Hi there Magpie Army,
It’s been awesome to see the Magpie Army filling stadiums this season and enjoying being back at the football after a challenging couple of years.
We couldn’t be prouder of the way our AFL team is progressing and we look forward to the remaining games of the season before we commence our AFL finals campaign.
I also couldn’t be prouder of the commitment from our AFL Women’s athletes who have been putting in the hard yards over their pre-season which started in June.
Since I retired earlier this season, I have been fortunate to spend more time alongside these incredibly passionate and hardworking footballers and see firsthand their commitment to getting better on and off the field.
The last three AFLW seasons have seen our side reach the finals series and in a year of expansion – with the remaining four teams coming into the competition – we have been proud of being able to retain 25 players since last season. A credit to the strong culture of the program led by Coach Steve Symonds and Head of Women’s Football Jess Burger.
We have five foundation players who have represented Collingwood since the first AFLW season in 2017 and it is brilliant to see that three players are set to reach the 50-game milestone this upcoming season – Steph Chiocci, Jaimee Lambert and Stacey Livingstone.
I have long been involved in women’s football at the community and the elite level and it is great to see the women’s game going from strength to strength.
I encourage every supporter who is a member of our men’s team to stand side by side with our women and support the AFLW team ahead of our season opener against arch-rival Carlton at Ikon Park on Thursday, August 25.
To those who have already signed up as an AFLW member in 2022, a sincere thank you.
To those who haven’t yet signed up, investing in this team is now supporting the next generation of female footballers who will proudly don the black and white stripes for generations to come.
Go Pies!
Roughy
AFLW Senior Assistant and Midfield Coach