Tara Murray
Naomi Ferres is as about as Western Bulldog as they come.
Having grown up in the western suburbs and being a Bulldogs supporter, it was a dream come true when she joined the club for the inaugural AFLW season.
She’s since been through the highs and the lows with the team and on Sunday, becomes just the third female player to play 50 AFLW games for the club.
Bulldogs coach Nathan Burke said Ferres, who was part of the club’s 2018 premiership side, held a special place in everyone’s heart at the club.
“Fez is as about as bulldog through and through as you can possibly get,” he said.
“She grew up barracking for the Bulldogs, she lives in the western suburbs and played for the VU Western Spurs, the Western Bulldog affiliate at the time.
“She got herself onto a list at the time and has only really ever known Bulldogs and been a Bulldogs person.
“It’s special to be able to play 50 games for us.”
Ferres played her junior football with the Werribee Centrals and was the club’s first ever female to play 50 games for the club.
She also played at Wyndhamvale before heading to the VU Spurs and the rest is history.
Burke said the fact she had played all her football in the west had a special romance to it. Captain Ellie Blackburn and midfield gun Kirsty Lamb are the others to play 50 games for the club.
“She is the epitome of a Daughter of the West,” Burke said.
“The community foundation of the club does an enormous amount of work, in this area, a lot of work they do is life changing and that keeps the links to the community going really, really well.
“We also have young women coming through barracking for the club, putting on the jersey , that’s another special link to the western suburbs.
“We don’t often get that in elite sport as you pluck players from all over the place. Hopefully she’s not the last of a dying breed where we can pluck someone from the western suburbs, [who is a] lifelong Bulldogs supporter.”
Burke described Ferres as the ultimate quiet achiever. He said that is part of why she is so valued at the club.
“She doesn’t say a lot,” he said. “She chooses her words carefully but you won’t find a player on the list that has more respect about the way she goes about preparing herself and the effort she gives the team than Naomi.
“Everyone has special love in their hearts for her, as she’s such a nice, special person, but when she crosses the line, she’ll do whatever she can do to help the team.”
