There aren’t many footballers who get the chance to play their milestone game at home on The Gabba.
But Lions ruck Tahlia Hickie will join that special group this weekend, when she runs out for her 25th AFLW game this Sunday against Fremantle.
“It’s pretty crazy to be honest,” Hickie said.
“We don’t have that many games in a season, so it still takes a while to get to these milestones. It took me two seasons to get to 25 games which feels like a while, but it’s also gone so fast.
“To get play it on the Club’s home deck at The Gabba, running out into the stadium for your milestone game is pretty cool too, I think.”
Drafted at Pick No. 28 in the 2019 AFL Womens Draft, it wouldn’t be until the back end of the 2020 season when the Coorparoo product would get her chance to debut.
Her first full season in 2021 would turn out to be a memorable one, with the then 21-year-old going on to earn herself a Rising Star nomination and a play a key role in the Club’s inaugural AFLW Premiership.
And although at the time it looked like it might have been hard to beat, Hickie’s dominance in the 2022 season saw her emerge as one of the top rucks in the competition.
The 22-year-old averaged 22 hit outs per game across the 2022 season, with her Round 4 performance against Carlton a career-best 34 hit outs (12 to advantage) and three clearances - close to matching the all-time competition record.
Despite her strong individual performances in the 2022 season, Hickie is adamant she wouldn’t be the player she is today without the team around her.
“The biggest thing for me is to keep building on how far I’ve come since I first got drafted,” she said.
“None of that comes without the support of my teammates and coaches. I don’t think I would’ve got to where I am without the team around me and especially the midfield group.
“I think this midfield group, we’ve worked really hard to come together and bond as a unit and I think it shows in our football.
“Focusing on our relationship with each other really helped us as a midfield get to where we are right now, and we pride ourselves on how well we work together and know each other.
Heading into her fourth season as a Lion, Hickie believes the mindset of her Lions’ playing group could make all the difference in Season 7.
“The thing I love most about our team is our mindset,” she said.
“We’ve been in Finals a few years in a row, and we’ve only won a Premiership once, but the way that we come together as a team to bounce back from our losses is something that I really admire in this group.
“We’ve had a taste of what it’s like to win a Premiership and we want to experience that again.
“I think the fact that we were so close to getting back to a Grand Final in that Preliminary Final (last season) definitely fuels a fire for this season and makes us want to work even harder to get back there and win another flag.
“It was heartbreaking for all of us, but we’ve looked at it as a way to build as a team again and get back to where we want to be this season.”
Tahlia Hickie will play her 25th AFLW game on Sunday in Round 1 of the NAB AFLW Season 7 against Fremantle.
Be there to witness all the action and grab your ticket HERE TODAY.
