DAKOTA Davidson is most well known for her big pack marks and lively nature on the field, but away from footy, the Brisbane forward is just proud of her dad.
Davidson is a proud Gunditjmara woman whose mob hails from the south-west region of Victoria, who previously shared her family story on the Credit to the Girls podcast.
Her father, Jason, was adopted, and only met his family when he was 30.
Jason has started his own native food business, FigJam & Co, which is now stocked in Brisbane and overseas.
The Davidson family all have roles – Dakota is the kitchen manager, her two sisters are the HR manager and bookkeeper, and her brother is the business manager – with discussions often occurring round the dinner table.
"It's an Indigenous bush tucker company. He does catering as well as condiments, (and) at the moment, his condiments have really taken off," Davidson told the podcast.
"During Covid, obviously nothing went on in the world, so he went out mob and discovered all these new tastes and all these new flavours. During that time, he developed all these condiments where it's like a Davidson plum jam, a hot sambal, or a beetroot relish, I think there's like a … oh god, he's going to kill me … like a baba ghanoush thing. He's got a pigface pickle mustard. He finds all these native plants, and he's developed them in a way and created such a beautiful condiment that is now selling worldwide.
"He used to work 16, 17-hour days, seven days a week, he'd get smashed and he'd never watch me play, but now he's got a little more time and he works Monday-Friday – he went to Tassie when I was suspended, he's going 'I'm still going to support the girls'.
"He loves footy. He's like 55 now, and he's finally found his niche in the market and it's really doing well. He doesn't really need me, I don't do all too much, but I just like to go there and see him and chat footy all day. He could just talk for hours about footy, he's gorgeous.
"Him and I do most of the prep work. It's quite a humbling experience, because I get off the track and do my AFLW stuff and all that jazz, and then I’d be at work at 5am the next day, bending over a bin and peeling potatoes. Dad goes, 'I'm just keeping you grounded, you have to stay grounded'."
EPISODE GUIDE
0.50 – Dakota Davidson joins the show
3.06 – Improving alongside the competition
4.25 – Indigenous round and Courtney Hodder's guernsey
5.30 – Hodder's mark of the year attempt
7.30 – The Davidson family business
11.50 – The Brisbane v Adelaide clash
14.29 – Dancing Dakota
15.40 – Thriving in front of crowds
