Tara Murray
Werribee local Jess Duffin is hanging up the football boots with the desire to spend more time with her daughter Georgie
Having made her debut in the opening season of the AFLW, Duffin has played for Collingwood, North Melbourne and this year Hawthorn.
Duffin announced to her teammates last Tuesday that she would finish up at the end of the season.
“I kind of thought maybe last season was going to be my last season,” she said. “Obviously I didn’t want to finish the way I wanted to.
“I was fortunate I was able to get a contact here at Hawthorn and I just felt like I’ve done all I can.”
Duffin started her football career as a junior in Werribee, before becoming too old to play with the boys.
Cricket became Duffin’s focus as she went on to play 117 matches for Australia across all formats.
Football was always in the background. She had a stint at the Wyndhamvale Falcons with her sister, while she also later played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition.
Duffin combined both football and cricket in more recent times. While the football boots have been hung up, she hasn’t decided what the future holds for cricket or whether she might still stay involved in football in some way.
“I haven’t really thought about cricket to be honest,” she said.
“All my focus has been on playing AFLW. That will be another conversation that has to be had. I’ll probably have to go through a few hoops there to get back into the [Melbourne] Renegades.”
Duffin said it was too early to sit back and reflect on her career, but said being able to run out onto the ground with Georgie this year was definitely a highlight.
She said it was the people that she will miss the most.
“I’ve been pretty privileged to be in this position,” she said. “To be able to play AFLW, [with] a lot of good people surrounding me.
“I’ll miss the banter in the change rooms. I’m envious of what is going to happen in the next few years.”
Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard said Duffin had played a big part in the setting up of the Hawks program this year.
She said she understands why Duffin has decided to call it quits.
“Family is so important to her,” she said.
“Seeing how excited Georgie is every time she’s at the footy or just going to the zoo every week.
“She’s retiring from sport, she’s not going to retire from being great, she’ll always be great.
“When she retires I think there will still be some form of competition.
“I don’t know if that’s going to be in the house, out at the zoo… You can’t retire from that part.”
