IT'S a busy time for Richmond star Tessa Lavey on and off the field.
The 32-year-old is undertaking her sixth pre-season at Punt Road, while also establishing a business venture away from the game.
The midfielder has recently purchased the Aviary pub in Abbotsford with former Tigers culture and leadership coach, Liz Quinn.
The pair have turned the venue into a space dedicated to showcasing women's sport, known as The W Club.
"We're not solely women's sport, but we are going to prioritise women's sport," Lavey said.
"People are going to come here and know that they're going to be in a safe space and connect with other like-minded people as well that enjoy women's sport."
It's an idea that came from a women's sports bar in Portland, America.
"There's The Sports Bra, which is the original women's sports bar in America," said Lavey.
"And 'Quinnie' (Quinn) and I used to giggle about, you know, imagine if we had this in Australia, I think it would be really cool.
"Then one day she came to me and was like, 'Do you want to actually do this?' And I said, 'Yes' and we've never looked back."
Lavey believes that Melbourne is the perfect city for such an establishment, with Victorians known for their love of sport.
"Being the sporting capital of Australia helps as does the location that we're in, it's very accessible for people," she said.
"There's a tram out the front, there's a bus stop around the corner and there's a train stop right next door. So for people going to Vic Park (Collingwood AFLW's home ground), Punt Road, even down to Marvel (Stadium), there's a tram line that goes right past our pub straight to Marvel.
"We're optimistic about it and we just want to see it thrive and give people what they want and we think Melbourne can provide that."
The W Club is celebrating its opening on Friday night with a ‘pub warming' and Lavey hopes to see many athletes, including her Richmond teammates, in attendance.
"You know, when you buy a house, you have a house warming. So we decided we're going to do that with the pub," she said.
"I'd love to see as many athletes as possible there because we're going to be giving sports the visibility that they've been asking for for a long time and a safe space for athletes to come and enjoy each other's company as well.
"I know the Richmond AFLW girls are really excited about Friday night. They're keen to come down and support, so it'll be good to see them there and share that space with them as well."
When asked about how the Tigers are tracking, Lavey believes the group is more committed than she's seen before, particularly following their week one finals loss to Port Adelaide last season.
"We're really excited about the year ahead," said Lavey.
"We've been working really hard on the track and building our knowledge in a different way and to new extremes this year. I'm excited to see what we can do.
"The group is as driven as ever. I think last year's disappointment with finals is going to stick with us for a while and drive us this year. We're pumped about the season coming up."
The W Club's pub warming is taking place this Friday night from 4pm AEST at the Aviary in Abbotsford. To find out more, visit the W Club's Instagram or Facebook pages.
