By Holly Mcguinness
Former Keilor Football Club star Montana Ham was named the AFLW’s number one draft pick on Wednesday night and will now make the move north to join the Sydney Swans.
It was an emotional moment for Ham’s family as her name was read aloud and she stepped up to begin the next stage of her sporting career.
“It’s a big challenge for me moving up to a new city, but it’s something I’m really looking forward to. They approached me like every other club and I really liked what they had to say,” said Ham.
Excited to get straight into training and meet her new teammates, Ham is looking forward to living closer to the coast with Bondi top of the list of suburbs she would like to call home.
The Sydney Swans are among one of four new teams added to the AFLW this year, making Ham the first player ever to be drafted to the brand new team.
It’s been a momentous year for Ham who won the U18’s NAB AFLW championship, was named in the 2021 NAB League girls team and won Best on Ground in Vic Metro’s championship last season, just to name a few achievements.
Ham has been honing her skills with the Western Jets most recently, but remembers fondly her formative years at Keilor Football Club where her talent shone through from an early age.
“When I was in Auskick, you know, there wasn’t a girls team to aspire to but being able to look up to the boys and have someone to idolise, and knowing that little girls and little boys are running around obviously looking up to the AFLW as it is now, and to the girls that are coming through, is something that I’m really proud of to be part of.”
Ham has been playing football for most of her life, starting in mixed Auskick teams and joining the Keilor Football Club’s first U13’s girls team in 2015 and winning her first premiership.
Warren Grunden, a former club volunteer, is among many at Keilor who witnessed Ham’s journey first hand.
“She’s such an elite player, but more importantly an elite person,” Grunden said.
Grunden told the Star Weekly that Ham continued to play with Keilor for some years and in 2017 helped the club win another premiership. In both the 2017 and 2015 premierships Ham was named best on ground.
“She’s certainly been very embracing of our club (Keilor), given that she’s been at the Western Jets for five years,” said Grunden.
“It’s ultimately satisfying that the number one draft pick, in a sense, is irrelevant. It’s just great to see a young girl that has put so much effort, determination and pride in developing herself.
“You don’t want to put too much pressure on it, but knowing her and her family, the sky really is the limit for Montana.”
