GIPPSLAND Power co-captain, Amy Dunn balances Year 12, works three times a week, plays footy and does her own training to improve her game. This is on top of long hours of travelling and homework, but Dunn reiterates that balancing all these things is something she has to do in order to pursue her football career further.

Dunn came into the Gippsland program as a timid young player, but has ended the program as the Power’s 2018 co-captain. She admits that she has come a long way since walking through the doors at the Power.

“I didn’t really know what it (Gippsland Power) was,” the Power ruck said. “I just enjoyed my footy and I thought maybe I could try out there. “I didn’t know what to expect. “I guess I just tried my hardest and had no expectations for myself and just watched my development continue.”

Coming into the program, Dunn had already been playing Aussie Rules for a while, but was keen to develop her skills further. She says that once she got to the Power, she didn’t look back.

“So I started (playing footy) when I was seven in Auskick,” the Gippsland co-captain said. “I started pretty young and played with the boys through until U10s, 12s, 14s and then I played for the Youth Girls at my local club. “I then found the Power and watched them develop and just stayed with Power since then.”

Once she got to know the older players in the program, Dunn desired to follow in their footsteps. Seeing them play and train made her want to improve as a footballer.

“I was probably the quietest girl there and I kind of looked up to them,” the 17 year-old said. “I aspired to be like them so that’s what drove me to be better.”

In her final year of the program, Dunn still applies that same determination to her football, putting in extra runs to try and better her endurance. Getting up in the morning and going for a run can often be a struggle for anyone, but for Dunn, it’s something she has fitted into her busy routine to fulfill her aspiration to become an AFLW player.

She is also committed to her studies, admitting that she stays behind on a Friday afternoon at school to catch up on homework. On top of that, instead of having a lazy Sunday, Dunn gets up early to do some homework before she heads off to work.

For now, she earns an income by working at her local IGA, with the self-proclaimed “checkout chick” admitting she would like to make money and enjoy her future by doing two things that she has her sights set on.

“Something I want to do in my future is to study at university and play AFLW or VFLW in Melbourne,” Dunn said. “I still want to continue playing footy.”

Even though her time at the Power is over, Dunn is currently training with Vic Country ahead of the AFL Women’s National Under 18 Championships. She featured in the side’s first game of the tournament against Vic Metro, and kicked a blinder of a goal from the boundary line, proving that hard work does indeed pay off.