AFLW is coming to Werribee this weekend, with reigning premiers North Melbourne Tasmania taking on Essendon in a practice match.
The Kangaroos relationship with the Wyndham community and the Werribee Football Club has been growing as they look to give more opportunities for the local community.
For locals, it doesn’t get much bigger than seeing some of the competition’s best on the front door.
For Kangaroos midfielder Ruby Tripodi, making the trip to Melbourne Avalon Airport isn’t too far from home.
She is one of a handful of Kangaroos players from Melbourne’s west.
“It’s nice getting into the community of Wyndham, personally I’ve grown up in Williamstown and I still live in Williamstown at the moment,” she said. “It’s very special to play out in the west.
“It’s such a growing population out there in Wyndham. I think we’re really fortunate to have such an opportunity to build a relationship and we’ve got some things in place with our next generation academy and VFLW program having the connection with the Werribee Football Club.
“We want to be able to support young kids coming through the opportunity to play AFL and AFLW.
“As a club we want to do everything that we can to support footy at the grassroots.”
Tripodi’s connection to Wyndham includes going to Westbourne Grammar, where for a short time one of her football coaches was now North captain Jasmine Garner.
The match will be one of three played on Saturday, with Coates Talent League matches on either sides.
The Western Jets girls will be playing in the early match.
For Tripodi, who played for the Western Jets, it makes it even more special. She said she played at least one game at Avalon, while she has also watched some friends play at the ground.
“It will be quite a funny moment having all these Western Jets playing before us,” she said.
“I was lucky to have played a season with them and had that opportunity.
“Looking back I would have been so excited to be playing a triple header book ending an AFLW practice match
“Being able to see and having that involvement, hopefully they are as excited as we are.”
The match will be the first official game for the Kangaroos as they start their premiership defence.
Tripodi said they were looking forward to getting back out there.
“It’s been really good,” she said. “Obviously last year was unreal.
“We had such a great year, quite a mature group, the way our coach Darren Crocker has been with us this pre-season acknowledged the premiership last year but this year is a new story and new chapter.
“We are very focused on the future and the opportunity ahead. It’s been a good pre-season and everyone’s very keen to get into some games with match sim and practice matches the next couple of weeks.
The Kangaroos game with Essendon starts at 12pm with free entry.
There will be footy skill clinics, giveaways, face painting, colouring in and sensory play.
