as well. She’s still got two more years to go in our system, so to get in our team at such a young age is an achievement in itself.”