Get to know Toowoomba Tigers player Melony Baker

After a couple of years playing soccer, local girl Melony Baker decided to try her boot at AFL this year.

“I wanted to try something new and I had played a little AFL back at school, so I thought it would be good to give it a go,” Melony said.

She did not give up soccer, though, and now plays both sports with passion, enjoying the team atmosphere at her new AFL club.

“The biggest difference between the two sports, is the physical component to AFL; in soccer you generally know when someone is coming towards you, but with AFL you can be tackled at any moment,” she said.

To keep her fitness up, Melony does cardiovascular exercises (like running, bike riding or boxing) and goes to the gym most days.

She also attends one training session per week for AFL and one for soccer, with these sessions consisting of strength and conditioning training as well as skill–based drills.

All this, so she can play an AFL game on Saturdays, followed by a soccer match on Sundays.

To keep her fitness up in the off season, she plays in a Futsal competition and continues going to the gym. She also gets involved in community fitness events. “At the moment, I am training for a pink fundraiser triathlon,” she added.

Melony believes women’s AFL is on the rise, particularly due to the support the women’s teams are receiving on the big stage.

Being someone who obviously revels in physical activity and works hard on her fitness, Melony said she would recommend participation in sport to every woman.

“Not only does it benefit you physically, but also mentally, and it gives you an outlet from your everyday life,” she said.