Alice Mitchell is a Sydney Swan!
The Sydney Swans AFLW team has taken another huge step forward with the first seven players committing to the team, including Gunnedah’s own Alice Mitchell.
Alice put her hand up for selection after impressing throughout the Summer Series while playing for ‘Swans Red.’ Having grown up in Sydney playing for the Mosman Swans, Alice moved to Gunnedah at the end of her schooling and has starred for the Gunnedah Bulldogs across the last two seasons.
Sydney Swans AFLW senior coach Scott Gowans said he’s thrilled to welcome the seven players on board as the team starts to take shape.
“It’s really exciting and it’s a step in the right direction from a list build perspective,” Gowans said.
“It’s terrific to have people that want to come and learn about the culture and help grow it.
“Alice is a tall defender who can go forward. She has elite hands and a left foot that can find targets. We like that she takes the game on, and she works hard to grow her craft.
“We watched her closely during the first game of the Summer Series and gave her some feedback on a few things to try. She executed on those in her performance in the Summer Series matches in Canberra, and that got her over the line.”
Alice is understandably over the moon to have signed with the team she supported as a youngster starting out with footy.
“When it was announced last year that the Swans would be entering the AFLW competition I set myself the target of playing for them. I’ve worked really hard during the off season to best prepare myself ahead of the Summer Series and now that I’ve signed on with the club I’m over the moon,” Alice said.
“Now that I’m part of the Swans set up I’m really focused on being named in the first team to play in an AFLW match.”
Alice is the first player from AFL North West to be signed by an AFLW club. With the introduction of the Youth Girls Under 17 age group in the 2022 season, and with the region’s new partnership with the Sydney Swans Academy, there are more opportunities than ever for players to follow in Alice’s footsteps. All clubs are still accepting registrations, to find your nearest club go to play.afl.
