Monique Conti

Australian rules football star Monique Conti was 16 when she was selected for the AFL Women’s Academy and around the same time, signed a four-year contract with the Melbourne Boomers basketball team, having represented Australia at the U17 basketball world championships where the team won gold. Though her speed and agility allowed Conti to compete at an elite level in both codes, she was asked to choose. “Having to limit my abilities to one sport never made sense to me,” says the Richmond midfielder, 23. “I think we should be embracing young women in sport, and if that means to encourage playing football and basketball then we should be applauding that. Being told at a young age to pick one made me feel restricted, it made me question why? I used it as motivation, fuel to the fire.”

Conti still dreams of playing basketball on the world stage again one day, even while her skill and determination has seen her shine on the field. She has won five best and fairests in a row, secured an AFL Women’s premiership with the Bulldogs in 2018 where she was named Best on Ground, and took the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player Award in 2022.

“Being a part of the AFLW right now is a rewarding feeling,” she says. “The most exciting part is being able to make a living from playing AFL, and it’s still on the rise! Not in a million years would I have thought this could be my life right now. Seeing the growth of the sport within young girls across the country really validates us athletes as role models for the next generation.”

While barriers to women in sport still exist – Conti cites blatant sexism, judgement and online abuse – she sees strength in unity. “It’s a matter of standing together and continuing to do what we love,” she says.