Roo Jessie a natural forward

JESSIE Williams loves running through the midfield, but if the former soccer player keeps kicking goals for TSLW side Clarence, there’s little chance she will leave the forward line.

Signed by North Melbourne Tasmania Kangaroos after a talent search in Hobart last year, Williams, 24, is yet to get the callup for an AFLW match.

In the meantime, she is plying her trade for Clarence, where she has kicked 14 goals in her past four outings. That has her third on the goalkicking table with the opportunity for more against the Tigers in Round 7 on Sunday.

“It’s my first season in TSLW and it has been a really good start to the season with a brand new bunch of girls,” Williams said.

“It’s the first year I haven’t played soccer since I was six years old. I always wanted to play footy but I’m not a particularly large person and my mum was always a bit worried about sending me off to play footy, and back then it was against the boys.

“Soccer was the other option and I continued on with that.”

North Melbourne’s ability to recruit Tasmanian girls was a big appeal for Williams to try her hand at Aussie rules given the enhanced pathway for aspiring footballers.

“Being able to live at home and be supported by your family while playing professional sport is amazing and something we don’t have on the soccer side of things, so it’s awesome,” she said.

Williams hopes to fine-tune her game so she can win an AFLW call-up. “It’s only the early days of my footy career so I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities I can get,” she said. I like the forward role but I enjoy running through the midfield and getting my hands on the ball. If I keep kicking goals they will want to keep me forward.”