THE FIRST AFLW Dreamtime Game in Darwin provided an opportunity for elite women's football to return to the Top End.
Essendon co-captain Bonnie Toogood – speaking before receiving a two-match ban which will rule her out of on-field participation – reminisced on the draw between Richmond and the Bombers in October last year.
"It was an incredible experience, up there in Darwin. We did a lot of community appearances and visits, particularly with Richmond as well. That was really nice to connect with the Richmond team – even though we were about to play each other – and connecting in with the community was really important," Toogood said.
"We got some awesome opportunities, particularly with Michael Long, a little Long Walk on one of the mornings up there, and it was just a great experience to dive into the culture, learn more about the culture, then also celebrate it.
"It was an awesome game to play, it felt like there were ebbs and flows, there were momentum shifts, but it was a really tough contest, the whole way through. It wasn't like one team was more dominant than the other.
"Even the crowd, they were fuelling this energy, and you just wanted to keep performing at the highest possible level. It is a long way to go for a draw, but it was a game that is just so much more than footy.
"To get up there, engage with the community and showcase AFLW and what us athletes are doing out there on the park, to continue to motivate the next generation to strive hard and work for their goals.
"[It was the] two best teams to go up there, with how important Dreamtime is in the men's competition. For us to go up to Darwin and do it in our own way, our own AFLW way, is really important and something we need to continue to strive for and cherish."
Playing in Darwin's heat and humidity requires weeks of planning and preparation for the comparatively coddled southerners, flying up straight out of a Melbourne winter.
"The weather is intense up there, I don't know how they play week-in, week-out. But the main thing was we really had to rely on our strength and conditioning and the prep we did a month prior to getting up there," Toogood said.
"We did a lot of saunas, straight off the track, and working on the acclimation that way, hot bike sessions. We did a power of work leading into the session itself, and while you're up there, hydration is just key, making sure you're getting your hydralites in and massive amounts of water, because I'll tell you what, half-time I had to swap my guernesy because it was absolutely drenched from sweat.
"It's definitely tough, but both teams are playing in the conditions, so you can't use it as a talking point, but we trust our S&C and medical staff, that they're prepping us properly, that we can perform at our best in those conditions."
Darwin has a small but thriving women's competition in the NTFL, with a number of players – most recently Gold Coast's Annabel Kievit – drafted out of the area.
"It's growing exponentially up there, they're resourcing a great program and now we're seeing players also transition into our state leagues down here as well, then also making their mark in AFL and AFLW, which is really exciting to see that growth," Toogood said.
"Us going up there is another opportunity to show what you could be, and keep that motivation high and allow people to keep striving to achieve their dreams.
"There is so much talent up in the NT and in the wider regions, that we need to keep getting them access to our game. I think it's really important that we go up there to showcase AFLW, and entice people into it."
