IT TOOK some time for Alicia Blizard to feel comfortable connecting with her Indigenous heritage, but art provided the conduit.
A Whadjuk Noongar woman coming through the Marsh AFL National Academy Girls program, Blizard is light-skinned, and for many years saw that as an obstacle to proudly proclaim her First Nations lineage.
"Starting as a younger girl, it was a bit hard to find my identity through my skin tone, but as I grew older, I learned about my identity and found out it was actually really cool and I was really proud of it," Blizard told AFL.com.au.
"(I) decided to learn more about it through art, and that's also in school. I decided to do one picture and I was like 'Oh, I'm actually pretty good at art' so I kind of combine the two and paint stories about my friends, my journey through footy, through school, through hard times."
Art and footy collided for Blizard recently when she was consulted by Indigenous artist Jade Narkle in the creation of Western Australia's new state guernsey.
Along with three other Indigenous girls playing WAFLW footy, Blizard was able to make her mark.
WA's U16 teams played in the guernsey recently, and the U18 program – of which Blizard is a member – will wear it in the national championships later this year.
"I was so honoured to be there," Blizard said of seeing the guernsey worn for the first time.
"I'm really proud of all the girls that helped design it, and just being a part of it was an amazing feeling. It's something you can't get rid of … it's just a feeling that you can't take away. It's not just that we've got our culture on a shirt, it's deeper. We connect with each other more, and it helps us connect with our state and our land and our culture."
Finding her community has helped Blizard thrive, not just on the footy field, but in life more broadly, and it is that community she will lean on as she works toward the 2025 Telstra AFLW Draft.
She is well-placed as a mid-sized forward, playing for WAFLW club East Fremantle between her state and national academy duties. Her performance in April's Academy v All Stars game strengthened her position in the top group of draft talent, kicking two goals from nine disposals.
That has all been made possible thanks to her strong support network.
"It started when I was invited for school into the Indigenous community, our little council group, and I was kind of taken aback. I didn't think they would accept me," Blizard said.
"One day I actually went to one of them and they were like 'Nope, you're just as much Aboriginal as every single one of us here', and we go to school with 3500 kids and there were only 20 Indigenous kids in the school.
"We've just become really close, and we've all learned about each other and helped each other out. Ever since, I've just been out searching for myself. I mentor little kids to help them find their journey."
Blizard carries pieces of her support system onto the field with her. If she can't look to her friends in the crowd, she can look down onto her left boot for some reassurance.
"I had my good luck with me," Blizard said after April's Academy match.
"I got my mate to tape a boot and write a message and draw a little picture on it, shout out to Sienna from WA, that's my little good luck. When I do something good, I look down. She's not here to point out but she's there and I know she's probably watching."
And those pieces of luck are reciprocated with gifts of Blizard's art.
"I do my artwork based on their story," she said.
"Make it personal to them, so they feel a bit proud of themselves. Just make them feel a bit loved, and when they get it, it's a great feeling when they love it, or I hope they do."
